SSOE Group acquires Stevens & Wilkinson

Global architecture, engineering, and construction management firm expands geographic presence, design expertise, and market capability with strategic acquisition of Southeast design firm with offices in Atlanta, Georgia and Columbia, South Carolina

SSOE Group, a global project delivery firm for architecture, engineering, and construction management is pleased to announce the acquisition of Stevens & Wilkinson (S&W), a 100-year-old design firm with offices in Atlanta, Georgia and Columbia, South Carolina and their sister interior design studio IDEA | SPAN. The alliance, finalized on December 31st, expands the Southeast U.S. presence, market capabilities, and overall portfolio of both firms.

Featured image: Robby Aull, AIA, ACHA, LEED AP, president of S&W’s South Carolina office.

A national leader in project delivery for semiconductor, automotive, chemical, and food markets, SSOE has more than 40 years of experience delivering projects in the Southeast U.S. from existing offices in Atlanta, Birmingham, Huntsville, and Nashville. The acquisition of S&W and IDEA | SPAN was driven by their architectural, engineering, and interior design expertise in healthcare, education, judicial, and other commercial building markets. S&W boasts noteworthy projects in these sectors, such as the Medical University of South Carolina’s James E. Clayburn Research Facility (Charleston, South Carolina), the Nathan Deal Judicial Center (Atlanta, Georgia), and the historic renovation of the David T. Howard Middle School for Atlanta Public Schools.

Commenting on their decision to join SSOE, S&W’s Chairman Ron Stang, AIA, LEED AP, explained, “We are excited to enhance our combined offerings to clients and grow the general building brand to the same national prominence SSOE’s industrial sectors enjoy. We also believe there is an opportunity to augment SSOE’s services to industrial clients to provide design for their corporate, research, and workplace projects as well as tap into their involvement in the growing investment taking place in the Southeast, including hot markets like manufacturing facilities for electric vehicles.”

Through this acquisition, both firms are doubling the architectural and engineering resources they are able to offer to the healthcare, education, and other commercial building markets. This will not only provide a larger geographic footprint, but an improved ability to execute large projects for clients in all of SSOE’s locations.

“We are excited to welcome Stevens & Wilkinson to our SSOE family,” said Catherine Myers, PE, Chair of SSOE’s Board of Directors and Chief Operating Officer. “With their demonstrated performance of architectural design excellence and their continuous emphasis on client success, they are the best in their field and a great addition to our global team. We are committed to the general building market and thankful that S&W’s entire leadership team will remain actively involved in the operations of the integrated business unit. We see immediate opportunities to grow our overlapping markets as well as take S&W’s impressive judicial and historic renovations portfolio across our geographic footprint.”

As a testament to their resilient business models, both firms posted some of their most successful years ever in 2020 despite the global pandemic and recession. The acquisition adds nearly 100 employees to SSOE and expands its portfolio and capabilities to better deliver upon the organization’s mission to save clients time, trouble, and money.

Vince DiPofi, PE, President and CEO of SSOE Group commented, “Culturally, our companies align perfectly. We both prioritize relationships with our clients to deliver positive outcomes. Through our combined strength and a shared goal to provide great client experiences, this strategic partnership will take us to the next level in architectural design. Clients of both firms can anticipate access to the same familiar teams, with an enhanced ability to provide resources and expertise to their projects.”

About SSOE Group
Founded in 1948, SSOE Group is a full-service architecture, engineering, and construction management firm with locations throughout the U.S., Mexico, and India. For the past seven years, SSOE has been ranked as a Top 10 Engineering / Architecture firm by BD+C and a Top Healthcare Design Firm by Modern Healthcare. The company is also nationally ranked among the Top 10 firms for the design of semiconductor, automotive, chemical, and food and beverage projects. With a mission to make clients successful by saving them time, trouble, and money, SSOE specializes in delivering complicated, high-stakes projects and value through long-term program management and sustaining support across a wide variety of industries.

SSOE’s portfolio of work in the Southeast includes the $1 billion Volkswagen Assembly Plant and first LEED Platinum automotive assembly plant in the world, Continental Tire manufacturing facilities in South Carolina, a greenfield manufacturing facility for BOCAR in Huntsville, Alabama, and most recently the design of a greenfield advanced transmission manufacturing facility for GEDIA in Dalton, Georgia. Clients in the Southeast also include Children’s Hospital of Alabama, Encompass Health, and UAB.

Visit ssoe.com to learn more.

About Stevens & Wilkinson

Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia with an office in South Carolina, Stevens & Wilkinson is an architecture, engineering, and interior design firm with a 100-year history of delivering smart design solutions to clients. Specializing in judicial and historical renovations, healthcare, and education, Stevens & Wilkinson’s recent landmark projects include the following: The Nathan Deal Judicial Center, AIA Georgia award-winning McKenney’s office building renovation, Clemson University’s Core Campus Precinct, the Oxford College of Emory University Student Center, the Florence County Judicial Center, two new nursing homes for Veteran Affairs, the historic renovation of Auburn University’s Gavin Engineering Research Laboratory, and Georgia Southern University’s new Center for Engineering and Research.

Visit stevens-wilkinson.com to learn more.