Weekly Briefing: August 29, 2025
- Socially Adept Solutions
- Aug 29
- 4 min read
Week of August 25, 2025
Increased ICE Enforcement Worsens Construction Labor Shortages
Labor shortages affect 45% of contractors and stand as the leading cause of project delays, according to the latest annual survey from the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) and National Center for Construction Education and Research, which surveyed 1,400 contractors in July and August.
80% of firms surveyed have open craft positions, and 92% of these firms say it is as difficult or more difficult to fill these roles compared to last year.
28% of firms reported experiencing immigration enforcement impacts in the last six months. Among contractors, 5% reported site visits, 10% reported losing workers, and 20% reported their subcontractors faced workforce losses due to immigration action.
The survey followed an increase in funding for immigration enforcement by the Trump administration and highlights AGC chief economist Ken Simonson’s concern that more firms will be impacted in the future.
Redeveloping Urban Waterfronts Boosts Resilience and Local Economies
Cities nationwide are redeveloping their shorelines with technology that mitigates the impact of floods, storms, and earthquakes. These projects meet the growing need for resiliency to protect ecosystems and local economies, while also adding beauty and social vibrancy to the cities.
One example is the completed $1 billion redevelopment project in Seattle that replaced a 100-year-old seawall and added a public park and pedestrian promenade. Other large cities like New York, Boston, Chicago, and D.C., along with smaller to midsize cities in Virginia, Iowa, and Montana are also in various stages of planning, design, or construction of waterfront redevelopment projects.
As generational assets, waterfronts require long-term resilience planning to withstand more frequent extreme weather events and reduce ongoing maintenance requirements and resource demands.
Waterfront redevelopment projects can take years due to funding gaps or conflicting interests among communities, governments, and businesses. Financing typically comes from a mix of city, state, and federal sources, as well as private contributions.
August 29, 2025
EFCG is pleased to announce that our client, Qualus Corporation (Qualus), an Ohio-based pure-play power solutions firm and innovator at the forefront of the power infrastructure transformation, and a portfolio company of New Mountain Capital, has acquired the North American Transmission and Distribution engineering business of John Wood Group plc (Wood). The acquisition expands Qualus’ presence and client base in Canada and adds highly complementary resources in both Canada and the U.S. to address the strong demand for power engineering services.
Greg Herasymuik, President and CEO of Qualus, commented, “This acquisition is consistent with our strategy to expand our geographic footprint and resources in Canada, enabling us to offer our comprehensive end-to-end solutions to an expanded client base. We are looking forward to welcoming our new colleagues to Qualus.”
EFCG served as the financial advisor to Qualus.
August 22, 2025
LaBella Associates (LaBella), a New York-based architecture, engineering, environmental, and planning firm, has acquired Environmental Assessment & Remediations (EAR), a New York-based hydrologic and environmental consulting firm. The acquisition strengthens LaBella’s environmental services and capabilities, while building its presence on Long Island. Jeff Roloson, President of LaBella, said, “Known for their technical acumen and trusted client relationships, EAR brings specialized capabilities and a commitment to excellence that aligns perfectly with LaBella’s values.”
August 25, 2025
TRC Companies (TRC), a Connecticut-based global professional services firm providing integrated strategy, consulting, engineering, and applied technologies, backed by Warburg Pincus, has acquired Strategic Energy Group (SEG), an Oregon-based provider of strategic energy management (SEM). The acquisition allows TRC to leverage SEG’s abilities to deliver sustainable, cost-saving, and energy-efficient measures for clients. Jim Volkman, Principal of SEG, noted, “TRC and SEG share a passion for helping clients prepare for the energy transition through thoughtful approaches that benefit the environment, the community and the client.”
August 25, 2025
Milrose Consultants (Milrose), a New York-based regulatory consulting and compliance firm, backed by Southfield Capital, has acquired Borne Consulting, a California-based architecture and engineering firm specializing in technical expertise and pragmatic solutions for complex building rehabilitation projects. The acquisition bolsters Milrose’s architectural engineering capabilities and its Bay Area footprint. Cade Osborne, Founder and Principal of Borne Consulting, noted, "Milrose's national platform and commitment to excellence will allow us to scale our impact and continue providing thoughtful, high-performance solutions to building owners and managers across the country."
August 26, 2025
Atwell, a Michigan-based full-service consulting, engineering and construction services firm, has acquired Manhard Consulting, an Illinois-based 400-person engineering and surveying firm. This acquisition marks Atwell’s fifth acquisition of the year, bolstering its footprint in numerous locations while expanding into new ones like Tennessee and Nevada. Matthew C. Bissett, Atwell President, remarked, “We see this acquisition as a catalyst for growth across both companies. We’ll both be able to expand our geographic presence, enhance our collective skill set, and deliver increased value to our clients.”
August 26, 2025
Phenna Group (Phenna), a UK-based provider of Testing, Inspection, Certification, and Compliance (TICC) services, backed by Oakley Capital, has acquired ISGroup, an Australia-based provider of integrated geospatial solutions. This acquisition marks Phenna’s fifteenth for the year, strengthening the firm’s presence in the geospatial sector. Phil Marshall, CEO of Phenna Group, noted, “We are thrilled to welcome ISGroup into the Phenna family. Their market-leading expertise in geospatial intelligence, combined with our global scale and shared values, creates a powerful platform for growth. This acquisition not only strengthens our presence in the Asia-Pacific region but also positions us at the forefront of a rapidly evolving sector with enormous potential.”
Twenty-six employees from Greenbox Architecture, a Woolpert Company ran to support Parkinson’s research and raised over $101K AUD. Proceeds from the race were donated to Shake It Up Australia Foundation for Parkinson's Research, the largest non-government funder of Parkinson's research across multiple institutes in Australia. While events supporting this organization can range from runs and open water swims, to endurance events and cycling challenges, Woolpert team members chose to run in the rain!
The EFCG Weekly Briefing summarizes the week’s key news in the AEC industry, including M&A updates, and micro- and macro-trends, aggregated from industry-focused and global news sources.
To send any additional press releases or news from your firm that you would like us to share please email Clay Han at chan@efcg.com.