Weekly Briefing: December 12, 2025
- Socially Adept Solutions
- 13 minutes ago
- 5 min read
Week of December 8, 2025
The success of our annual ESG forum has led to the creation of EFCG’s first Sustainability and ESG Conference, held from December 3-5, 2025, at Hotel Clio in Denver, Colorado. We welcomed 80+ sustainability leaders from across the AEC industry and featured more than 25 dynamic speakers. In total, $103 billion in AEC revenues and 410,000 employees were represented by the attending firms.
The conference opened with EFCG Managing Partner Rebecca Zofnass and EFCG Director of Sustainability & ESG Andreas Georgoulias presenting EFCG’s signature AEC Industry Overview. The session highlighted critical Sustainability & ESG trends, including how sector and regional factors shape demand, emerging disclosure trends, and the growing prominence of resilience services as a strategic focus. The agenda continued with thought-provoking sessions covering topics such as industry leader insights from 2025, the intersection of technology and AI with Sustainability & ESG, and the role of mission and commitments in driving business value.
To kick off the second day, we were excited to welcome the keynote speaker, Phillip A. Washington, CEO of Denver International Airport, who shared his vision for advancing sustainability and resilience across the AEC industry.
EFCG extends a sincere thank you to everyone who attended this year's Sustainability & ESG Conference!
Time-Sensitive Opportunity to Secure Tariff Refunds
The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule that President Trump lacked authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose global tariffs, but even if the Supreme Court rules the tariffs are unlawful, refunds are not automatic. This decision could unlock over $90 billion in refunds for U.S. companies.
Recovering refunds will require a formal legal process through the U.S. Court of International Trade (CIT). Without this, a company may be unable to secure refunds because the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) processes “liquidation” of entries, which finalizes duties owed, and once liquidation occurs, refund rights become severely limited.
Hundreds of firms have already filed, and if a company delays, it could lead to losing priority or facing significant delays.
There are critical deadlines approaching since IEEPA tariffs on products from China, Canada, and Mexico may become liquidated or finalized by December 15, 2025, potentially impacting refund eligibility. Once liquidation occurs, companies that have not filed suit or protested may lose their refund eligibility.
Resource: Brownstein combines legal expertise with a leading government affairs practice, enabling them to help clients provide input into the potential tariff refunds process to ensure claims are processed efficiently.
U.S. DOE Withdraws Federal “Zero-Emissions Building” Definition
In another move to roll back climate-focused initiatives, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has withdrawn the federal “zero-emissions building” definition that was issued in 2023, ending all technical assistance and stating that it should not be used by authorities or private-sector organizations.
The definition was not binding, but many jurisdictions and owners used it to guide project planning and shape building-performance standards, procurement requirements, and decarbonization goals.
This withdrawal, along with the uncertainty it causes, may complicate ongoing work by ASHRAE, the International Code Council, and the U.S. Green Building Council to align on sector-wide emissions standards.
The DOE states that this definition did not align with the current administration’s priorities, and early reporting is framing this as part of a larger pullback from climate-forward federal building policies. The DOE has not clarified whether a new definition or guidance will be announced.
November 27, 2025
AECOM, a California-based global infrastructure firm providing planning, design, engineering, and construction management, has acquired Consigli, a Norway-based AI platform specializing in uses for engineering automation. This strategic move is set to significantly reduce time and costs related to project design and delivery. AECOM expects to leverage Consigli’s AI agent’s abilities to assist in O&M, de-risking, digital modeling, MEP analysis, and more, which they claim can reduce engineers’ time by up to 90%. Currently, it is not known if AECOM intends to keep Consigli commercially available or if it will only be available for internal use at AECOM.
December 1, 2025
McKim & Creed, a North Carolina-based engineering, planning, and geospatial firm, has acquired Signature Automation, a Texas-based firm providing electrical engineering, instrumentation & controls, and cybersecurity infrastructure for the water/wastewater, municipal, manufacturing, and correctional sectors. This move will support McKim & Creed’s clients in Texas and the Southern U.S. by bringing additional technical expertise and solutions unique to the region. Street Lee, CEO of McKim & Creed, said, “By combining our established electrical and instrumentation expertise from the Southeast U.S. with Signature Automation’s outstanding reputation in Texas and surrounding states, we’re enhancing our ability to support larger and more complex projects across the region. This expansion strengthens our position as one of the largest E&I firms in the Southeast and reinforces our commitment to delivering innovative, high-quality solutions for our Texas clients.”
December 3, 2025
Qualus, a Florida-based power services firm providing engineering, testing, and field services for the electrical grid, backed by New Mountain Capital, has acquired Aquawolf, a Colorado-based transmission and distribution subsidiary of Oklahoma-based firm Mammoth Energy. This acquisition will continue to build on Qualus’ expertise in transmission and distribution with new offices in San Diego, Denver, and Vancouver, WA, supporting Qualus’ goal of being a leader in the grid modernization industry. “This addition expands and deepens Qualus’ services in critical areas of grid modernization, resiliency, and hardening,” stated Greg Herasymuik, President and CEO of Qualus. “We have been working closely with the team prior to the acquisition and have strong cultural alignment.”
December 3, 2025
VHB, a Massachusetts-based engineering, planning, and design firm that specializes in transportation, real estate, energy, and environmental projects, has merged with Drive Engineering (Drive), a Pennsylvania-based transportation engineering firm specializing in technology-driven solutions for mobility and traffic optimization. With the addition of Drive’s team and clients, VHB will greatly expand its capabilities in transportation systems with a stronger presence on the East Coast. “This partnership reflects VHB’s commitment to shaping the future of mobility while growing our presence in key markets like Pennsylvania,” said Michael Carragher, President and CEO of VHB. “By combining Drive’s technology-informed approach with VHB’s integrated services, we can accelerate innovation and deliver smarter, more resilient transportation systems for communities across the East Coast.”
December 4, 2025
Haley Ward, a Maine-based engineering, environmental, and surveying firm, has acquired CCA, a Connecticut-based consulting engineering and land surveying firm. This acquisition strengthens Haley Ward’s regional presence and brings additional capabilities in the landscape architecture sector. “This acquisition underscores our commitment to expanding in Southern New England and to offering a full spectrum of services for our clients,” commented Denis St. Peter, President and CEO of Haley Ward. “Adding a third office in Connecticut strengthens our local footprint and enables us to serve clients with more employees, more connectivity and a broader service portfolio, including the landscape architecture piece that has become increasingly critical to site and infrastructure work.”
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.