Weekly Briefing: January 9, 2026
- Socially Adept Solutions
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Week of January 5, 2026
Congress Advances Infrastructure Spending Deal, Aiming to Avoid Shutdown
Congressional appropriators have reached agreement on a bipartisan “mini-bus” spending package that would set full-year funding for key agencies and help avoid another partial government shutdown ahead of a January 30 deadline.
Structured as a “mini-bus” rather than a full omnibus, the package does not include all 12 federal appropriations bills in an effort to expedite passage.
The package boosts funding for the Departments of Interior and Energy, Environmental Protection Agency, Army Corps of Engineers, and Bureau of Land Management, with investments in water infrastructure and harbor maintenance, reversal of President Trump’s cuts to renewable energy research programs, and significantly increased funding for environmental cleanup.
Lawmakers and industry leaders see the deal as likely to pass, citing bipartisan pressure to avoid repeating the disruptions caused by the largest government shutdown in U.S. history.
President Trump Withdraws from U.N. Climate Treaty
President Trump announced this week that he is withdrawing the U.S. from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which has been in place for 34 years and set the groundwork for the Paris Agreement.
The treaty was unanimously ratified by the U.S. Senate in 1992, and a president’s authority to unilaterally withdraw from a treaty remains legally unsettled, as the Supreme Court has never definitively ruled on the scope of this executive power.
This exit is part of a broader pullback from international organizations, as the administration announced the U.S. withdrawal from the climate pact and 65 other international organizations and treaties that “no longer serve American interests.”
Global leaders and climate experts raise concerns that this decision isolates the U.S., adds difficulty for future administrations to rejoin the Paris Agreement, harms U.S. scientific credibility, weakens international cooperation on climate science and mitigation, and eliminates U.S. influence over climate and energy transition investments and policies.
January 6, 2025
EFCG is pleased to announce that our client, Alliance Technical Group (Alliance), an Alabama-based leading provider of environmental testing and compliance services and a portfolio company of investment funds managed by Morgan Stanley Capital Partners (MSCP), the middle-market-focused private equity team within Morgan Stanley Investment Management, has been acquired by private equity funds affiliated with Blackstone.
This strategic move expands Alliance’s opportunities for growth in all corners of the environmental testing market. Chris LeMay, CEO of Alliance, commented, “Our partnership with MSCP accelerated Alliance’s growth and enabled us to build a more diversified, integrated environmental services platform while staying true to our culture and client-first approach. I’m incredibly proud of our team’s dedication and execution over the past several years. As we look ahead, we’re excited to partner with Blackstone to continue investing in our people, strengthening our processes, and delivering industry-leading technology for our clients.”
EFCG served as a co-advisor to Alliance Technical Group on the transaction.
December 15, 2025
WSP Global (WSP), a Canada-based professional services firm providing design, engineering, management services, and more for projects in the natural environment, transportation, power, building, and water sectors, has entered into an agreement to acquire TRC Companies (TRC), currently backed by Warburg Pincus, a Connecticut-based engineering, consulting, construction, and management services firm serving the energy, infrastructure, and power sectors. The deal is supported by a $118M private placement on behalf of La Caisse, a Canada-based institutional investment firm. This acquisition will enhance WSP’s capabilities in the power and utilities sector while deepening technical expertise and formalizing a partnership that has been developing over recent years. “Joining forces will position our business for accelerated organic growth and create an integrated platform with industry-leading capabilities in advisory, engineering, and program management. With TRC’s highly complementary expertise in power delivery, transmission, distribution, and advisory services, our combined offering will cover the entire utility and infrastructure value chain,” commented Alexandre L’Heureux, President and CEO of WSP.
January 5, 2026
Jacobs, a Texas-based multidisciplinary consulting and engineering services firm serving a variety of sectors and end markets, has reached an agreement to acquire the remaining stake in PA Consulting (PA), a UK-based firm combining strategy, technology, and design to solve complex problems across manufacturing, energy, finance, health, life sciences, and government sectors. This acquisition will enhance the scale and scope with which Jacobs can solve problems for clients while providing additional synergies across the business. Christian Norris, CEO of PA Consulting, stated, “By fully bringing together the expertise of PA and Jacobs, we can better empower clients to overcome today’s complexities and embrace tomorrow’s opportunities with confidence. We know that, together, we’re making a positive difference to businesses, economies, and societies. Investing and extending PA’s valuable brand and positioning in innovation and transformation consulting will enable us to tackle the broadest range of client challenges.”
January 5, 2026
IMEG, an Illinois-based engineering consulting firm specializing in building systems, infrastructure, and planning for healthcare, education, and industrial markets, has acquired CFR Engineering, a Maryland-based MEP and fire protection engineering firm that designs systems for healthcare, research, and federal facilities. This acquisition enhances IMEG’s technical and regulatory compliance expertise and better equips the firm to deliver complex projects for healthcare, medical, and government clients. “This transaction strengthens IMEG’s presence in the eastern region while significantly broadening our specialized expertise in complex and highly technical facilities,” said Paul VanDuyne, President and CEO of IMEG. “By aligning complementary capabilities and a shared commitment to client-focused service, we are expanding our capacity to support complex, mission-driven projects while preserving the specialized structures required to serve federal clients.”
January 8, 2026
Broadview Group, a Missouri-based private investment firm, has invested in Citadel EHS (Citadel), a California-based environmental, health, safety, and sustainability firm providing advanced solutions for real estate, energy, education, and healthcare. This strategic investment will provide Citadel with additional capital and expertise to continue growing and innovating its core business while simultaneously expanding its breadth of work. “After an extensive two-year search, we are thrilled to have found a strategic partner in Broadview who shares our values, long-term outlook, and commitment to employee development," said Loren Witkin, CEO of Citadel. "This partnership is a sign of strength. It positions Citadel for the next chapter of growth while ensuring continuity for our employees, clients, and partners. Day-to-day business remains unchanged—our leadership and culture remain intact—yet we now have greater resources to innovate and expand."
To kick off the new year and continue a valued company tradition, Pond & Company employees partnered with USO, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting members of the United States military by keeping them connected to their families and communities. Employees decorated more than 600 bagged lunches for the thousands of troops heading through the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport as they deployed for service. Pond & Company expressed gratitude for the men and women who serve and for all the important work USO does to support them.
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.