Weekly Briefing: November 7, 2025
- Socially Adept Solutions
- 3 minutes ago
- 4 min read
Week of November 3, 2025
US DOT Funding for States Cannot be Tied to Immigration Requirements, Judge Rules
A federal judge ruled that the Trump administration cannot withhold transportation grants from Democratic-led states for refusing to cooperate with immigration enforcement, granting a preliminary injunction to prevent “large-scale irreparable harm.”
The Department of Transportation, under Secretary Sean Duffy, had required states to agree to immigration enforcement and reject DEI policies as conditions for grant eligibility, prompting a lawsuit by 20 Democratic attorneys general.
Judge John McConnell found no plausible link between ICE cooperation and the congressionally approved purposes of transportation funding, emphasizing that the conditions were “coercive” and unrelated to infrastructure goals.
The injunction protects states from disruptions to critical transportation projects, safeguarding public health and safety and preventing jeopardy to ongoing and planned infrastructure work.
ENR Projects $780B Deficit for Clean-Water Capital
The U.S. faces a projected clean-water infrastructure shortfall of $760-$785 billion by 2026, far exceeding federal and state loan commitments and leaving most costs to local governments and ratepayers.
Even with record appropriations, annual State Revolving Fund (SRF) lending will cover only about 1.4% of needs, and Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) loans are slowed by administrative delays and outpaced by inflation, aging systems, and climate-driven demand.
Smaller utilities struggle with technical expertise and documentation, while outdated SRF allocation formulas and slow project packaging hinder access to available funds, risking missed deadlines and federal recapture.
Without faster permitting, innovation-ready designs, and congressional reauthorization of SRF funding beyond 2026, the clean-water gap could surpass $800 billion, threatening compliance, modernization, and public health.
EFCG is pleased to announce that our client, Qualus Corporation (Qualus), a Florida-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 completed its acquisition of the North American Transmission & 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
October 31, 2025
November 2, 2025
Apex Companies (Apex), a Maryland-based environmental sciences, water resources, health and safety, and infrastructure firm, backed by Morgan Stanley Capital Partners, has acquired Forsgren Associates (Forsgren), a Utah-based multi-discipline civil engineering, environmental sciences, and land surveying firm. This acquisition furthers Apex’s mission to deliver innovative infrastructure and sustainable growth to communities across the country. “Today we are very fortunate to have Forsgren Associates, Inc. join Apex Companies,” said Apex CEO Shawn Doherty. “The Forsgren team will add deep engineering skills, loyal clients, and geographic connectivity to our existing presence in the Pacific Northwest and the Rockies.”
November 3, 2025
HFA Architecture + Engineering (HFA), an Arkansas-based architecture and engineering firm, has acquired TRIA Architects (TRIA), a Massachusetts-based life sciences and laboratory architecture and design firm. This strategic move marks HFA’s entry into the life sciences sector. “This partnership is about bringing together people who care deeply about the impact their work has on the world,” said Dave Wilgus, CEO of HFA. “TRIA’s expertise in science and technology adds an exciting new dimension to what we do. Together, we’ll continue designing spaces that help our clients solve complex challenges and push innovation forward.”
November 4, 2025
CBRE Group (CBRE), a Texas-based real estate services and investment firm, has acquired Pearce Services (Pearce), a California-based firm providing advanced technical services for the digital and power infrastructure industries. This strategic move bolsters CBRE’s building operations & experience segment by providing expertise in the power infrastructure space. “This acquisition complements our large and growing presence in digital and power infrastructure,” said Bob Sulentic, CBRE’s chair and CEO. “It also opens sizable new growth avenues for CBRE in markets where the need for Pearce’s services is growing rapidly.”
November 5, 2025
Spheros Environmental (Spheros), a Colorado-based environmental consulting firm providing air quality, water resources, and ecology services, backed by Union Park Capital, has acquired Ironwood Consulting (Ironwood), a California-based environmental firm providing biological resources, habitat mitigation and monitoring, and environmental permitting services. This acquisition expands Spheros’ national footprint and enhances its technical offerings, bolstering capabilities in ecological assessment, regulatory compliance, and digital data management. “Ironwood brings the kind of technical excellence and scientific integrity that define Spheros,” said Andra Kidd, CEO of Spheros Environmental. “Their team’s biological expertise and experience with complex permitting and monitoring programs perfectly complement our existing ecology, water, air quality, and climate service lines.”
For the seventh year in a row, HMC Architects employees built sandcastles on the beach for the Leap Sandcastle Classic. Alongside students from two local elementary schools, the team won the Honorable Mention for Strongest Sandcastle award. Through this fun activity in the community, team members raised above their fundraising goal to contribute to arts education for schools in the Bay Area.
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.