Weekly Briefing: September11, 2026
Week of September 7, 2026
Construction Input Prices Jump 1.2% in August; Up 8.9% Year Over Year
Construction input prices increased 1.2% in August compared to the previous month, with nonresidential input prices also up 1.2%, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics Producer Price Index data. Overall input prices are 8.9% higher than a year ago, while nonresidential inputs are 8.8% higher and remain 56.4% above February 2020 levels.
Increases were widespread across materials, with copper wire and cable up 27.2% year over year, steel mill products up 23.4%, iron and steel up 17.9%, and switchgear and industrial controls equipment up 12.3%. Softwood lumber is up 11.8% annually despite falling 1.9% for the month, while construction machinery and equipment were flat.
Energy moved in both directions. Crude petroleum prices rose 5.2% for the month and 34.9% year over year, and unprocessed energy materials increased 1.5% and 23.6% respectively, while natural gas prices declined 11.6% in August.
ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu noted that while contractors remain optimistic about margins, ongoing input price escalation is likely to weigh on profitability over the coming months, citing the escalating trade dispute with Canada and rising oil prices. For AEC firms, cost acceleration in key areas reinforces the need for escalation provisions in fee structures and closer scrutiny of long-term work.
Cities Turn to New Financing Tools for Climate Resilience as Federal Funding Recedes
According to a recent Clark University panel, cities face a capacity gap, not a knowledge gap, on climate resilience. A National League of Cities survey found 84% of municipalities report insufficient capital budgets and 81% are rethinking infrastructure investments as Biden-era funding ends.
States are building financing infrastructure rather than relying solely on subsidies. Massachusetts estimates it needs $90 billion to $130 billion through 2050 for resilience priorities including high-hazard dams, coastal investments and wetlands protection. The state has capitalized a Community Climate Bank with $50 million and proposed a revolving loan fund under the pending Mass Ready environmental bond bill.
Local governments are also recruiting private capital at project inception and structuring public-private partnerships into project design from the start, said Saharnaz Mirzazad of ICLEI USA, which recently issued a resilience finance guidebook to help municipalities quantify avoided risk in terms lenders, insurers and private investors will act on.
For AEC firms, the shift from federal grants toward state revolving funds, green banks and P3 structures points to demand for resilience planning, risk quantification and funding advisory services, with capacity-constrained municipal clients likely to lean more heavily on consultants to assemble and justify project financing.
September 1, 2026
EIS, a Texas-based provider of mission-critical environmental and infrastructure services, backed by Sun Capital Partners, has acquired Environmental Construction (ECI), a Florida-based provider of commercial demolition, abatement, and environmental remediation services. This acquisition strengthens EIS’s Florida platform by adding experienced local leadership, specialized expertise, and expanded service capabilities. “Michael Graisbery, Cameron Graisbery and Logio Pizano built a company that is trusted to perform under some of the most demanding conditions and stringent regulatory requirements. Bringing them into EIS gives our Florida clients more capability, more capacity and more expertise under one roof,” commented B.J. Stephan, President and CEO of EIS.
September 3, 2026
CIVC Partners, an Illinois-based private equity firm investing in middle-market companies, has entered into a partnership agreement with Cushing Terrell, a Montana-based multidisciplinary architecture, engineering, and design firm. This strategic move supports Cushing Terrell’s growth across areas including market expansion, talent acquisition, technology modernization, and mergers and acquisitions. “This partnership represents the next chapter in Cushing Terrell’s 88-year history,” said Greg Matthews, President and CEO of Cushing Terrell. “We are not changing who we are. We are strengthening our ability to invest in our people, serve our clients, and create opportunities for future generations of leaders. CIVC brings strategic insight, tools, and resources that complement our vision while respecting the culture, values, and entrepreneurial spirit that have defined Cushing Terrell for nearly nine decades.”
September 9, 2026
Galloway & Company (Galloway), a Colorado-based architecture and engineering firm, backed by ARA Services Partners and Kelso & Company, has acquired Hafer, an Indiana-based architecture, interior design, and MEP engineering firm. This acquisition advances Galloway’s long-term growth strategy, adds multidisciplinary design capabilities, and strengthens its presence in the Midwest. “Hafer has built an exceptional legacy through creative, quality-driven design, strong client relationships, and a deep commitment to the communities it serves,” said Dave Guetig, CEO of Galloway. “This partnership brings together two organizations with aligned cultures and complementary capabilities, creating expanded opportunities for our people, clients, and the communities we serve.”
September 9, 2026
ALL4, a Pennsylvania-based global environmental, health, and safety consulting firm, backed by Levine Leichtman Capital Partners, has acquired Koogler and Associates, a Florida-based environmental engineering and air-quality consulting firm primarily serving industrial clients. This acquisition expands ALL4’s air quality permitting, monitoring, and compliance services and strengthens the firm’s ability to serve clients across the Southeast. “We are excited to welcome Koogler and Associates to ALL4. Their permitting and compliance, emissions testing, and monitoring capabilities are a natural complement to ALL4’s existing expertise and further strengthen the solutions we can provide to our clients,” said William Straub, CEO of ALL4.
September 10, 2026
Audax Private Equity, a Massachusetts-based middle-market private equity platform, has acquired Integral Consulting, a Colorado-based environmental science and engineering consulting firm, from Imperial Capital. This acquisition marks the beginning of Integral’s next phase of growth following a period of expansion under Imperial Capital through strategic acquisitions and investments in its leadership team and operating infrastructure. “The team at Imperial remained steadfast in their support of our employees and culture, while bringing the resources and capabilities that helped us achieve our growth ambitions. It was a monumental chapter in the company's history, and we are incredibly grateful for their partnership. We look forward to continuing our journey with Audax and reaching even greater heights in the years to come,” said Ryan Brain, CEO of Integral Consulting.
Turner Construction's Kansas City interns partnered with ScrapsKC, a local nonprofit that provides teachers across the area with free school supplies and classroom materials, to renovate two classrooms in the De Soto School District ahead of the new school year. ScrapsKC selected two De Soto educators who regularly use its resource center, and the interns coordinated with an architect to redesign each room around the teachers' own vision boards, with a focus on storage and furnishings that had been difficult to move or reconfigure. Working from a $1,500 budget, the team sourced recycled shelving, supplies and decorations from ScrapsKC's warehouse and completed both makeovers as a surprise reveal for the teachers before students returned.
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 Fatima Moumen at fmoumen@efcg.com.
