Week of February 16, 2026

U.S. Offshore Wind Pushes Forward Amid Ongoing Uncertainty

• The Oceantic Network International Partnering Forum, a leading U.S. offshore wind energy development conference held in NYC, saw attendance drop to about 900 from 4,000 the previous year, reflecting the uncertainty around federal funding, permitting, and investor confidence.

• As industry leaders discussed a viable path forward, recent federal court decisions blocking the Trump administration’s stop-work directives impacting five major East Coast projects, along with strong operational performance reported from the first U.S. utility-scale offshore wind facility, provided renewed momentum.

• Recent market headwinds are prompting industry leaders to rethink project structuring, financing, and delivery models. Doreen Harris, President of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), issued a Request for Information aimed at expanding its project pipeline with state co-investment in pre-development efforts, aligning with broader efforts to pause the current model and “de-risk” project frameworks.

• Despite state efforts to stabilize the market and continued investor interest driven by rising electricity demand, the Trump administration’s decision to appeal recent court rulings and uncertainty around expiring tax credits continues to create volatility that could delay or cancel future offshore wind development.

AI Adoption Across the Construction Industry

• Construction companies are increasingly adopting AI tools to help project managers and site supervisors save time by automating routine tasks such as site safety analysis, document summarization, submittal identification, scheduling, and progress reporting. More advanced applications include computer vision for construction site tracking, workforce matching, and natural language processing that enables workers to dictate daily logs in real time rather than completing them later on a computer.

• This shift toward AI comes at a critical time, as the Associated Builders and Contractors reported the industry faces a labor shortage of 349,000 workers and the National Center for Construction Education and Research found that, by 2031, approximately 41% of the construction workforce will retire.

• Approximately 60% of construction firms, primarily larger companies, are adopting AI, while smaller firms remain more focused on digitization efforts.

• Beyond efficiency gains, construction firms are looking to utilize AI to capture and transfer the knowledge of skilled workers to strengthen workforce resilience.

February 10, 2026

Hunter Forest Capital, a Chicago-based private investment firm specializing in middle-market transactions, has launched Agathos AEC, an architecture and engineering platform with the goal of providing comprehensive architecture and engineering services. To support this goal, Agathos AEC has partnered with Plump Engineering (PEI), a California-based full service civil, structural, MEP, and surveying firm, and JMPE Electrical Engineering (JMPE), a California-based electrical engineering firm. “We are thrilled to launch Agathos AEC and welcome PEI and JMPE as our founding partners,” said Scott Daum, Managing Partner at Hunter Forest Capital. “This platform represents our commitment to investing in high-quality professional service firms that prioritize client success and technical excellence. We believe the combined expertise of these firms creates a powerful foundation for future growth.”

February 11, 2026  

Pinyon Environmental (Pinyon), a Colorado-based environmental consulting firm offering site assessments, regulatory compliance, permitting, and natural resource management services to public and private clients, has acquired Confluence Consulting, a Montana-based water resources consulting firm specializing in stream engineering and wetland restoration. This acquisition will improve Pinyon’s geographic reach and further equip the firm with technical expertise in stream and wetland restoration. “This partnership allows us to better serve our clients by strengthening our technical depth and increasing our capacity to support complex projects throughout the Rocky Mountains and Southwestern US,” commented Scott Epstein, CEO of Pinyon. “Pinyon continues to focus on creating a culture that elevates our employee owners and helps our clients deliver their projects and programs through quality work and a great client experience.”

February 17, 2026 

Apex Companies (Apex), a Maryland-based consulting and engineering firm offering services in water, environmental, health and safety, construction management, and infrastructure, backed by Morgan Stanley Capital Partners, has acquired Tully Consulting Group, a California-based stormwater management and civil engineering firm. This acquisition strengthens Apex’s presence in California and further enables them to deliver stormwater services over the full life cycle. “We are excited to be a part of the Apex team of like-minded, caring and dedicated professionals,” said Robin Tully, President of Tully Consulting Group. “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity that we know will benefit our employees and clients with a partnership grounded in shared values, technical excellence, and a commitment to client-focused service. Together we are excited to expand our stormwater and environmental compliance capabilities within California and across the nation.”

February 17, 2026 

Universal Engineering Sciences (UES), a Florida-based engineering and consulting firm that provides geotechnical, environmental consulting, construction materials testing, and building compliance services, backed by BDT & MSD Partners, has acquired Amtech Solutions (Amtech), a Texas-based firm that provides building envelopes and related construction services. This acquisition brings together two firms with related services and complementary geographies, enabling UES to continue expanding its services and capabilities, particularly in Texas. Amtech will support expanding UES’ building envelope services with the division being led by Amtech leaders Ron and Chloe Erdman.

February 19, 2026 

NCS Engineers (NCS), an Arizona-based water, wastewater, and environmental engineering firm, backed by Clairvest Group, has acquired LightPoint Engineering (LightPoint) and Spear Point Engineering, two Texas-based firms providing services in water production, distribution systems, wastewater collection, and roadway and land development. These acquisitions bring two regional leaders with expertise in Texas into NCS’ current capabilities, allowing them to deliver more complex and specialized projects. “We are thrilled to welcome LightPoint and Spear Point Engineering into the NCS family,” stated Ram Narasimhan, CEO of NCS. “Their talented team and quality reputation in the Houston area will enable us to deliver more innovative solutions and expand our presence in the rapidly growing Texas market.”

Parametrix employees supported the Future City Competition in communities across the nation, including Boise, Idaho, and Southeast Georgia. Future City is a hands-on educational program that engages middle school and high school students in STEM learning and motivates students to design cities of the future. This year’s Future City Competition theme is Farm to Table, challenging students to design a city that eliminates food waste from farm to table and keeps citizens happy and healthy. Parametrix employees recognized the value of encouraging young students by dedicating time to this impactful program.

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.