![2015 was a record year for mergers and acquisitions in the AE industry [infographic]](/sites/default/files/Screen%20Shot%202016-01-28%20at%209.38.08%20AM.png "2015 was a record year for mergers and acquisitions in the AE industry [infographic]")
Driven by steady growth in the economy, domestic merger and acquisition (M&A) activity in the architecture and engineering industry hit record levels in 2015, according to Morrissey Goodale LLC, a leading business management consulting and training firm to the A/E industry. Growing uncertainty about foreign markets, however, contributed to a drop in the number
of international deals last year.
In 2015, Morrissey Goodale tracked a record 234 sales of U.S.-based A/E firms, representing a 5.4% increase over the 222 domestic deals recorded in 2014. Sales of international firms, however, dropped 8.5% from 117 in 2014 to 107 last year. When domestic and international sales are combined, overall global dealmaking in the A/E industry increased by 0.6% in 2015.
Other findings from Morrissey Goodale’s 2015 AEC M&A Year in Review include:
• Texas remained the hottest spot for M&A activity in the United States with 31 firm sales in 2015. California was a close second with 24 firm sales. Other states that saw 10 or more deals last year included Illinois, New York, North Carolina, and Florida.
• More than half (57.7%) of U.S. deals in 2015 involved a buyer and seller from different states, up from 56.2% in 2014.
• More than a fifth (20.8%) of global deals in 2015 involved publicly traded buyers, down from 28.4% in 2014.
• Mega-deals tapered somewhat last year as the median revenue of buyers decreased from $77 million in 2014 to $59 million in 2015, while the median revenue of sellers declined from $4 million to $3 million.
Morrissey Goodale Principal Consultant Neil Churman expects M&A activity in the United States will remain strong in 2016. “Continued confidence among AEC industry leaders will likely drive another busy year for domestic mergers and acquisitions,” he says. “Unease about the price of oil may give some buyers pause in pursuing energy deals, but a new transportation bill and strength in other building and infrastructure markets should lead to continued deal activity among growth-minded firms.”
Morrissey Goodale’s complete 2015 AEC M&A Year in Review and an interactive map of M&A activity in the United States can be found at www.morrisseygoodale.com.
Related Stories
Mass Timber | Jan 27, 2023
How to set up your next mass timber construction project for success
XL Construction co-founder Dave Beck shares important preconstruction steps for designing and building mass timber buildings.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Jan 26, 2023
Miami’s motorsport ‘country club’ to build sleek events center
Designed by renowned Italian design firm Pininfarina and with Revuelta as architect, The Event Campus at The Concours Club will be the first and only motorsport-based event campus located within minutes of a major metro area.
Student Housing | Jan 26, 2023
6 ways 'choice architecture' enhances student well-being in residence halls
The environments we build and inhabit shape our lives and the choices we make. NAC Architecture's Lauren Scranton shares six strategies for enhancing well-being in residence halls.
K-12 Schools | Jan 25, 2023
As gun incidents grow, schools have beefed up security significantly in recent years
Recently released federal data shows that U.S. schools have significantly raised security measures in recent years. About two-thirds of public schools now control access to school grounds—not just the building—up from about half in the 2017-18 school year.
AEC Tech Innovation | Jan 24, 2023
ConTech investment weathered last year’s shaky economy
Investment in construction technology (ConTech) hit $5.38 billion last year (less than a 1% falloff compared to 2021) from 228 deals, according to CEMEX Ventures’ estimates. The firm announced its top 50 construction technology startups of 2023.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Jan 24, 2023
Nashville boasts the largest soccer-specific stadium in the U.S. and Canada
At 30,105 seats and 530,000 sf, GEODIS Park, which opened in 2022, is the largest soccer-specific stadium in the U.S. and Canada. Created by design firms Populous and HASTINGS in collaboration with the Metro Nashville Sports Authority, GEODIS Park serves as the home of the Nashville Soccer Club as well as a venue for performances and events.
Concrete | Jan 24, 2023
Researchers investigate ancient Roman concrete to make durable, lower carbon mortar
Researchers have turned to an ancient Roman concrete recipe to develop more durable concrete that lasts for centuries and can potentially reduce the carbon impact of the built environment.
Architects | Jan 23, 2023
PSMJ report: The fed’s wrecking ball is hitting the private construction sector
Inflation may be starting to show some signs of cooling, but the Fed isn’t backing down anytime soon and the impact is becoming more noticeable in the architecture, engineering, and construction (A/E/C) space. The overall A/E/C outlook continues a downward trend and this is driven largely by the freefall happening in key private-sector markets.
Multifamily Housing | Jan 23, 2023
Long Beach, Calif., office tower converted to market rate multifamily housing
A project to convert an underperforming mid-century office tower in Long Beach, Calif., created badly needed market rate housing with a significantly lowered carbon footprint. The adaptive reuse project, composed of 203,177 sf including parking, created 106 apartment units out of a Class B office building that had been vacant for about 10 years.
Hotel Facilities | Jan 23, 2023
U.S. hotel construction pipeline up 14% to close out 2022
At the end of 2022’s fourth quarter, the U.S. construction pipeline was up 14% by projects and 12% by rooms year-over-year, according to Lodging Econometrics.
