Spokane Journal of Business

Canadian design company agrees to acquire USKH

Acquisition strengthens Stantec in Northwest

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Canada-based design company Stantec has agreed to acquire Anchorage, Alaska-based architectural and engineering firm USKH Inc., which has a Spokane office.

Bob Gomes, Stantec’s CEO and president, said in a press release that USKH’s prominence in Alaska, along with its offices in Washington state and Montana, will complement Stantec’s growth in northern Canada and strengthen the company’s position in the Pacific Northwest.

The transaction is expected to be completed in June. The terms of the transaction weren’t disclosed.

Anchorage-based USKH provides architectural, landscape design, engineering, environmental planning, and surveying services for government, educational, and government facilities.

The firm’s Spokane office serves clients throughout the Inland Northwest, recently including Eastern Washington University, Spokane County, and the Columbia Rural Electric Association.

USKH was founded in 1972 and opened an office here in 2001. The Spokane office is located on the third floor of the Flour Mill commercial building, at 621 W. Mallon, near the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena.

The Spokane office has a total staff of 22 people, including eight engineers and four architects, according to information USKH recently supplied to the Journal.

Altogether, USKH has four offices in Alaska, three offices in Washington state, including the Spokane office, and an office in Billings, Mont., with a combined staff of 130 people.

Stantec has 13,000 employees in more than 200 locations in North America, including 6,000 employees in 140 offices in the U.S, the company’s press release says.

Stantec’s planned acquisition of USKH, and an earlier announced agreement to acquire Dallas-based SHW Group, will add more than 400 people to Stantec’s U.S. operations.

Stantec’s roots date back to 1954, when company founder Don Stanley opened D.R. Stanley & Associates, a civil engineering company, in Edmonton, Alberta.

By the early 1990s, Stanley had accumulated 20 companies through growth, diversification, and acquisitions under the umbrella of Stantec.

In its most recent annual report, Stantec reported 2013 net income of $146.2 million (Canadian), on revenue of $2.2 billion, compared with 2012 income of $121 million on revenue of $1.9 billion.

Mike McLean
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Deputy Editor Mike McLean has worked his entire journalism career in the Inland Northwest. Mike, who also lives to reel in fish and crank up music, has worked for the Journal since 2006.

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