Kleinfelder Acquires Australian Environmental Services Firm

Acquisition of Ecobiological Group will provide robust support for clients in the region

New South Wales (I-Newswire) July 24, 2012 - Kleinfelder, a global science, architecture and engineering consulting firm based in San Diego, is pleased to announce the acquisition of Ecobiological Group — a New South Wales (NSW) firm specializing in environmental assessment and remediation services. The transaction closed on July 5, 2012 following several months of due diligence and integration planning between the two firms.

“As we continue to grow in support of our global clients, there has been an increased demand for environmental services in Australia, and we found Ecobiological to be a perfect fit to help us meet that growing demand,” said Bill Siegel, Kleinfelder CEO. “Their outstanding history of environmental stewardship, successful project delivery and local expertise will ultimately provide our clients with the turn-key solutions they have come to expect from us — in Australia and throughout the world.”

Established in 1998, Ecobiological Group employs approximately 30 scientists, ecologists and planners specializing in environmental assessment, remediation and aboriginal cultural heritage. The firm’s expertise is leverage by a wide variety of clients, including state and local governments, extraction and mining companies, and commercial developers. The firm is headquartered in the lower Hunter Valley, NSW, with an additional office in Mackay, QLD. Each office, and its staff, will now operate as part of Kleinfelder.

“We view this as a win-win for us and our respective clients,” said Adam Blundell, founder of Ecobiological Group. “On one hand, our clients will have access to the robust suite of services and global support offered by Kleinfelder, and on the other hand, Kleinfelder’s clients will have the local expertise and environmental support from us as they continue to grow in Australia. We’re very pleased to become part of the Kleinfelder team.”

Kleinfelder opened its first Australian office in Melbourne in 2010, and has since grown their business significantly with new and existing clients, particularly in the energy market. Kleinfelder anticipates continued growth in the region to eventually encompass the firm’s full offering of services to the water, transportation, energy, facilities and government markets.