Global design firm Stantec says it is strengthening its water, transportation and public works service in the Southwestern United States with the planned acquisition of New Mexico-based consulting engineering firm Occam Engineers Inc. (OEI).
The transaction is expected to close in March.
With established service to both local and regional clients, OEI specializes in the professional service areas of civil engineering, public works, transportation, development engineering, planning and feasibility, program management, water resources, and value analysis.
The 55-person firm is headquartered in Albuquerque, with offices throughout New Mexico in Artesia, Santa Fe, Roswell, Las Cruces, Silver City and Tucumcari. OEI also has an office in Houston, Texas.
OEI has contracted with the City of Artesia on several projects, including its water conservation ordinance, water rate increase proposal, and currently, the city’s plan for permanent disinfection of the local water system.
“OEI brings a long-held focus on integrity, excellence, and collaboration, and we are thrilled to welcome their talented team members to our growing company community,” said John Take, Stantec senior vice president, water and U.S. Southwest business leader. “OEI’s strong client relationships in both the water and transportation markets will help us as we continually expand both the depth and breadth of our professional services across the Southwest U.S.”
OEI is the result of the merger of firms Engineers Inc., Occam, and EC Consulting. The firm supports a variety of prominent clients to solve complex infrastructure challenges. Among the firm’s notable projects, OEI teamed with Stantec to support Santa Fe County in the negotiations of an Operating Agreement for the Pojoaque Basin Regional Supply System.
The project consists of surface water diversion facilities on the Rio Grande, along with treatment, transmission, storage, and distribution facilities, which will ultimately supply up to 4,000 acre-feet of water annually to local and regional water users. OEI also led the reconstruction of a rural and isolated area of U.S. 54 near Tularosa, New Mexico, for the New Mexico Department of Transportation. The project aims to improve safety along the corridor, with OEI spearheading the redesign of a bridge and an increase in driving and passing lanes.
Additionally, the firm operates a large-scale groundwater remediation project in Albuquerque to successfully treat 185 million gallons of contaminated groundwater annually, returning safe water to the aquifer facility with zero safety-related incidents.
“This is a tremendous opportunity to pursue large-scale public works projects not only in New Mexico, but across all of the Colorado River Basin states, while providing our existing clients an expanded array of capabilities drawn from the larger Stantec network,” says Scott Verhines, P.E., OEI president. “Stantec’s technical expertise, coupled with our strong relationships in both transportation and water, provide our employees exciting avenues to pursue meaningful projects advancing the quality of life in communities across the region.”