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A Marriage That Will Last

The excitement over the corporate marriage between Partner Engineering and Science, Inc. and the former Birdsall Services Group (BSG) seems justified as the idea of the two working in tandem has quickly become a reality. Key Birdsall competencies are intact: Mechanical/electrical/plumbing (MEP) engineering design, construction services, energy and sustainability services, civil engineering and site survey services, environmental remediation, and environmental permitting and compliance services. The re-organized former Birdsall team now forms Partner’s engineering, consulting and design practice in New Jersey.

At a recent company retreat, the romance of the recent corporate marriage continued in the form of energetic planning discussions. We talked specifics about the New Jersey team’s expertise strengthening our due diligence practice, and on the flip side our due diligence relationships feeding their opportunities with property owners.

It’s no longer just talk. In Chicago, we are realizing the benefits of our two units working together or passing the baton. More energy engineers with commissioning experience are available and supporting our ComEd Illinois Retro-commissioning (RCx) projects. RCx is a program designed to achieve 5% bottom line annual energy savings for the owner after no and low cost efficiency measures are implemented and verified. The staff additions are timely as we’ve gained acceptance from ComEd for a pipeline of office and hotel properties ripe for energy savings.

In-house MEPs are contributing to Property Condition Assessment (PCA) reports for our equity and institutional investor clients served under the Partner Investment Advisory Group (IAG) umbrella. Our MEPs bring more than assessment experience to the table with their long history of system design and construction experience. Their expertise adds tremendous value to this process where we go beyond ASTM 2018-08 and the industry standard cost guides to true repair costs based on observed conditions, and realistic forecasts for maintenance and replacement budgets.

Professional Land Surveyors are complementing our existing survey practice and civil engineers are opening up new opportunities to provide land development services. With a Chicago-based client, we are providing site drainage evaluation services following recent flooding events that ironically occurred during our support of the due diligence process. It’s a perfect example of supporting our client in the buying process and then continuing on with support for them as the property owner.

Finally, our environmental team has been infused with staff heavy on remediation and environmental compliance expertise. Our Phase II ESA practice leaders let out a collective sigh of relief at the news of more staff availability. And an enlarged crew of environmental compliance professionals is opening more doors to continue on with clients after the transaction. The additions have us well-positioned to execute a nationwide training program for a Chicago-based client’s facility managers located throughout the country.

Honeymoons will fade into memory, but the synergies between us make this a marriage that will last.