Milwaukee-based architecture and design firm Eppstein Uhen Architects has acquired Denver-based architecture and interior design firm Burkettdesign. The price of the transaction was not disclosed.
Eppstein Uhen has more than 180 employees spread among three offices in Milwaukee, Madison and Des Moines, Iowa. This acquisition expands its geographic reach to the Rocky Mountain region and broadens its national footprint. EUA is now registered in 35 states.
Burkettdesign has 27 employees, all of whom will join EUA. The firm will be renamed BurkettEUA. Burkett owner Rick Burkett and principals Catherine Quintero, Michele Ponicsan, Gillian Hallock Johnson and Kitty Yuen will become EUA shareholders. Ben Niamthet, associate principal at Burkett, will become a core leadership team member at BurkettEUA.
“We are excited about the additional leaders joining EUA,” said EUA president Rich Tennessen. “The fact that five principals are investing and becoming shareholders in EUA demonstrates our mutual long-term commitment to our clients and each other.”
EUA works with private and public companies. Its clients have included GE Healthcare, Ascension Health, Robert W. Baird & Co. Inc., Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co. and Johnson Controls International plc. Burkettdesign clients have included Charter Communications, Vail Resorts, Holland & Hart, TIAA, Comcast and Lockheed Martin.
Both EUA and Burkettdesign work with Denver-based Confluent Development, which is one of the clients that the firms say will benefit from expanded services offered through the merger.
“For over 25 years, Burkettdesign has set the standard for design services in Colorado, and we are thrilled to add that experience and expertise to EUA,” said Greg Uhen, chief executive officer of EUA. “Combining our core strengths in ground-up architecture in the industries of urban redevelopment and mixed-use, workplace, health care, education, senior living, and science and technology with Burkettdesign’s exemplary corporate design, high-tech lab, aerospace and data center expertise will make EUA even stronger in Colorado and nationally.”
“Burkettdesign was founded in 1990 and has established itself as one of the region’s most accomplished and recognized firms by focusing on client service and delivering high-quality, personalized design services,” said Rick Burkett. “Those core values and the team providing them will not change, but what will change is our ability to offer our clients even more specialized services with the added resources, expertise and support that comes from combining with EUA.”
