Milwaukee-based Pierce Engineers Inc. has acquired Madison-based Gunnar Malm & Associates Inc. from founder Gunnar Malm.
The transaction closed Sept. 11 for an undisclosed price.
GMA offers structural design, building evaluation, parking structure and concrete and masonry services. Gunnar Malm and his two employees have moved into Pierce’s Madison office, and Malm is now a Pierce associate. The acquisition adds more concrete and masonry restoration, as well as building investigation expertise at Pierce Engineers, said Richard Pierce, founder and president of Pierce Engineers.
“We have folks in our Milwaukee office that do that and have done that, but this is an extraordinary jumpstart into more and more of that work,” Pierce said. “Parking ramp renovation work, any type of concrete distress or concrete repair work and general building investigation—waterproofing systems, brick systems, masonry systems.”
Pierce Engineers offers structural design, restoration services, structural analysis and specialty analysis and design. Pierce founded the firm in 1991. It has grown from a single person structural engineering firm to a staff of 50 working on a range of building types, with projects located across numerous states.
Pierce Engineers last year moved to a new headquarters, doubling the size of its office space, in Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward. And it also moved to a new Madison office last year. Both were driven by “unprecedented growth” for the company.
“Gunnar and I have known each other for many years,” Pierce said. “We both developed leading, successful consulting structural engineering firms in Wisconsin, focusing on client relationships and creative solutions. Having Gunnar, (GMA restoration manager) Ron Bernhagen and the rest of his staff join us at this point is an extraordinary step for PE that further establishes us as a leader in concrete and masonry restoration services.”
“Meshing our two firms together will allow greater reach and expanded services to existing and new clients in need of forensic, restoration and investigation services related to concrete and masonry,” said Randy Elliott, managing principal at Pierce Engineers.
“To all our clients and partners over the past 24 years: This past year GMA has been looking for a like-minded structural engineering firm which shares our dedication to customer service and creative engineering solutions,” Malm said. “I am pleased to report that GMA has decided to join PE, and that all of GMA’s current staff will be integrated with and assisted by PE’s existing staff. As a result, Ron Bernhagen and I will have a greater breadth of experience and expertise behind us as we continue to deliver you quality service. We find this time exciting, and we think you will as well.”
