Brown and Caldwell Acquires Eckenfelder Inc

Business Wire, August 31, 1998

PLEASANT HILL, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 31, 1998--Nationwide environmental engineering and consulting firm Brown and Caldwell announced today that it is acquiring Eckenfelder Inc., a Nashville-based environmental engineering firm specializing in industrial water quality, remediation, and risk management.

In making the announcement, Brown and Caldwell President and CEO Craig Goehring cited Eckenfelder's reputation among business and industrial clients and its strong East Coast presence as key factors driving the acquisition.

The acquisition of Eckenfelder Inc. expands Brown and Caldwell's operations in the eastern United States by adding two new offices in strategic locations: Nashville, Tenn., and Mahwah, N.J. Eckenfelder's industrial experience and 125 employees bring new expertise and services that complement Brown and Caldwell's private-sector business, including field and laboratory capabilities for treatability assessments and analytical testing.

This expands the company's ability to meet the growing demand for improved industrial water quality, environmental management and information systems, and risk-based, intrinsic remediation.

"This is an excellent opportunity for both firms," said Goehring. "We have, at once, created new value for our clients, employees and shareholders." Eckenfelder has been solving complex environmental problems for the nation's top industrial companies for over 30 years and has produced millions of dollars in savings for its clients.

Its integration with Brown and Caldwell effects a national presence that enables Eckenfelder clients to receive the same level of service at more facilities and adds full, one-stop engineering, construction, and operations services, and a broader range of project delivery systems.

"We built our firm's reputation and success by carefully cultivating an expectation for excellence and innovation among our clients, then exceeding those expectations at every opportunity," said Eckenfelder Chairman Jim Clarke, Ph.D.

"By joining forces with Brown and Caldwell we have added considerable depth to resources and expertise and can offer localized service from many offices throughout the country."

Founder W. Wesley Eckenfelder Jr., D.Sc., P.E., now a senior technical director with Brown and Caldwell and one of the world's foremost authorities on industrial wastewater treatment, will continue working with clients full time.

Senior Eckenfelder principals Jim Clarke and Bob Mutch are also actively involved in business development and operations and now serve as senior vice presidents of Brown and Caldwell.

Established in 1947, Brown and Caldwell is a multi-discipline, environmental engineering and consulting firm that provides scientific, technical and engineering design services to government and industry. The employee-owned company has more that 800 employees in 30 offices throughout the United States. Engineering News-Record ranks Brown and Caldwell 61st among the nation's top 500 design firms and 7th among firms providing sewer/waste design.

Headquartered near San Francisco, Brown and Caldwell maintains offices in the following cities:

Atlanta, Georgia Baton Rouge, Louisiana Boise, Idaho Charlotte, North Carolina Cleveland, Ohio Denver, Colorado Honolulu, Hawaii Houston, Texas Irvine, California Mahwah, New Jersey Miami, Florida Nashville, Tennessee Orlando, Florida Phoenix, Arizona Pleasant Hill, California Portland, Oregon Sacramento, California St. Paul, Minnesota San Diego, California Seattle, Washington West Palm Beach, Florida

CONTACT: Brown and Caldwell

Terry Peckham, 925/210-2514