Stantec to Acquire Engineering Assets of Dessau

North American design firm Stantec plans to significantly strengthen its presence in the province of Quebec by acquiring the Canadian engineering operations of Montreal-based Dessau.
 
Dessau’s 1,300 employees from 20 offices throughout Quebec, as well as offices in Mississauga and Ottawa, Ontario, will join Stantec in the transaction, which is expected to close in the first quarter of 2015, pending satisfaction of certain conditions including regulatory approvals.

“With nearly 25 percent of the Canadian population and a large infrastructure market, expanding in Quebec represents a substantial, long-term opportunity for us in a growing market,” says Stantec president and CEO Bob Gomes. “Dessau’s engineering expertise will provide a geographic complement to our work, which will strengthen our overall expertise in healthcare, water, power and energy, roadways, bridges, airports, transit/rail, and community development sectors, as well as introducing telecommunications and security services as part of the broader Stantec platform.”

“For many years, we have looked at Quebec as an attractive opportunity for further growth,” says Gomes. “Over the past two years, we believe the opportunities have evolved to a point where we are comfortable and confident in expanding in this market. The Dessau team is a better, stronger, and more engaged group than ever, and I believe their management team is excited to lead their staff toward the expanded opportunities that will be available as Stantec. We will be proud to include them in the Stantec team.”

“Quebec is key to Stantec’s success in Canada,” Gomes adds. “We can now say we have a strong presence in every province and territory in the country. We are excited about this opportunity in Quebec and the opportunities for our new staff across our company.”

Established in 1957, Dessau has received more than 120 awards of excellence for its work, including 50 in the last five years.

“We’re eager to embark on this next stage of evolution for Dessau,” says Dessau president and general manager Isabelle Jodoin. “Stantec’s mix of services, their culture, and their unwavering commitment to ethical business practices strongly parallel our own, and the increased opportunities for our staff resulting from this combination of our two firms, both in Quebec and across the regions where Stantec operates, is exciting.”

From its base of more than 14,000 employees, Stantec currently has more than  8,000 team members working across Canada. Stantec has been operating in Quebec since 1999 and currently employs 70 people in its Montreal office.