Strogoff Consulting recently guided the following firms through successful mergers:

ANOVA Architects, Inc., with offices in Sacramento and Placerville, CA, merged with Architectural Nexus, with offices in Salt Lake City and Logan, UT. The merger, known as ANOVA Nexus, adds more than 130 professionals and combines expertise in specialty care hospitals, higher education, research and lab facilities, library and civic projects, and performing arts centers. The new firm’s reach spreads across the western U.S. and establishes them as one of the largest architectural firms in the Sacramento/Central Valley region. Strogoff Consulting introduced the firms and advised ANOVA Architects throughout the merger process.

Liollio Architecture, established in 1956, and Watson Tate Savory Architects, Inc., established in 1992, have merged to form one of the Southeast’s largest boutique firms with 37 design professionals and offices in Charleston, Columbia, Charlotte and Asheville, N.C. The firm is operating now as Watson Tate Savory Liollio. This merger of two extraordinarily strong firms broadens their expertise in sustainable design and preservation and combines their deep portfolios of government, healthcare, education and commercial projects.

“We undertook the merging of our firms with our employees' well-being and our ability to serve clients better front and center in our thinking,” said Dinos Liollio, one of the new firm's principals. “This merger creates opportunities for all our staff members, and the combination of talent makes us better positioned for serving clients and a stronger competitor in winning business for continued prosperity.” Tom Savory, also a principal with the new firm, said the leaders and employees of Liollio and Watson Tate Savory have a common perspective about the business and art of architecture and design. “Our firms have similar cultures that promote collaboration and innovation, and in this new organization, we feel even better positioned to deliver high-quality work on behalf of our clients,” Savory said. Following a long relationship with Liollio Architecture, Strogoff Consulting developed a comparative valuation and served as an objective advisor and confidante to both firms throughout the merger process.

Tetra Design, Inc., Architects, based on Pasadena, CA, and IBI Group (headquartered in Toronto, Canada).  This merger provides the leaders of Tetra Design with tremendous depth and diversity to pursue a wider breadth of architectural and urban environment projects while providing IBI Group with an operating base within the greater Los Angeles market and additional expertise in education, transportation, libraries and administration facilities.  Tetra Design’s clients, including the Port of Los Angeles, the Port of Long Beach, Los Angeles Unified School District, Los Angeles Community College District, The City of Los Angeles and the County of Los Angeles, are widely embracing this merger.  Strogoff Consulting introduced the firms and advised Tetra Design Inc., Architects throughout the merger process.

BFGC Architects & Planners (San Jose, San Luis Obispo and Bakersfield) and IBI Group (headquartered in Toronto, Canada).  This merger extends IBI Group’s expansion throughout California and complements the IBI Group of Firms comprised of over 2,200 people in 67 offices worldwide.  BFGC’s entire leadership team will continue in their key roles.  The integration is based on BFGC’s five-year strategic planning and succession planning process, and provides BFGC’s staff with enhanced career opportunities.  Strogoff Consulting introduced the firms and advised BFGC Architects & Planners throughout the merger process.

Polk Stanley Rowland Curzon Porter Architects and Wilcox Group Architects (Littlerock and Fayetteville, AK) merged their award-winning Arkansas firms to form Polk Stanley Wilcox Architects.  The union of these two leading Arkansas firms allowed the firms to pool their talents and leadership teams to extend their reach throughout Arkansas and to broaden their respective portfolios.  The firms successfully worked together on numerous projects prior to merging.  Strogoff Consulting facilitated a joint strategic planning retreat and worked closely with both firms during the merger process.

Shlemmer+Algaze+Associates (Culver City, Newport Beach and Encino) and City Spaces (Pasadena, CA). This merger creates the region's largest architectural firm specializing in the design of commercial interiors and expands each firm's markets and client practices.  The merger also positions the combined firm for additional regional expansion and broadens their collective client base to include more entertainment and governmental clients.  Strogoff Consulting served as City Spaces key advisor and worked closely with Shlemmer+Algaze+Associates throughout the merger process.

Gould Evans (Kansas City, Phoenix, Boston, Salt Lake City and Tampa) and Baum Thornley Architects (San Francisco) The merger bolsters Baum Thornley's position in its core markets - multi-family housing, wineries, commercial projects and residential facilities - and capitalizes on Gould Evans' broad national planning and design experience. Baum Thornley founder Bob Baum describes the merger as "combining a small firm's responsiveness, agility and follow-through with the reach and capabilities of a larger firm." Strogoff Consulting worked closely with both firms during the merger process.

ANOVA Architects (Sacramento and Placerville, CA) resulted from a merger of Murray & Downs AIA Architects, Inc. and Oshima & Yee Architects, Inc. The merger of two well-respected local firms created the second-largest firm in the region and enlarged both firm's recruiting and client base. The merger also broadened the firms' collective portfolio of public, civic, education and healthcare projects. Strogoff Consulting worked closely with both firms during the merger process.

NAC (Seattle, Spokane and Coeur d'Alena, ID) and Jubany Architecture (Los Angeles, CA).
The combining of these two practices created an architectural firm with offices in three states and a staff of more than 150. The merger allows NAC (formerly Northwest Architectural Company) to more effectively extend its services and expertise to regions outside the Northwest and enables Jubany Architecture to offer a broader range of services throughout California and the Northwest.

gkk Works (Irvine, CA) and Leidenfrost/Horowitz & Associates, Inc. (Glendale, CA).
This merger created a 240-person firm that enabled gkkworks to diversify into California's commercial retail market and expand its work within the K-12 and higher education sectors while facilitating LHA's ownership transition plans and integrating it into gkkworks' unique blend of design and construction services.

WWCOT (Santa Monica, Riverside, Palm Springs, CA and Shanghai, China) and Booker Gery Architects (Modesto, CA). The merger of the firms' 140 architects, interior designers, strategic planners and programmers created a statewide architectural firm located in California's fastest growing regions. Strogoff Consulting represented both firms.

Cubellis (Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Portland, ME, Naples and Ft. Lauderdale, FL, Dubai) and Vinick Associates, Inc. (Rocky Hills, CT). This merger allows Vinick Associates to implement its ownership transition plans and join into the Cubellis business model of growing big by staying small and servicing clients locally.

Cuningham Group Architecture (Minneapolis, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Biloxi, MI and Madrid, Spain) and Renfro & Elliott (Bakersfield, CA). This merger continued Cuningham Group Architecture's expansion into California's Central Valley and allowed Renfro and Elliott's to broaden its K-12 portfolio to include corporate and governmental offices, financial institutions, health care and higher education environments.