Similar cultures and a need for an expanded footprint are the driving forces behind Hot Firm RTM’s acquisition of smaller Texas outfit.
By Liisa Andreassen Correspondent
The two companies were in talks for a little more than a year before a merger resulted between Illinois-based RTM Engineering Consultants (Best Firm Multidiscipline #37 and Hot Firm #50 for 2016) and Lippe and Associates Consulting Engineers, a full-service MEP firm located in Addison, Texas. RTM was the buyer, and the combined organization has 120 people.
“Acquiring a new business is a significant undertaking and we wanted to ensure that customer satisfaction stayed at the forefront and that the partnership aligned with our mission to continuously provide innovative designs to our clients, on time and within budget,” says Tony Mirchandani, CEO of RTM.
With this merger, both companies have been able to expand existing capabilities. What they have gained is a larger footprint within the industry while strengthening their commitment to providing reliable, efficient, and innovative MEP/FP services to clients on a national level. The Lippe and Associates team builds on RTM’s expertise and service capabilities in every market, but particularly in Texas.
Combining cultures and resources. Mirchandani explains that the two cultures are extremely similar and this contributed to a seamless partnership.
“When cultures clash, it creates a barrier for integrating teams and processes,” he says. “We understand that by blending Lippe with RTM, along with our previously acquired offices, we’re essentially creating a new culture that embraces the knowledge, expertise, and personality of each company. We truly are stronger together.”
RTM’s core values include being responsive, exhibiting honesty and instilling trust, being constant communicators with the ability to work hard and play hard. Those values align well with Lippe’s.
By combining resources, RTM has been able to expand its reach and create new opportunities in Texas to better serve clients and team members in a way it hasn’t before.
“A major benefit of this acquisition is that we have the ability to serve clients as a local boutique firm while also offering the bandwidth and resources of a larger MEP firm,” Mirchandani says.
He adds that, as with any new merger, they have learned that automatically combining team members from different offices just because they have the resources can create confusion on the job site.
“It’s critical for each team to gain a deep understanding of the new resources and expertise now available to them to serve clients; this ensures client satisfaction throughout the life of the partnership,” he says. “Our goal is to create a positive and lasting impact on a client’s business by providing superior engineering and consulting services. This partnership will not only reinforce that mission, but take it even further on a national scale.”
Lippe brings 30 years of experience along with a strong national portfolio to the table. The company will continue to provide high-quality and responsive design services for clients in retail, industrial, commercial, and healthcare markets, with capabilities in both remodel and new construction.
“We look forward to partnering with RTM where Tony and his team have embodied a vision for innovation and excellence when it comes to producing engineering designs and providing consulting services,” says David Lippe, owner of Lippe and Associates.
Going forward, Lippe will operate as Lippe and Associates, a division of RTM.
