GHK Capital Partners LP Completes the Combination of WSB & Associates, Inc. and EST, Inc.

GREENWICH, Conn., September 20, 2023 (Newswire.com) - GHK Capital Partners LP ("GHK"), a leading middle-market private equity firm, announced today that it completed the acquisition of WSB & Associates, Inc. ("WSB" or the "Company"), a high-growth infrastructure engineering consulting firm serving transportation, environmental, utility, renewable energy and other critical infrastructure end-markets across the Midwest and Central states. 

GHK's partnership with WSB will enable the Company to pursue an aggressive growth strategy including expansion into new end-markets and geographies, strategic investment into digital construction and other technology initiatives, and an active M&A program, with the aim to build a national-scale firm under a unified WSB banner. This strategy will be underpinned by continued operational execution against compelling critical infrastructure industry tailwinds that support attractive multi-year market growth rates. 

Concurrent with the acquisition of WSB, GHK also completed the acquisition of EST Inc. ("EST"), a leading transportation infrastructure engineering consulting firm with operations across Oklahoma, Texas, Colorado and California. GHK subsequently contributed EST into WSB to create a leading platform operating under the WSB banner with over 1,100 highly skilled employees providing full-service engineering solutions across some of the most attractive markets in the United States. Bret Weiss will continue to serve as CEO of the combined WSB platform.

Gil Klemann, Managing Partner of GHK, said, "We are thrilled to partner with the WSB team. WSB has established a clear leadership position and strong reputation in its markets through differentiated execution and the ability to attract and retain best-in-class talent. We believe WSB, led by its entrepreneurial leadership team, is well-positioned for future growth and represents a fantastic entry point to play multiple compelling secular trends in the critical infrastructure space." He added, "The addition of EST provides deep transportation engineering expertise in scale, in some of the most attractive markets in the country and will play an important role in the growth of the combined business."

"The WSB leadership team and organization are energized and excited about the partnership with GHK," said Bret Weiss, CEO of WSB. "We believe that the deep technical capabilities of our organization and unique company culture, combined with GHK's financial and strategic acumen, will be highly complementary in fueling a growth strategy that will allow us to better serve our clients, and provide new and exciting opportunities for our staff." He added, "EST is an outstanding firm with a strong culture and entrepreneurial spirit. Together, we're now able to offer our clients new services and even deeper expertise through shared learnings and best practices, reinforcing the value of a partnership with WSB."

WSB was advised by AEC Advisors LLC and represented by Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath. EST was represented by Hartzog Conger Cason. GHK was advised by Morrissey Goodale and represented by Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP.

About GHK Capital Partners LP

GHK is a leading middle-market private equity firm focused on making control investments in industrial companies across North America. More information about GHK and our team is available on our website www.ghk.com.

About WSB

Headquartered in Minneapolis, MN, WSB provides design, environmental consulting and other specialty infrastructure services for the maintenance, rehabilitation and development of critical infrastructure across the country. With more than 700 highly skilled employees working from 17 offices, the Company offers complementary services across a wide range of disciplines that seamlessly integrate planning, design, implementation, and asset management. To learn more, visit wsbeng.com.

About EST

EST is a comprehensive engineering firm specializing in transportation, traffic, bridge engineering & design, environmental, geotechnical, survey, construction management, and materials testing. The firm has over 350 skilled employees operating from 19 offices located across Oklahoma, Texas, Colorado and California. To learn more, visit estinc.com. 

Source: GHK Capital Partners LP