Grand Rapids, Michigan-based architecture firm Progressive AE Inc. has announced that it has acquired Charlotte, NC.-based ai Design Group Inc.
The new company will be headquartered in Grand Rapids and leadership will remain the same, according to a news release . Ai Design will now be referred to as a Progressive AE company, and Progressive AE will now have a North Carolina office.
Progressive AE president and CEO Bradley Thomas cited a variety of factors for the acquisition, but chief among them was access to growing markets, which North Carolina fit, he said.
“We recognized that we had a lot of eggs in the Midwest so we wanted a physical presence in another market,” Thomas told MiBiz, adding that he views the North Carolina market as place where Progressive can recruit employs from and attract others to the company. “There’s a lot of growth (in North Carolina) and a lot of similarities in the business climate.”
Thomas wrote in a blog post on Progressive AE’s website that existing clients will “experience little change as a result of this merger other than more resources and opportunity.”
“Our two firms are very much aligned, both culturally and strategically,” Wesley Jones, principal of ai Design Group, said in the news release. “We’ve invested in the best talent, we share a client-centric approach based on relationships and customer service, and we’re both highly committed to our local communities. It’s a natural fit and a great move for our staff and the regional and national clients we serve.”
Deal terms were not disclosed.
Image: ai Design Group website