Baltimore-based Jensen Hughes and Sereca Consulting, Inc. in Vancouver, BC, have reached a merger agreement. The new follows an earlier announcement that Jensen Hughes had merged with ERIN Engineering and Research, Inc.

According to the companies, the merger of Jensen Hughes and Sereca Consulting enhances the position of the combined organization as a global leader providing specialty engineering and consulting services in numerous vertical markets, including transportation, education, healthcare, institutional, industrial insurance, and energy.

"The combination of the two companies continues our recent expansion into the Canadian and Southeast Asian marketplace and represents a growing force in lifecycle consultancy services for clients all over the world,” said Phil Rogers, CEO of Jensen Hughes. “While our recent growth cycle has been exciting, we need to continue adding talent and complementary service offerings. Sereca brings to the table a solid reputation in both Canada and Singapore, as well as respected staff with strong technical talents."

As one of the largest providers of specialty engineering and consulting services, with combined revenues approaching $150 million and nearly 700 employees, the Jensen Hughes/ Sereca merger will expand the expertise and global resources available to provide fire engineering, risk analysis, pedestrian modelling, forensic engineering, system design, code consulting, commissioning, research, testing and project management solutions that encompass fire protection, life safety, security, and related disciplines.

The two companies have been preparing an integration plan designed to communicate the combined firm's increased capabilities to both current and prospective clients and staff. The integration process will begin immediately and leverage the strengths of both firms to include a well-planned, combined organization and operational structure. The combined company will be able to provide seamless delivery of project services to clients wherever they work.

"It was an obvious fit to merge these two companies. The synergy of culture, geographic positioning, service offerings, and business management styles were apparent in our first meeting," said Dave Boswell, president of North American operations at Jensen Hughes. "Our shared passion for the science of safety has already established alignment in our strategic direction. With unmatched technical expertise and an expanded global reach, the newly combined firm is perfectly positioned to offer clients practical and innovative solutions for their safety and protection challenges."