On the heels of a hot year for industry consolidation in 2014 with high-profile global megamergers that culminated in giants URS Corp. and AECOM paired into a $20-billion behemoth, there were fewer headline-grabbing links in 2015. Even so, dealmaking was still plenty active, particularly by middle-market and niche firms.
In the design sector, Steven Gido, partner at M&A consultant Rusk O'Brien Gido & Partners, points to "global participants still digesting and integrating sizable targets over the last 24 months as well as a number of prominent A-E organizations undertaking high profile restructurings and leadership successions." He expects "many of the large E&C firms may still be on the M&A sidelines in 2016," also due to "oil and gas deals ... on hold or nonexistent for the next 12-18 months."