PITTSBURGH, PA, Jan 7, 2025 – Michael Baker International has announced that the firm’s portfolio company, Akela Engineering and Consulting, has merged with Michael Baker’s Sustainable and Resilient Solutions (SRS) business vertical. The SRS vertical encompasses the firm’s current mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP), structural engineering, telecommunications, cybersecurity, fire protection and architectural services.
The merging of Akela, a national MEP+ firm with deep expertise in California, into Michael Baker offers clients holistic, smart and resilient building solutions across market sectors. The combined team will continue to partner with clients to achieve the highest levels of building design, comfort, safety and energy efficiency.
The action strengthens Michael Baker’s position as the firm focuses on growing private sector work in San Diego and the Southern California region and nationally with the broader SRS team. The Akela portfolio of projects, clients and capabilities will make an immediate contribution to the growth of the SRS vertical with private sector clients. This will allow the company to deliver significant growth over the next five years and bring the full suite of Michael Baker services and capabilities to support private sector clients in various markets. The firm plans to expand in sectors including Industrial, Defense OEMs, Aerospace, Data Centers, Semiconductors, Life Sciences, Energy Transition, Higher Education and Healthcare.
“With growth in the MEP space continuing to accelerate, concentrating our Akela and SRS teams into one cohesive entity strengthens our ability to expand our client base and position ourselves to deliver complex smart and resilient buildings, something only a full-service engineering firm can do well,” said Pankaj Duggal, president, Sustainable and Resilient Solutions at Michael Baker International. “The merger will continue to strengthen our competitive position in the growing MEP engineering and consulting market since acquiring and uniting Michael Wall Engineering and DEC Engineers in 2022 to form Akela. This combined team also allows us to offer our clients access to even more expertise and services as we support their businesses and enables us to create and embrace new opportunities that enhance our pursuit of larger, more complex MEP projects.”
Adding the expertise of Akela team members to Michael Baker’s SRS vertical provides its combined client base with greater access to the depth of resources, best practices and subject matter expertise across Michael Baker’s 4,900 colleagues in more than 20 practices and specialty practices located across more than 90 offices in the U.S.
Source: Michael Baker International.
