Wikipedia

Draft:Salas O'Brien

  • Comment: This reads like an advertisement for the firm. Please remove external links to website home-pages for such topics that don't have Wikipedia pages. Utopes (talk / cont) 21:30, 10 September 2024 (UTC)
  • Comment: For a Wikipedia article to be published, it must be notable. Something is notable if it has significant coverage in several independent, reliable sources. Coverage of a topic is significant if the topic is covered in depth in the article; passing mentions and routine news stories are generally not significant. A source is independent if it is not a person or organization associated with the article subject. The sources provided are either routine news stories about the article subject (in trade publications; see WP:ORGIND) or they lack independence from the company (e.g., interviews). If you have a business relationship with this company, please note that you must declare your conflict of interest per these instructions. voorts (talk/contributions) 22:59, 6 November 2023 (UTC)

Salas O'Brien

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Salas O’Brien is an employee-owned engineering and technical services consulting firm founded in 1975. The company provides services in engineering, commissioning, ESG consulting, environmental consulting, alternative funding, energy resilience, process design and integration, and other technical consulting areas.

Salas O’Brien has approximately 3,600 employees and ranks #39 on Engineering News-Record’s Top 500 Design Firms list.[1]

History

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Salas O’Brien was founded in 1975 by Dan O’Brien as O’Brien & Associates, during the height of the 1970s energy crisis.[2] Shortly after, Carl Salas, Roy Goodman, John Salas, and Louis Ortega joined the team and aided in the early stages of development.

The company adopted the name Salas O’Brien and established a reputation for providing technical solutions for clients across California and expanded its reach in key markets, including education, government, utilities, commercial, high-tech, and healthcare. Salas O’Brien’s client portfolio grew to include Stanford University, Santa Clara Valley Health & Hospital System, Stanford Medical Center, and the Palo Alto Medical Foundation, and Fortune 500 companies.[2]

Darin Anderson joined as Chief Executive Officer in 2006.

In 2008, Salas O’Brien was first highlighted on Consulting-Specifying Engineer’s MEP Giants list at #97.[3] In 2013, the firm debuted at #4470 on the Inc. 5000 list.[4]

Since 2019, Salas O’Brien has significantly increased its footprint by merging with more than 25 companies and is expected to maintain this pace.[5] CEO Darin Anderson emphasizes that these partnerships are framed as collaborations rather than acquisitions, aiming to bring mutual value to both parties.

In 2019, Salas O’Brien merged in four companies, including Wisconsin-based engineering consulting firm MEP Associates, specializing in sustainable, energy-efficient systems.[6] Salas O’Brien continued with a string of mergers in 2020, including Toronto-based Stephenson Engineering and prominent Bay Area firm KPW Structural Engineers, both bringing enhanced structural engineering expertise.[7][8]

In 2021, Salas O’Brien purchased PCI Skanska from parent company Skanska[9][10] and welcomed Houston-based SIA Solutions[11] to strengthen its federal practice along with technology, acoustics, and theatre consulting firm Idibri.[12]

In 2022, Montreal-based IGRL Consultants joined Salas O’Brien bringing expertise in the food processing, pharmaceutical, and industrial markets.[13] Salas O’Brien also merged with electrical engineering firm DPB Engineers[14] and FL-based Nelson Engineering[15], further strengthening expertise with federal clients. Nelson was recognized as a 2021 Small Business Prime Contractor of the Year by NASA.[16]

2023 merger activity included Plus Group, a Midwest-based leader in process and manufacturing solutions[17]; Atlanta-based Epsten Group, bringing sustainable design, consulting, and commissioning services[18][19]; and Crossey Engineering in Toronto, known for technical leadership on complex projects like healthcare facilities and high-technology buildings.[20][21]

In 2024 Salas O’Brien has welcomed seven new mergers, including Nashville-based I.C. Thomasson & Associates, Haag Global with more than 100 years of forensic engineering experience, and Ehvert Mission Critical, expanding hyperscale data center expertise.[22][23][24][25]

Salas O’Brien became an engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) partner within Rockwell Automation’s PartnerNetwork in early 2024.[26]

In January 2024, Salas O'Brien reached a pivotal milestone in its growth journey when Blackstone, Inc. acquired a minority stake in the company.[27] This strategic investment supports the firm's long-term expansion goals, while the proceeds were directed to returning capital to employee shareholders. Salas O’Brien remains super-majority employee owned.

Notable Projects

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Higher Education

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  • Carleton College in Northfield, MN (geothermal and renewables, MEP, fire protection, 2021)[28]
  • Princeton University Central Energy Plant in Princeton, NJ (geothermal and renewables, 2018). This work was highlighted in the January 23, 2024, New York Times article “To slash carbon emissions, colleges are digging really deep.”[29]

Entertainment and Arts

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Food and Beverage

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  • Labatt Brewing in Montreal, QC (MEP, fire protection, district systems, process engineering, 2021)[33]
  • Infarm Indoor Urban Farming USA in Everett, WA (architecture and interiors, 2020)[34]

Government

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Healthcare

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Science and Technology

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Awards

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  • Ranked #8 in EC&M’s (Engineering, Construction, and Maintenance) 2023 Top 40 Electrical Design Firms list. Highlighted on the list for three consecutive years.[42]
  • Ranked #39 on ENR’s Top 500 Design Firms list in 2024. Ranked annually since 2015.[1]
  • Ranked #3 on Zweig Group Hot Firms 100 fastest-growing AEC firms in North America list in 2024. Named a top firm since 2020.[43]
  • Ranked #9 on CSE's 2024 MEP Giants Top 100 MEP Firms in North America. Recognized annually since inaugural ranking at #97 in 2008.[44]
  • Ranked #79 on ENR’s Top 150 Global Design Firms in 2024.[45]
  • 12-time honoree by Inc. 5000 in 2024.[4]
  • Ranked #8 on BD+C Giants Top 35 Engineering/Architecture Firms list in 2023. Listed annually since 2019 on both top E/A and sector ranking lists.[46]
  • CFSEI (Cold-Formed Steel Engineers Institute) Design Excellence Award in 2023 for Park Union Bridge in Colorado Springs, CO.[47]
  • Awarded multiple U.S Department of Energy (DOE) Awards from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Building Envelope Campaign (BEC) in 2023.[48]
  • Won an Award of Merit from Connecticut Building Congress in 2023.[49]
  • Named MidAtlantic 2024 Design Firm of the Year by ENR MidAtlantic.[50]
  • Ranked #11 on the RealLeaders 2024 Top Impact Companies List.[51]

Founders & Leaders

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  • Dan O’Brien (Founder)
  • Carl Salas (Founder)
  • Darin Anderson (Chairman and Chief Executive Officer)
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References

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  1. ^ a b "ENR 2024 Top 500 Design Firms Preview | Engineering News-Record". www.enr.com. Retrieved 2024-09-09.
  2. ^ a b "Early focus on energy sets San Jose's Salas O'Brien apart". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2023-09-14.
  3. ^ Giants 100 [1]
  4. ^ a b "Inc. 5000 Ranking - Salas O'Brien". Inc. 5000.
  5. ^ Terrarosa, Tom (2023-07-18). "Salas O'Brien CEO Looks to Continue 'Merger' Spree". The Deal. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
  6. ^ Costelloe, Kevin (2019-12-10). "Salas O'Brien Buys Energy-Focused Firm". Orange County Business Journal. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
  7. ^ Vavra, Chris (2020-12-11). "Weekly merger and acquisition update: December 11, 2020". Consulting - Specifying Engineer. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
  8. ^ "M&A Update - KPW joins Salas O'Brien; Nine other deals this week". myemail.constantcontact.com. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
  9. ^ EuropaWire. "Skanska sells 100 percent of PCI Skanska Inc. to Salas O'Brien". EuropaWire.eu. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
  10. ^ O'Brien, Salas. "Salas O'Brien to Acquire PCI Skanska". www.prnewswire.com (Press release). Retrieved 2023-09-13.
  11. ^ "Stradling". Stradling - Salas O’Brien Acquires SIA Solutions. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
  12. ^ Vavra, Chris (2021-12-23). "Weekly merger and acquisition update: December 23, 2021". Consulting - Specifying Engineer. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
  13. ^ tmagna (2022-02-04). "Weekly merger and acquisition update: February 4, 2022". Consulting - Specifying Engineer. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
  14. ^ tmagna (2022-07-01). "Weekly merger and acquisition update: July 1, 2022". Consulting - Specifying Engineer. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
  15. ^ "Salas O'Brien Acquires Nelson Engineering | Engineered Systems Magazine". www.esmagazine.com. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
  16. ^ Ostovar, Michele (2021-05-13). "Small Business Industry Awards (SBIA)". NASA. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
  17. ^ "Excalibur Investment Banking Advises Salas O'Brien on its Partnership with Plus Group". www.businesswire.com. 2023-03-03. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
  18. ^ "Stradling". Stradling - Salas O'Brien Acquires Epsten Group. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
  19. ^ "Salas O'Brien partnership with Epsten Group". www.excaliburib.com. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
  20. ^ "Excalibur Investment Banking Facilitates Partnership between Salas O'Brien and Crossey Engineering". www.businesswire.com. 2023-04-28. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
  21. ^ gpienta (2023-04-19). "Crossey Engineering and Salas O'Brien Unite as Innovation and Technology Leaders". ASPE Pipeline. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
  22. ^ "I.C. Thomasson Associates Joins Salas O'Brien". morrissey goodale. 2024-03-13.
  23. ^ "Salas O'Brien welcomes Nashville-based I.C. Thomasson Associates". www.districtenergy.org. 2024-03-19. Retrieved 2024-07-25.
  24. ^ "Salas O'Brien Acquires Haag Global". Stradling. Retrieved 2024-09-09.
  25. ^ Lima, João Marques (2024-07-23). "Ehvert joins Salas O'Brien to meet surging AI data centre demand". The Tech Capital. Retrieved 2024-09-09.
  26. ^ "Ehvert Mission Critical merges with Salas O'Brien". Yahoo Finance. 2024-07-17. Retrieved 2024-09-09.
  27. ^ "Blackstone Pays $300 Million for Minority Stake in Salas O'Brien". news.bloomberglaw.com. Retrieved 2024-07-25.
  28. ^ "Carleton campus geothermal project wins GeoStar 'Top Job' award from New York Geothermal Energy Organization - Carleton College". www.carleton.edu. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
  29. ^ Cara, Buckley (2024-01-23). "To Slash Carbon Emissions, Colleges Are Digging Really Deep". The New York Times.
  30. ^ Reporter, Bruce DeMara Culture (2023-03-18). "St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts is getting a $400M facelift. Here's how it will look". Toronto Star. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
  31. ^ "Electric Owl Studios Celebrates Grand Opening Of First Studio Location In Atlanta". whatnowatlanta. 2023-06-12. Retrieved 2023-09-14.
  32. ^ "Seattle's New Climate Pledge Arena Showcases Technology, Efficiencies". Athletic Business. 2022-01-17. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
  33. ^ "Labatt moving to greener packaging at London, Montreal breweries | Globalnews.ca". 980 CFPL. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
  34. ^ "How Everett's indoor farm grows: What Infarm is doing | The Snohomish County Tribune newspapers". www.snoho.com. Retrieved 2023-09-19.
  35. ^ "Governor Abbott Signs Historic Infrastructure Agreement With U.S. Military". gov.texas.gov. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
  36. ^ Stone, Ken (2020-12-11). "Kaiser Permanente Begins Work on 7-Story San Marcos Medical Center for 2023". Times of San Diego. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
  37. ^ "West Lincoln Memorial Hospital enters final stage of design, construction". NiagaraThisWeek.com. 2023-02-08. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
  38. ^ "Province gives Hamilton Health Sciences more than $20M to upgrade Juravinski, General hospitals - Hamilton | Globalnews.ca". Global News. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
  39. ^ "Here's a look inside Yellowknife's new Stanton Hospital". www.cbc.ca. 2018-01-12. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
  40. ^ "Award of Merit - Health Care: Gilead Sciences WellBeing Center | Engineering News-Record". www.enr.com. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
  41. ^ Inc, BioMarin Pharmaceutical. "BioMarin's Gene Therapy Manufacturing Facility Recognized with Industry Award". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2024-09-10. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  42. ^ "2023 Top 40 Electrical Design Firm Rankings". EC&M. 2023-06-15. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
  43. ^ "2024 Hot Firm Award". Zweig Group. Retrieved 2024-07-25.
  44. ^ Amara (2024-09-03). "The 2024 MEP Giants get a big paycheck this year". Consulting - Specifying Engineer. Retrieved 2024-09-10.
  45. ^ "ENR 2024 Top 150 Global Design Firms| Engineering News-Record". www.enr.com. Retrieved 2024-09-09.
  46. ^ "Top 35 Engineering Architecture Firms for 2023". Building Design + Construction. 2023-08-31. Retrieved 2024-09-10.
  47. ^ milehighcre (2023-06-27). "Salas O'Brien Wins Cold-Formed Steel Design Award for Park Union Bridge in Colorado Springs". Mile High CRE. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
  48. ^ highprofile (2023-03-07). "Salas O'Brien Recognized with DOE Awards". High-Profile Monthly. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
  49. ^ Petersen, Nichole (2023-06-12). "UConn Gant Science Complex's Project Team Receives Award of Merit". Flow Tech, Inc. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
  50. ^ "Mid-Atlantic Monitor | Engineering News-Record". www.enr.com. Retrieved 2024-07-25.
  51. ^ "Impact Companies - Real Leaders". 2023-10-20. Retrieved 2024-07-25.
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