KAI Design & Build has doubled its staff of mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineers by acquiring the engineering group at United Excel Design, PC (UED).
Based in St. Louis, UED provides architectural and engineering services. It is part of an integrated group of design-build companies including United Excel Construction, which performs construction, and Mill Creek, which specializes in the outfitting of furniture, fixtures and equipment, equipment planning, transition planning and move management. The integrated group of companies specializes in healthcare planning, design and procurement for the government through design-build projects.
KAI President Michael B. Kennedy said the acquisition will help his firm compete for significant government and military projects nationwide geared toward medical facility repairs, renovations and new construction.
UED’s engineering design portfolio includes projects at: General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital in Missouri; Keller Army Community Hospital at West Point in New York; David Grant Medical Center at Travis Air Force Base in California; 87th MDG Dental Clinic at McGuire Air Force Base in Maryland; 99th Medical Group Medical Center at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada and McWethy Troop Medical Clinic at Ft. Sam Houston in Texas.
The expansion heightens KAI’s profile locally. “The acquisition now makes KAI Design & Build one of the region’s largest hospital engineering firms,” Kennedy said.
The acquisition also allows for additional collaborations and opportunities for all companies involved in the design-build process, Kennedy said.
Founded in 1980 as an architectural design firm, KAI added mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) services in 1990. The MEP group has worked on a variety of different building types in support of KAI’s architects, as consultants to outside architectural firms, and as the prime contractor to owners for ground-up, replacement, repair and ongoing operational maintenance projects.
Leo Zerjav, principal at UED, said the acquisition will pave the way for private sector work for his business.
“UED wanted to expand and diversify our services to the private market. Our engineering group needed additional staff and leadership,” Zerjav said.
“We started looking for partners to help with our increasing workloads and diverse direction. KAI Design & Build at the same time was looking for additional engineers and diversification into government and healthcare markets. Each firm was able to provide what the other was looking for.”
For more information about KAI Design & Build, visit www.kai-db.com or call 314-241-8188.
