Montreal-based engineering firm Bouthillette Parizeau (BPA) has acquired Toronto engineering and building design consultant The Mitchell Partnership Inc., with the merger placing a focus on sustainable buildings.

“We’ve always been sustainable first and viewed it as the right choice, whether that’s from a social conscious point of view or a business point of view,” Tony Dingman, a partner at The Mitchell Partnership (TMP), said in an interview with Sustainable Biz Canada.

TMP has been involved in designing decarbonization projects including the zero-carbon retrofit for the Fairmont Royal York hotel in Toronto and Enwave’s deep lake water cooling system, Dingman said. Design services were also provided for other iconic Toronto developments and buildings such as The Well, Scotia Plaza, the Royal Ontario Museum and Scotiabank Arena.

"This acquisition is aligned with our strategic objective of being the foremost authority in building engineering nationwide and to strive toward our mission of building a sustainable future,” Patrick St‐Onge, BPA’s executive vice president, said in a release.

BPA said the acquisition will allow it to focus more on sustainable development and energy-efficiency solutions.

BPA and TMP’s focuses on sustainability

BPA provides environmental engineering services related to buildings, such as energy modelling, carbon neutrality environmental certification (LEED, WELL, BOMA BEST, Zero Carbon), energy audits and studies (energy, water, carbon, life cycle), and thermography.

The company worked to decarbonize universities and hospitals in Quebec, and was involved in the installations of geothermal and energy efficient systems in museums, colleges and schools, according to BPA CEO Dominic Latour.

The acquisition was facilitated as part of BPA’s plan to “reinforce and diversify the company,” Latour told Sustainable Biz Canada. The company’s three main focuses were making a stronger structure, focusing on electrification of transportation and buildings, and widening its presence across Canada.

“To be stronger in Canada starts by being present in Toronto. We identified TMP because they are strong, they are recognized as a major player and their leadership team has similar values to us,” he said.

Latour said sustainability is integrated into the projects of both BPA and TMP, and BPA has an energy modelling team to examine its projects and influence the design.

“Together, this merger will permit (us) to work together and share knowledge and expertise to get the best from both firms,” he said.

Other details of the acquisition

The acquisition of TMP is BPA’s third since an investment by pension fund Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec in 2022 to support its growth across Canada. BPA previously acquired Ottawa-based structural engineer Cleland Jardine and Quebec-based building engineering firm UNIGEC.

The acquisition also aims at opening BPA to the healthcare buildings sector, and reinforcing its presence in the institutional, commercial, multiresidential and industrial building sectors.

BPA said TMP’s leaders will continue to hold “integral roles” in the company, and TMP employees will remain in their same roles.

The merged company will have approximately 900 employees, with around 100 new employees joining from TMP, Letour said.

Financial details of the acquisition have not been released.