Friday, April 18, 2025
Stantec announced it has signed an agreement to acquire Morrison Hershfield, a 1,150-person engineering and management firm headquartered in Markham, Ont.
Founded in 1946 and employee-owned, Morrison Hershfield has a top-tier industry reputation in transportation, buildings, and environmental services. Morrison Hershfield has offices in 22 cities in Canada and the United States, and one office in India. With a particularly strong presence in Canada, Morrison Hershfield will increase Stantec’s Canadian workforce by approximately 10%.
The acquisition, which is being completed by way of a court approved plan of arrangement, is subject to Morrison Hershfield shareholder approval, court approvals, and certain regulatory approvals and is expected to close in Q1 2024. The terms of the transaction are not disclosed.
“We are thrilled to bring a firm of Morrison Hershfield’s stature into the Stantec fold,” said Gord Johnston, president and CEO, Stantec. “Our firms have shared a mutual admiration over many years. Stantec and Morrison Hershfield have a similar history from our roots in the Canadian market, growing and diversifying services both by geography and service line. And, importantly, our values and culture are very well aligned.”
“Joining the Stantec family marks a historic moment for our 78-year-old company. Stantec is a highly successful firm that shares our corporate values and mission, with a unique culture that complements our own,” said Anthony Karakatsanis, president and CEO, Morrison Hershfield. “With access to Stantec’s depth of renowned experts, resources, and cutting-edge technology, we will be able to provide our employees with exciting and meaningful work, growth, and professional development for the long term. This acquisition provides us with access to many high-profile North American and global projects and markets in the communities where our employees live and work.”
Projects in Morrison Hershfield’s portfolio include:
- Engineering services for the Gardiner Expressway East from Cherry Street to the Don Valley Parkway in Toronto, Ontario. Work included condition assessment, detailed design, and preparation of tender documents for interim repair, as well as preliminary design for the replacement of this section. Morrison Hershfield also led a multi-firm team for contract administration services on the deck replacement from Jarvis to Cherry Streets. The combined construction value of both projects is CAD$748 million. Morrison Hershfield remains a longstanding, preferred vendor for engineering and construction services for this critical piece of Toronto infrastructure.
- Owner’s engineer on the Confederation and Trillium lines of Ottawa’s Light Rail Transit system. Morrison Hershfield provided services for preliminary engineering and procurement, as well as implementation and construction phases. The project involves the construction of 44 kilometres (27 miles) of new light rail running way, as well as 24 stations. Several interchange modifications were also needed on Highway 417.
- Environmental monitoring for the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario’s stormwater management ponds as part of their West Nile Virus monitoring and treatment program. Services include program planning and resource allocation, land use and hydrological assessment, monitoring and documenting daily results, and analysis of results. Morrison Hershfield has managed this program exclusively for the Ministry since 2004.
Featured image: Morrison Hershfield remains a preferred vendor for engineering and construction services on the F.G. Gardiner Expressway, a critical piece of Toronto’s infrastructure. (City of Toronto)
