McKim & Creed acquires Jehle-Halstead, Inc.

Pensacola, Fla. — McKim & Creed, Inc., one of the largest engineering and geomatics (surveying) firms headquartered in the Southeast, acquired Pensacola, Fla.-based Jehle-Halstead, Inc. (JHI). JHI provides civil engineering and surveying services for land development and infrastructure projects in the Florida Panhandle, South Alabama and Gulf Coast areas of the U.S.

“Jehle-Halstead is a strong, team-oriented, well-established firm that shares McKim & Creed’s commitment to superior quality, responsiveness and dependability,” said John T. Lucey, PE, president and chief executive officer of McKim & Creed. “Combining McKim & Creed’s strengths with those of Jehle-Halstead enables us to provide more specialized and advanced technologies — such as hydrographic surveying, unmanned aerial systems, and sustainable energy solutions — in the dynamic Florida Panhandle and Gulf Coast areas. We are excited to add our tenth Florida office and expand the McKim & Creed footprint into this region of Florida.”

JHI began its professional practice in 1987 and employs 17 people. The company works within the commercial, educational, government, medical, military and residential arenas, and has furnished services for such recent notable projects as:

Nine-Mile Road Utility Expansion/Upgrade/Relocation completed for the Emerald Coast Utilities Authority in Escambia County, Florida. The project was preceded by a sanitary sewer master plan to provide sanitary sewer within this high-growth area of the county. The master plan recommendations were part of the construction project that included design and surveying, permitting, construction administration and certification.

Beach Haven Redevelopment, completed jointly for Escambia County and Emerald Coast Utilities Authority. The project includes infrastructure upgrades and roadway reconstruction across an existing single-family residential area. New stormwater collection and treatment facilities include both wet and dry retention systems adjacent to wetlands. New sanitary sewer collection infrastructure was also included to allow all facilities to use a central sewer system in lieu of septic tanks. Services included surveying, design, permitting, construction administration and certification.

North and South Old Corry Field Roads sidewalk and drainage improvements for Escambia County. These projects added ADA-accessible pedestrian sidewalks and drainage infrastructure to support master drainage plan recommendations. The project also involved utility coordination and relocation to facilitate the planned improvements. Services included surveying, design, permitting, construction administration and certification.

East District stormwater project for the City of Gulf Breeze, Florida. This project featured master planning efforts to identify a feasible solution to alleviate historic flooding within a 31-acre drainage basin. In accordance with master plan recommendations, plans are being developed for a new stormwater collection and conveyance system, including associated roadway reconstruction and utility coordination and relocation.

Numerous planning, design, permitting and construction administration projects as the exclusive continuing civil engineering services provider for the Santa Rosa County School District. Projects range from classroom additions, to parking and pedestrian access improvements, to athletic tracks and courts, to entire school campuses.

Multiple design-build projects within the public sector, including projects at Naval Air Station Pensacola, NAS Pensacola Corry Station, Eglin Air Force Base, Hurlburt Field, and Tyndall Air Force Base, among others.

Wide-ranging planning, design, permitting and construction administration efforts for numerous private developments in and around Northwest Florida, including general commercial, retail, and anchor tenant developments, multi-family and mixed-use projects, among others.

McKim & Creed established its first Florida offices in 1994, and now offers full-service engineering and geomatics services from offices in Clearwater, Daytona Beach, DeLand, Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Orlando, Palm Coast, Sarasota, Tampa and now, Pensacola. The 500-person McKim & Creed also has offices throughout North Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, Texas and Pennsylvania.

Jehle-Halstead President Glenn P. Halstead, PE, and Vice President / Operations Manager D. Patrick Jehle, Jr., PE, will oversee the Pensacola office, which will go by the name McKim & Creed, Inc.

“By joining forces with McKim & Creed, we are significantly expanding the services we provide to our clients and can now offer a deep and wide pool of resources from which to draw,” said Halstead.

“We will continue to drive local business and be an integral part of the Pensacola community,” added Jehle. “As a part of McKim & Creed, our staff will remain in place and our client relationships will continue. The only difference is that now we can offer more opportunities, resources and services for our clients.”

The acquisition of Jehle-Halstead, Inc. by McKim & Creed, Inc. was closed January 2, 2019, and terms were not disclosed.