News

Wind Point Partners said Nov. 26 that it agreed to buy The Kleinfelder Group Inc. Financial terms weren’t announced. Kleinfelder, of San Diego, is an engineering firm that provides design, testing and program management services to clients. BNP Paribas is providing debt financing. Winston & Strawn LLP served as legal counsel to Wind Point. KPMG LLP provided transaction advisory services.

PRESS RELEASE
Chicago, IL, November 26, 2018 – Wind Point Partners, a leading Chicago-based private equity firm, announced today it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire The Kleinfelder Group, Inc. (“Kleinfelder” or the “Company”). Kleinfelder, headquartered in San Diego, California, is a leading multidisciplinary engineering firm that provides mission critical design, testing and program management services to clients across an array of industries. The Company has over 60 offices across the United States, Canada and Australia.
Kleinfelder’s employees consist of engineers, scientists, architects, designers, and construction management professionals, all of whom work together to provide solutions for maintaining and improving critical infrastructure. The Company primarily serves clients in the transportation, water, and energy markets, offering a broad suite of services that span the entire lifecycle of major infrastructure, including areas such as planning and design, geotechnical, environmental and construction support. Kleinfelder is a long-term trusted partner to over 2,000 public sector and private clients, with many relationships spanning over 20 years.
Wind Point will be partnering with Kleinfelder management, led by CEO George Pierson and CFO John Murphy, both of whom joined the Company in 2016.
Nathan Brown, Managing Director at Wind Point, commented, “We’re very excited for the opportunity to support the high-quality professionals at Kleinfelder as they look to grow their business organically and through acquisition. George and his team have done a tremendous job of positioning the business for success.”
Prior to Kleinfelder, Mr. Pierson was President and CEO of Parsons Brinckerhoff, a global engineering and program management firm with 14,000 employees in 150 offices worldwide. Mr. Murphy, Kleinfelder’s CFO, was previously President and CEO of WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff EMEIA.

Mr. Pierson commented, “This partnership with Wind Point will help remove the final obstacle of an unsustainable capital structure and allow Kleinfelder, and the professional men and women of Kleinfelder, to achieve their full potential. With Wind Point as a partner, we expect to see significant growth and opportunity for all our employees, while continuing to provide superior service to our clients.”

Wind Point has previously worked with Mr. Pierson, who served on the Board of Directors of RailWorks Corporation, a Wind Point portfolio company also in the specialty contracting industry. Wind Point and Kleinfelder management will seek to expand the Company’s geographic reach and breadth of service offering through a combination or organic growth initiatives and add-on acquisitions.

Debt financing for the transaction will be provided by BNP Paribas. Winston & Strawn LLP served as legal counsel to Wind Point. KPMG, LLP provided transaction advisory services in connection with the transaction.
About Kleinfelder
Kleinfelder has been connecting great people to the best work since 1961. We are engineers, scientists, and construction professionals providing solutions that improve our clients’ transportation, water, energy, and other private infrastructure. As an integrated, cross-disciplinary team of bright, curious, and innovative problem-solvers, we are dedicated to doing the right thing, every day, on every project from over 60 offices in the United States, Canada and Australia.
Additional information about Kleinfelder can be found at www.kleinfelder.com.

About Wind Point Partners
Wind Point Partners is a Chicago-based private equity investment firm with approximately $2 billion in assets under management. Wind Point focuses on partnering with top caliber management teams to acquire well-positioned middle market businesses where it can establish a clear path to value creation. The firm targets investments in the consumer products, industrial products, and business services sectors. Wind Point is currently investing out of Wind Point Partners VIII, a $985 million fund that was initiated in 2016.