COWI acquires award-winning FINLEY Engineering Group

25.04.2022

COWI has entered into an agreement to acquire FINLEY Engineering Group, a specialty engineering firm recognized for its expertise in complex bridge projects of all kinds. The acquisition is part of COWI's strategic focus on growing its presence in North America following the recent opening of its offices in Houston and Toronto.

FINLEY Engineering Group (FINLEY) is headquartered in Tallahassee, Florida, and has a satellite office in Prague, Czech Republic. It employs 35 specialists within bridge design and construction engineering services. Having worked with more than 100 projects in the United States, Canada, Middle East, Africa, and South America, the company has won over 60 project awards and achieved a leading position within digitalization and innovation.

Thomas Dahlgren, President and CEO for COWI in North America, said: “As a company with a long history in bridges, globally and not least in North America, we are very excited to welcome FINLEY into the COWI family. FINLEY is known for its outstanding work with bridges but also for its strong technical capabilities and a great go-do attitude."

FINLEY is particularly well-known for the development and implementation of BrIM (Bridge Integration Modelling) that integrates bridge information databases into the planning, design, and construction process using advanced engineering software.

"We expect to see many business opportunities in North America within all aspects of transportation infrastructure – bridges, tunnels, and highways, among others needing modernization and replacements. There is a lot of work to do, and digitalization is incredibly important to us so that we can ensure best practice processes. COWI and FINLEY are a good match, because both focus on high-quality solutions and want to cultivate innovation. Together, we have a strong team in place for the job ahead of us, which is now also in Florida." Dahlgren said.

The team at FINLEY will continue to work under the management of Craig Finley, Managing Principal, who founded the company in 2004.

Craig Finley, PE, said: “It has been an incredible journey ever since we established FINLEY nearly two decades ago. We have worked hard, had a lot of fun, and can look back with pride on everything we have built and achieved together. For us, engineering has always been very much a people-oriented business, and it has always been a priority to me that every member of my team thrives and sees a purpose in what they do for a living."

Finley has been recognized as a top firm to work for, welcoming engineers at all levels of experience. Its employees are known for being committed to doing exceptional work and constantly seeking to expand and enhance their capabilities and raise the bar in engineering.

"As we join COWI, the FINLEY family will become part of something bigger, with access to global markets and many new development opportunities, working alongside colleagues in a well-known global engineering consultancy. I personally look very much forward to this new chapter of our journey and know our team is excited about the opportunities this will bring for them as individuals and for the team as a whole," Finley said.

The acquisition is expected to close by the end of the month.

From the left: Jerry M. Pfuntner, Principal – Technical Director (FINLEY), R. Craig Finley, Managing Principal (FINLEY), Colby V. Lindsay, Principal – Finance & Administration (FINLEY) and Thomas Dahlgren, President and CEO for COWI in North America.

ABOUT FINLEY ENGINEERING GROUP

FINLEY Engineering Group is a specialty engineering firm recognized nationally and internationally for its expertise in complex bridge projects of all kinds. The company's services include bridge design, construction engineering, bridge aesthetics, demolition, cost estimating, load rating, and bridge inspection services. FINLEY Engineering Group supplies the all-important link between engineering and construction, coming with an understanding of both sides and the latest technological tools for the best and most cost-effective results for their clients.