O’Brien & Gere plans to double work force in Charleston office

SYRACUSE — The acquisition of Lindbergh & Associates of Charleston, S.C. will help Syracuse–based O’Brien & Gere continue to grow its work with the federal government in the Southeast and elsewhere, company leaders say.

O’Brien & Gere acquired the remaining 55 percent ownership stake of Lindbergh in December. The firm previously owned 45 percent, with Lindbergh President Tony Price owning the rest.

The companies first began working together on some joint projects in 2003. Over the years, O’Brien & Gere made a series of investments in Lindbergh, says Lee Davis, O’Brien & Gere president and chief operating officer.

O’Brien & Gere was looking to ramp up its business with the federal government and Lindbergh had a strong base of federal work, Davis says. The plan was for O’Brien & Gere to acquire Lindbergh in full once Lindbergh grew larger.

O’Brien & Gere leaders decided to pursue more federal work as the firm’s state and local government clients were facing stiff budget pressures. And while the federal budget faces its own fiscal challenges, the government remains an enormous potential customer, according to the company.

Also, O’Brien & Gere’s overall share of the federal market is small, leaving plenty of room to expand, company leaders have said.

O’Brien & Gere now has 40 employees in its 8,000-square-foot Charleston office and about two-thirds of them are from Lindbergh, says Richard Garcia, senior vice president and general manager of the Charleston office. The firm plans to double the work force in that office in the next two to three years, Davis adds. 

When O’Brien & Gere first opened in Charleston in 2003, it employed one person in the market. Lindbergh had three employees at the time.

Lindbergh was founded in 1982. It provides planning, design, and management services for federal, state, municipal, and commercial clients throughout the U.S. Services include architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, structural engineering, land surveying, civil engineering, master planning, and construction management.

O’Brien & Gere provides a range of engineering and other services. The firm employs 850 people at 30 offices throughout the country.

O’Brien & Gere will continue to use the Lindbergh brand, along with its own name, in the Charleston market for some time, Davis says. Lindbergh has a strong reputation in the region as well as in the federal market.

Charleston is a key location for O’Brien & Gere, Davis says, and serves as the hub for the firm’s federal business in the Southeast. The city’s port is planning a major expansion to accommodate larger ships, which should provide plenty of opportunities for industrial and commercial work as well, he notes.

The Navy and the Air Force both have a strong presence in the region, Garcia adds. And while Lindbergh has been focused mainly on the federal sector in the past, it will now be able to expand into other O’Brien & Gere business areas like water, energy, and environmental projects.

The two firms have worked together on more than 1,000 projects since they first teamed up, Garcia says. They have worked throughout the Southeast and elsewhere, including on a wastewater study for West Point.

The addition will bolster O’Brien & Gere’s business in other regions, Davis says. Lindbergh’s resources should aid projects with clients like Fort Drum and the Department of Veterans Affairs.