Maguire Group’s (l-r) James B. Fritz, PE, Senior Vice President/Corporate Development, and Carlos A. Duart, CPA, President and CEO.
FOCUS ON CONSULTING: MAGUIRE GROUP A
new and exciting chapter is being written in the long and successful history of the Maguire Group as a result of the June 2009 acquisition of Maguire by Metric Engineering, one of the leading providers of transportation engineering services in Florida. What attracted Metric to a venerable engineering consulting firm headquartered in Connecticut? “Maguire’s strong history and reputation spoke for themselves,” says Carlos A. Duart, president and CEO of Metric Engineering Group, the parent company of Metric Engineering, Maguire Group and two other companies (see sidebar). “I also saw an opportunity to diversify our base, both geographically and with regard to the services we provide.” 14
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While Metric does work in Latin America, Haiti and Texas, it was principally a Florida firm until its purchase of the Maguire Group quickly expanded its market area up the East Coast and into the heart of New England, where Maguire has served a wide range of public sector clients for more than 70 years. Maguire’s addition to the Metric team also added water resources and architecture services to the construction management and transportation engineering services that Metric Engineering has provided since its establishment by Duart’s father-in-law, Victor Benitez, in 1976. “When I looked at Maguire I saw what Metric was a few years before I took the company over in 2007 – a heavy transportation firm with very good people,” says Duart. “It also mirrored Metric in other ways. Our management structures and cultures were similar and
TEAM Maguire (from left to right) is: Charlie Chiu, Mark Kopchak, Mike Bazzano, Jan Washburn, Barry Pociask, Jeff Lemay, Carlos Duart, Brian McLear, Jim Fritz, Jane Witherell, Nicole Ouimet, Dave Stock, Bruce Morales.
the types of clients we pursued – except for architecture and water and sewer – were primarily departments of transportation and other government entities and municipalities. Maguire was like the Metric of the Northeast, and I felt that in terms of integration and culture we weren’t going to get the typical infighting or exodus of employees you often see when one company acquires or merges with another. What also attracted me was that Connecticut is one of a few states that has a robust consultant acquisition program, a real plus for a firm heavy in construction management like we
“ You always have to serve clients and manage projects on a local basis.” Carlos Duart, President and CEO
are.” (Metric Engineering is ranked number 50 in Engineering News Record’s Top 100 construction management firms.) “Maguire established a presence in Florida in 2007 because we saw growth potential
there,” recalls Maguire Senior Vice President James Fritz, P.E., who has been with the firm for more than 30 years. “Florida needs new infrastructure, unlike New England, which mostly needs to rehabilitate its aging infrastructure. Conversely, Carlos was attracted to the aging infrastructure up here. As I remember, Carlos called me one evening and asked if we would be interested in teaming and I said “most definitely’ and asked him what he had in mind. When he told me he wanted to buy Maguire I told him that the timing might be right as Dick (continued on page 16)
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195 Relocation, Providence, RI: Maguire Group Inc. is the lead design consultant and program manager for the relocation of I-195 in Providence. Key elements of the project include a 900-foot bridge over the Providence River (which includes a 400-foot network arch over the main navigation channel); a new fully directional interchange between I-195 and I-95; and 1.5 miles of new eight lane interstate highway. Maguire recently won an ACEC award for the project.
FACT: Maguire Group is among a select group of consulting engineering firms to earn multiple Presidential Awards for Design Excellence. Maguire was awarded this highly prestigious honor for its work on the Charles River Dam Project in Boston and the River Relocation Project in Providence. (continued from page 15)
Repeta (Maguire’s long-time president and principal owner) was looking to retire.” “We were brought together by a consultant we were using,” adds Duart, smiling. “I honestly don’t remember how the question got popped but it did on our very first date.” Clearly, Duart and Fritz are both very pleased with the ultimate result of that first date. “We see the merger with Metric as a good fit and a great opportunity for us to grow in other parts of the country, like Florida, South 16
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America and Texas” says Fritz. “We have a lot of young staff and the merger offers them potential to eventually grow outside of the New England area. Carlos’s vision for the future is also attractive to our employees. He wants to go beyond New England and be the best.” Duart is committed to keeping the identity of the Maguire Group intact. “I’ve been telling that to employees – and I am a man of my word,” he exclaims. “You can hardly drive a road or go over a bridge or by a water treatment plant in the New England area that Maguire has not been involved with. I would never want to lose that. A very important part of the acquisition is to build on what Maguire has (continued on page 18)
103rd Air Control Squadron, Orange, CT: Maguire Group Inc. performed the site development and building design, including utility relocations, access roads, parking, and landscaping in conjunction with the new 50,000 square-foot facility.
Millbrook Pump Station, Middletown, CT: Maguire Group Inc. provided engineering design and construction inspection services on this project.
Frog Bridge, Windham, CT: Maguire Group was retained to prepare the design of a new bridge spanning the Willimantic River and the Central Vermont Rail Line.
Mill Plain Road, Plainfield, CT: Maguire was retained to perform the design and construction inspection/administration of Mill Plain Rd. Improvements in Plainfield. Maguire’s responsibilities included roadway design/construction, preparation of permit applications, pavement overlay, water mains, sanitary sewers, three sanitary pump stations, traffic signal construction and modification, utility coordination and coordination with the railroad for the relocation of an at-grade crossing and upgrade of existing crossing. WWW.CTCASHO.COM H&B
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Southington Streetscape, Southington, CT: Maguire prepared contract documents for construction of phase I of a multiphase effort to return the downtown aesthetic.
Franklin Street Fire Station, Worcester, MA: Maguire designed this 15,022 square-foot, state-of-the-art station. Its brick and cast stone exterior reflects Worcester’s tradition of attractively-detailed masonry buildings and high standards for civic architecture. Copper-clad roofing was donated by the family of a long-time Worcester native.
(continued from page 16)
been so good at for so many years.” Duart pauses and continues. “One of the things that speaks volumes about the value and potential of Maguire people is that they have been able to weather the storm. I don’t dwell on the past because there isn’t a thing I can do about it; I focus on today and the future. Maguire is going to be an integral part of Metric Engineering Group for many years to come.” Clearly, Duart is enthused about what is ahead for Maguire Group. “I have already started to make an investment in the Connecticut office with the hiring of four new people for water, sewer and transportation work. We have established our water and sewer team here, and we have our transportation folks busy. I see the potential to double in size (from 20 to 40 employees) within the next year or so.” 18
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Duart continues. “With the purchase of Maguire we now have operations in ten states, so Maguire was an integral part of getting us to a critical mass to pursue large projects and compete with firms like Parsons and URS. I want to be doing work in at least 20-25 states in the next ten years with a focus on infrastructure. That is step one. The second thing is that we are pursuing infrastructure work on the international side in concert with the World Bank. Do I want to be the biggest? No. I just want to be sure that we are in the top three in whatever discipline we choose to pursue, whether construction management, transportation, architecture or water resources. That’s why I want Metric’s individual companies, like Maguire, to maintain their identities – to continue to be known for what they are best at – (continued on page 20)
At a Glance: Maguire Group www.maguiregroup.com
Founded: 1938 Total Employees: Approximately 200 employees in 11 offices throughout the United States and the Virgin Islands Parent Company: Metric Engineering Group Carlos A. Duart, President and CEO 13940 SW 136 Street, Suite 100 Miami, FL 33186 305-235-5098; Fax: 305-238-6730; themetricgroup.com Connecticut Headquarters: Maguire Group Carlos A. Duart, President and CEO One Court Street New Britain, CT 06051 860- 224-9141; Fax: 860 224-9147; MaguireGroup.com Key Connecticut Personnel: • James Fritz, PE, Senior Vice President Transportation • David Stock, PE, Vice President, Transportation Manager • Jane Witherell, PE, LEP, CHMM, Principal Engineer • Peter Griswold, PE, Sr. Project Manager • David Gorman, PE, Chief Construction Engineer Water Resources • Alan Asikainen, PE, Vice President, Chief Engineer • Mark Kopchak, PE, Principal Engineer • Charles Chiu, PE, Project Manager Branch Offices – New England • 33 Commercial Street, Suite 1 Foxborough, Massachusetts 02035 • 110 Corporate Drive, Suite 6 Portsmouth, NH 03801 • 225 Chapman Street Providence, RI 02905
Other Branch Offices • Pittsburgh, PA • Miami, FL • Orlando, FL • Virgin Islands, Christiansted, St. Croix
Stamford, Southington, North Haven • Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) • Army National Guard • Air National Guard
Divisions and Services: Transportation Group • Bridge Design/Inspection • Highway Design • Roadway Design • Traffic Studies • Urban Renewal • Stormwater/Drainage
Representative Connecticut Projects Buildings • 103rd Air Control Squadron, Orange, Connecticut, Air National Guard • Fort Trumbull State Park, New London, Connecticut DPW
Water Resources Group • Water/Wastewater Treatment Plants • Water/Wastewater Pump Stations • Infiltration/Inflow • Combined Sewer Overflow • Sewer/Water Main Design • Well Engineering • Water Storage • Dam Engineering Land Development • Brownfields Investigational Remediation • Solid Waste Engineering • Environmental Impact and Assessment • Marine/Waterfront/Dredging • Civil/Site Engineering • Renewable Energy • Wetlands/Permitting/MEPA/NEPA Buildings Group • Public Safety Design • Parking Structures • Military • Higher Ed/K-12 Educational • Health Care • Owners Project Management • Private Development • LEED – Green Building
Transportation • Frog Bridge, Windham • Rte. 66 Roadway Reconstruction, Middletown, CTDOT • CTDOT Rte. 11 EIS, Salem, Waterford, East Lyme • Newington Streetscape, Newington • Southington Streetscape, Southington • Mill Plain Road, Plainfield Water Resources • Wastewater Treatment Plant Upgrade, Shelton • East Lyme Well #1 and #2, East Lyme • Millbrook Pump Station, Middletown Representative New England Projects • I-195 Relocation Project,, RIDOT, Winner, ACECMA Grand Conceptor Award for Bridge in Providence, RI • University of New Hampshire Ecoline (bio-gas recovery project), Winner, EPA Landfill Methane Recovery Outreach Project of the Year (2009) • Botanical Gardens, Roger Williams Park, Providence, RI, LEED Green Design • Franklin Street Fire Station, Worcester, MA, 2009 Style Award for Excellence, Fire Chief’s Magazine • Accelerated Bridge Program, Massachusetts DOT
Representative Connecticut Clients: • Municipalities: New Britain, Middletown, Montville, Plainfield, Shelton, Enfield, New Hartford, East Lyme, Plymouth, Bristol, Berlin, Newington, Stratford, Ledyard WWW.CTCASHO.COM H&B
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while being able to call on others to take advantage of the expertise among our other offices and companies.” While growth is clearly on Duart’s agenda, personal service – like the service Maguire has been known for since 1938 – remains a high priority. “In this age of computer technology, you can draw on any of your offices for the technical work and support you need, whether that office is in Florida or anywhere else in the world,” says Fritz. “But you always have to serve clients and manage projects on a local basis. That is something we have done since Charles A. Maguire started the firm more than 70 years ago. Carlos is very much committed to ensuring that we provide that same kind of client service.”
“There is no rigid mid-management structure here to get in the way of the communication process between us and our clients,” adds Duart. “Ultimately, what sets us apart is that we compete successfully with companies that are ten times larger than we are – and that speaks to the personal attention we give to our clients. Maintaining the project managers the clients have grown to know and respect is important, and we intend to keep the work locally. Also, we don’t hold ourselves out as a firm that does everything. We stick to what we are very good at. I can’t say that we won’t ever get into other areas, but our focus is, and will continue to be, infrastructure – roads, bridges, treatment plants, schools, etc. That is what we want to be known for years to come, and we intend to be the best at whatever we do.”
Newington Streetscape, Newington, CT: Maguire Group Inc. provided design services for streetscape improvements in the area of the Town Center along Main Street from Cedar Street to Market Square/Walsh Avenue.
Fort Trumbull State Park, New London, CT: Maguire Group Inc. provided engineering design services for the transformation of the Fort Trumbull Naval facility into a historic waterfront state park.
Wastewater Treatment Plant Upgrades, Shelton, CT: Maguire provided design and construction engineering services for the expansion and upgrade of an existing 2.75 million gallon per day treatment facility to a 4 mgd facility employing nitrification and denitrification. 20
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“ You can hardly drive a road or go over a bridge in the New England area that Maguire has not been involved with.” Carlos Duart, President and CEO
Meet the President Carlos A. Duart, CPA, President and CEO Metric Engineering Group President and CEO Carlos A. Duart, CPA, began his distinguished career at Metric Engineering conducting traffic counts at the age of fifteen. Over the years, Duart held numerous positions at the company, including serving as Metric’s chief financial officer and executive vice president before being named president and CEO in 2007. His expertise includes the procurement and supervision of international transportation projects, including major projects for the World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank, as well as mergers and acquisitions. A Miami native, Duart is the holder of a B.A. in accounting and an M.A. in taxation from Florida International University. He also attended Harvard Business School’s Executive Education Program.
Meet the Maguire Staff James B. Fritz, PE, Senior Vice President/Corporate Development A 40+-year veteran with Maguire Group, James Fritz is currently senior vice president of marketing and strategic business development at the corporate level, where he serves as the primary liaison between Maguire and Metric Engineering officers and managers. Fritz also assists in the development and pursuit of projects that encompass large geographic regions in concert with the companies’ strategic goals for expansion.
Transportation David R. Stock, PE. Senior Project Manager/Vice President David Stock has more than 35 years of experience working on Connecticut DOT projects and fifteen years of experience as a project manager with a strong emphasis on task-based and environmental compliance assignments. He specializes in the management of large, complex assignments where the coordination of the technical aspects of a project with staffing, budgeting and scheduling requirements is crucial. Jane D. Witherell, PE, LEP, CHMM, Principal Engineer Jane Witherell has been the professional in charge of numerous Maguire Group environmental projects in Connecticut. Her responsibilities have included completion of multiple-phase site investigations, remediation/closure projects, compliance/regulatory assistance, permit preparation and compliance for numerous environmental projects. Peter H. Griswold, PE, Project Manager Peter Griswold is principal transportation engineer with nearly 25 years of experience in a variety of transportation-related and land
development projects. His responsibilities have included the design/ coordination of roadways, parking lots, aircraft aprons, drainage design, site design for buildings, utility design, horizontal and vertical alignment, preparation of contract drawings/specifications, preparation of project plans for Development of Economic Development funding, and the provision of on-call engineering services to municipalities. David M. Gorman, PE, Chief of Construction Engineering As department manager and chief construction engineer, David Gorman acts in the capacity of contract administrator for a broad range of Maguire Group construction projects, including bridges, road improvements, streetscape projects, buildings, and water and sewer treatment facilities. His responsibility is to continually monitor the design and construction coordination to ensure that continuity is maintained. Gorman also is responsible for overall project administration and for providing direction for the resident inspection staff.
Water Resources Alan P. Asikainen, PE, Vice President – Senior Chief Engineer Alan Asikainen’s experience ranges from the preparation of engineering reports to the planning and design of wastewater and water projects. His background combines planning and engineering responsibilities on a variety of projects, including water/wastewater treatment plant design and evaluation, water/wastewater storage and distribution systems, pump stations, force main design, sludge handling facilities, facility planning studies, and the evaluation/ design of alternatives for biological nutrient removal. Mark J. Kopchak, PE, Principal Engineer Mark Kopchak is a water resources engineer specializing in the fields of water supply planning and engineering, groundwater and surface water hydraulics, water treatment, water distribution system modeling, safe yield analysis, pump tests, permitting and design. Charles Chiu, PE, Project Manager Charles Chiu has more than seventeen years of experience providing planning, permitting, design and construction phase services; managing day-to-day project activities; and interfacing with project team members, clients, contractors, sub-consultants, vendors, and regulatory agencies. His background includes infiltration and inflow reduction, wastewater facility planning, sanitary sewer design, pump station and force main design, and water/wastewater treatment and wastewater reuse.
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Metric Engineering Group Metric Engineering Group is a consortium of international architectural/engineering firms that specialize in providing transportation and infrastructure engineering services to government clients. Today, the Metric Engineering Group – which includes 500 professionals in 25 offices throughout the eastern coast of the United States, Texas, Latin America and Caribbean – is composed of the following companies: • Metric Engineering is one of the leading providers of transportation engineering services in Florida. The firm’s core services include construction management, engineering design, transportation planning, emergency management, environmental engineering, and program management. The firm also leads the way in new technologies like Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and network and systems integration.
• Maguire Group, which was founded in 1938, is one of the nation’s leading architectural, engineering, planning, and construction management firms. Maguire’s main service lines include buildings, land development, transportation, and water/wastewater.
• Dynamic Corporate Consultants, Inc. specializes in providing construction engineering and inspection (CEI) and CEI oversight services on design/build projects in Florida. The firm offers contract administration, quality control, project scheduling, and claims analysis.
• Advanced Transportation Engineering Consultants provides traffic engineering and transportation planning services to the public and private sectors. The firm also offers extensive traffic data collection capabilities.
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Route 66 Roadway Reconstruction, Middletown, CT: Maguire Group Inc. was retained by the Connecticut DOT to provide preliminary and final design plans for the reconstruction and widening of approximately two miles of Route 66.