Pittsfield-based Cianbro Corp. announced Tuesday the acquisition of A/Z Corp., a Connecticut-based engineering-construction firm providing a wide range of industry services including design, construction, maintenance and energy management, with a focus on technology-oriented markets.

Headquartered in North Stonington, Connecticut, A/Z has offices and ongoing operations in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states. As a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cianbro, A/Z Corp. will retain its name, and the company’s owner, Perry Lorenz, will remain its president, according to a news release.

“My father founded A/Z Corp. more than 50 years ago,” Lorenz said. “This transition is special and it’s important to me that the legacy of this company will be retained.  It is great to see that our team members will become part of a growing, employee-owned organization.

“I first worked around Cianbro when I was working for my father in 1986 on a job site in southeastern Connecticut. I learned quickly that we have a lot in common in terms of how we value our people and clients. Joining the Cianbro family creates greater stability and sustainability for our employees and clients.  It also means that nothing will change in our current working relationships.  Knowing that this transition results in stability while keeping our operational strategies intact is a perfect scenario. I couldn’t feel any better or be more excited about our collective future.”

All of A/Z Corp.’s 500 employees will join the Cianbro workforce and its employee stock ownership plan.

“Cianbro and A/Z are compatible organizations with very similar philosophies towards people, operating culture, workplace safety, and towards their respective clients,” Andi Vigue, CEO of Cianbro, said in a news release. “We each grew from small family-owned companies with devoted hardworking employees who are experts in their profession. The A/Z Corporation culture fits very well with the Cianbro culture, work ethic and an unwavering commitment to team member health and safety. We are excited to welcome the A/Z team members to the Cianbro family.”

Founded in 1949, Cianbro is 100 percent employee-owned and is an Engineering News Record top 100 U.S. construction firm with about 4,000 employees operating in 41 states. Cianbro performs work in diverse construction markets including industrial, manufacturing, infrastructure, power and energy, and building. Cianbro also invests heavily in workforce development through The Cianbro Institute, a professional growth and education center located at the company’s Pittsfield campus.

“The integration of A/Z is a significant opportunity for both organizations,” said Richard Brescia, vice president of Cianbro. “We have been in business for 70 years and continue to find new ways to innovate, grow and diversify our operations. A/Z Corp. is well respected in the industry and it excels in higher education, manufacturing, science and technology, health care, mission-critical and energy markets. There are common aspects between our companies, and there are significant opportunities to learn from each other and grow within our various business markets.”

Peter Vigue, chairman of Cianbro’s board of directors, added: “As part of our growth strategy, we evaluate strategic acquisition opportunities very carefully and thoughtfully to understand if there is cultural ‘fit’ within the entire organization.  In the case of A/Z Corp., joining the companies together made perfect sense given our similar backgrounds and cultures. This will expand our capacity, our reach, our skill sets and our abilities to learn from each other. This is a great outcome for Cianbro and for A/Z Corp., and I am very excited about our future.”

The transaction closing officially took place Friday. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

 

Doug Harlow — 612-2367

dharlow@centralmaine.com

Twitter:@Doug_Harlow

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