Thornton Tomasetti, the international engineering firm, announces that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Swallow Acoustic Consultants Limited (SACL), a specialist in acoustics, noise and vibration control engineering based in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. The addition of Swallow will bolster Thornton Tomasetti's Structural Engineering and Forensics practices as well as its Canadian presence. The deal is scheduled to close in early 2017. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Key Points

Founded in the early 1990s by John Swallow, the company offers a broad range of services in acoustics design and forensics and noise and vibration analysis and control. These include architectural acoustics; environmental, industrial and mechanical noise control; acoustic and vibration testing; expert witness testimony; technical writing and standards; construction vibration assessment; and vibration control.

In addition to its Mississauga headquarters, the 13-person firm has an office in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. John Swallow will become a principal at Thornton Tomasetti, while Ramin Behboudi and Michael Wesolowsky will join as associate principals.

SACL is one of a small number of firms worldwide that designs tuned mass dampers (TMD), a device used to help stabilize buildings against wind sway and other kinds of motion. Its TMD work includes tall buildings and long-span structures, such as sports facilities and bridges. SACL's tuned mass damper capabilities will dovetail with Thornton Tomasetti's efforts in the field, which includes the development of a fluid harmonic disruptor based on NASA technology.

Starting with Manhattan's LaGuardia School for the Arts in 1988, Thornton Tomasetti has collaborated on many projects with SACL, as well as strategic partner Tacet Engineering, whose staff SACL acquired in 2012. These include Chifley Tower in Sydney, Australia, Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois, Qatar National Convention Centre in Doha, and most recently, T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, which opened this past April.

SACL has worked in some 20 countries and has a considerable presence in central and eastern Canada. This will give Thornton Tomasetti a larger footprint in Canada, having opened its first office in the country, in Toronto, earlier this year.

Executive Quotes

Thomas Z. Scarangello, chairman & CEO, Thornton Tomasetti

"For nearly 30 years, Swallow has been our go-to partner for vibration issues. Through our close collaboration on many diverse projects, we have built a strong working relationship based on mutual respect and a shared commitment to professional excellence. This combination of our complementary services will help us build upon our leadership position and provide better value to our clients."

John Swallow, president and founder, Swallow Acoustic Consultants Limited

"Teaming up with Thornton Tomasetti will allow us to serve current and future clients in new and innovative ways. We look forward to sharing our considerable experience in the acoustics, noise and vibration control fields with Thornton Tomasetti's 1,200 professionals."