RS Engineering, LLC, an industry leader in civil, structural, traffic and construction engineering, was recently acquired by Illinois-based engineering firm Clark Dietz, Inc. The purchase enables Clark Dietz to serve additional Midwestern markets while the growth of the combined firm provides expanded opportunities for employees.
Varnum represented RS Engineering in all aspects of the transaction, including negotiating the unit purchase agreement and all other legal documents. The M&A team was led by Jake Whately and Mallory Field with support from Margaret Reaume. The deal team also included Shawn Strand (tax), John Arendshorst (employee benefits) and Ashleigh Draft (labor and employment).
Clark Dietz is a Midwest multi-disciplined infrastructure engineering firm with locations in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan and Wisconsin. Lansing-based RS Engineering, LLC will continue to provide services dedicated to its long-standing client base before fully adopting the Clark Dietz brand and moniker at a future date. Founders Robert Rayl and Thomas D. Sereseroz will remain leaders within the organization.
“As an owner, selling the company you helped create and grow is not an everyday occurrence,” Rayl said. “Once we accepted the letter of intent from Clark Dietz and began the due diligence phase, we immediately contacted our attorneys at Varnum to lead us through the complexities of this process. Along every step of the way, the Varnum Team explained the terms of each agreement and offered more favorable suggestions to present to the buyer’s counsel. We were confident they had our best interests in mind while being flexible enough to help us close the deal in a fair manner while retaining a positive relationship with our new family at Clark Dietz. Varnum’s guidance, advice, patience, and compassion were critical in making what could have been an overwhelming experience less stressful. I would wholeheartedly recommend them to represent any owner considering a merger or acquisition.”