Irvine-based gkkworks has acquired Syska Hennessy Group Construction of New York, creating what company officials call a more fully integrated architecture, construction management and general contracting firm.

The acquired firm will operate under gkkworks construction services and will be based in the Los Angeles area. The expanded integrated design and construction firm will have combined revenues exceeding $200 million, over 300 employees, and a national, diversified business with significant government and private sector clients. The acquisition provides additional gkkworks office locations in Los Angeles, New Jersey, Atlanta, Chicago and Honolulu, with major projects in Dallas, New York, and over 30 Army, Navy and Air Force locations across the country.

Praful Kulkarni
gkkworks� President and
CEO Praful Kulkarni

�This acquisition allows gkkworks to provide our clients with the combined strengths of both firms, resulting in a better balance of design, program/construction management, and general contracting services,� says gkkworks President and CEO Praful Kulkarni. �The Syska Hennessey Group Construction portfolio includes the expansion and renovation of key infrastructure projects for the Department of Defense and mission critical facilities for some of America�s largest companies. This depth of specialized experience will provide added assurance and benefits to our clients.�

�Our new construction team has the ability to grow faster and more efficiently because gkkworks� staff is able to greatly support them with estimating, pre-construction, and project management processes,� says Charlie Merrick, LEED AP, vice president of construction services at gkkworks. �We look forward to providing added value to our current and future clients, and allowing owners throughout the country to take advantage of integrated project delivery.�

gkkworks primarily serves clients in healthcare, government, and education. In addition to Irvine, gkkworks has California offices in Pasadena, Riverside, Sacramento, Oakland and San Diego. The firm also has an office in Pune, India.

�This was a strategic decision to find a new home for our construction team members that would allow them to continue their exceptional growth,� says Gary Brennen, co-CEO of Syska Hennessy Group. �We look forward to continuing our close collaboration with our construction team members and expanding our relationship with gkkworks.�

�In the last three years, we�ve grown rapidly by developing �thought leadership� in the planning and design of mission critical and healthcare facilities, and integrating that expertise with strong construction delivery to the Federal Government and Fortune 500 clients,� says William �Bill� Line, PE, LEED AP, formerly the SHGC president and COO and now vice president of federal programs with gkkworks. �A large increase in the number of Department of Defense contracts has contributed to the recent growth surge. We went from having one or two key contracts to more than a dozen contracts that significantly increased our revenue.�

�I am looking forward to being able to combine gkkworks� world-class architecture practice with our expertise in the delivery of mechanical and electrical intensive technical construction projects,� says Dan McNary, PE, former senior vice president of SHGC and now vice president of commercial construction with gkkworks. �In the private sector, we�ve had significant growth in our business, including data centers and switching facilities. Our clients told us they needed help with highly technical data center renovations and large scale data center projects. Our integrated project delivery process exceeded all our customer needs, driving significant growth.�

�The opportunity to serve the federal and mission critical markets nationally is very exciting to the design professionals in the firm,� says David Hunt, AIA, LEED AP, vice president of architectural services at gkkworks. �We look forward to adding our specialized planning and design capabilities in each of the new offices to create even more value for our current and future clients.�