Pape-Dawson Expands Operations Via Acquisitions in Texas, Florida

Among the numerous Texas projects Pape-Dawson has completed is Austin's Domain South End District. The firm purchased two engineering firms this summer to enlarge its footprint in Texas and Florida.
Photo: Clem Spaulding

Two recent acquisitions by Pape-Dawson Engineers have expanded firm operations in its home state of Texas as well as in Florida as part of company growth strategy. The San Antonio firm purchased Houston-based Costello Inc. and Poulos & Bennett in Orlando for undisclosed amounts.

Costello, a civil engineering and survey firm has about 200 employees and locations in Houston and Austin. Its resume includes water and wastewater facilities, residential developments and transportation projects.

“We thought this purchase would allow us to stabilize our footprint in the Houston market,” said Pape-Dawson President Gene Dawson, adding that it will allow the San Antonio firm to meet broadened engineering demand in Texas. He said the deal also expands capabilities to include landscape architecture and structural engineering services.

The purchase makes Pape-Dawson one of the largest engineering firms in Houston

The firm ranks at No. 112 on ENR’s list of the Top 500 Design Firms, reporting $206.4 million in 2022 revenue. It was voted ENR Texas & Louisiana Top Design Firm in 2022.

Pape-Dawson has completed several notable projects in the region, including the Richard A. Anderson Texas State Veterans Home, H-E-B Houston Retail Support Center, British International School of Houston, numerous projects for the Harris County Flood Control District and several master planned communities.

The acquisition of Poulos & Bennett, completed in July, launched Pape-Dawson into the Florida market and is its first outside Texas. The 65-employee firm was attractive because of its solid leadership and “very strong” land development engineering capability, said Dawson. Poulos & Bennett also has an office in Jacksonville.

Dawson said the leadership teams of both companies are staying in place “and will continue to grow with us.” He added that the firm is looking at more than two dozen other engineering firms for possible “strategic partnerships" through acquisition.

Dan has reported for national and regional newspapers for three decades. During that time, he’s covered topics ranging from three octogenarians who were known as the original Daisy Dukes because in their youth they ran moonshine in Appalachia to Latin American politics. For the last decade or so, he’s focused on global energy, mainly natural resources.

He has won numerous awards during his career, all of which are sitting in a bottom desk drawer collecting dust.