Pape-Dawson Engineers expands with acquisition of Houston firm

Michael Preiss, managing principal-Greater Houston, Pape-Dawson Engineers Michael Preiss, managing principal-Greater Houston, Pape-Dawson Engineers Photo: Pape-Dawson Engineers Photo: Pape-Dawson Engineers Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close Pape-Dawson Engineers expands with acquisition of Houston firm 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

San Antonio-based Pape-Dawson Engineers is expanding in the Houston market with the acquisition of ArborLeaf Engineering & Surveying. Terms were not disclosed.

The deal will expand the civil engineering firm's local employee count to 100 from 78. Pape-Dawson, which has been in Houston 10 years and has other offices in New Braunfels, Austin, Fort Worth and Dallas, will retain all of ArborLeaf's employees.

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"Above all else, Pape-Dawson prioritizes nurturing client relationships, developing successful projects and maintaining a strong internal culture," Pape-Dawson's managing principal-greater Houston, Michael Preiss, said in an announcement. "The ArborLeaf team's priorities align perfectly with ours, and together we strengthen our capability to serve the growing needs of this region."

Walter Smith, president of ArborLeaf and recently elected Waller County Precinct 2 commissioner, opened ArborLeaf in 2004 and will serve as a vice president at Pape-Dawson. About 80 percent of ArborLeaf's work has been land surveying, while 20 percent has been civil engineering.

Founded in 1965, Pape-Dawson provides professional engineering consulting and surveying services in the land development, environmental, water resources, hydrology/hydraulic and transportation service areas statewide.

Pape-Dawson is working with the Harris County Flood Control District and Fort Bend Drainage District on modeling and remapping the counties' flood plains.

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Pape-Dawson's Houston office has handled more than 300 McDonald's locations in South Texas, the British International School of Houston, Village of South Hampton, projects for H-E-B including the grocer's second snack plant, two IDEA School campuses in Houston and the expansion of Texas 36 for TxDOT. On behalf of various homebuilders and developers, the Houston team has also provided engineering services for more than 9,400 new single-family lots covering over 2,600 acres of new developments in the area.