Investment funds managed by Morgan Stanley Capital Partners (MSCP) have made a majority investment in Olsson, Inc., an employee-owned engineering and design firm, in a transaction that also includes significant re-investment by Olsson employees.
Olsson, headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska, was founded in 1956 and now employs more than 2,000 people across 35 offices nationwide. The firm provides infrastructure engineering design and consulting services to public- and private-sector clients across a range of end markets, including technology, transportation and water infrastructure, power, industrial, and federal work.
MSCP said the deal marks Olsson’s first institutional partnership and positioned the firm to scale further in targeted geographies and markets, with support focused on accelerating both organic growth and acquisitions. The investment is MSCP’s fourth in infrastructure services since 2021, following investments in Resource Innovations, Apex Companies and Alliance Technical Group.
The Environmental Financial Consulting Group (EFCG), through its broker-dealer affiliate EFCG Transaction Services, served as exclusive financial advisor to Olsson, with Koley Jessen serving as legal counsel. Latham & Watkins served as legal counsel to MSCP. AEC Advisors, through its broker-dealer affiliate AEC Transaction Services, along with Houlihan Lokey and Harris Williams, served as MSCP’s financial advisors.
KEY QUOTES:
“We are proud to partner with Olsson and are committed to preserving the culture that has been built over decades as an employee-owned firm, which has been and will continue to be a cornerstone of the Company’s success,” “We are thrilled to be Olsson’s first institutional partner and believe that the Company is uniquely positioned to scale into a market leader in its targeted geographies and markets. We look forward to leveraging MSCP’s extensive experience within the infrastructure services space to accelerate an already strong track record of both organic and inorganic growth.”
Eric Kanter, Head of Industrial Services, Morgan Stanley Capital Partners
“This investment by MSCP is a milestone for Olsson – and it’s fundamentally a partnership. We chose MSCP because they align with our people-first culture and our commitment to meaningful employee ownership. We’ll continue to be Olsson for our clients and communities, maintaining our name, brand, and leadership. We’re excited to work together with MSCP to invest in new technologies, add expertise to strengthen our operations, and have a network that opens doors to growth opportunities.”
Brad Strittmatter, CEO, Olsson
