IBI Group Inc. is a Canadian-based architecture, engineering, planning, and technology firm operating from over 60 offices in 12 countries across the world.[1]

IBI Group Inc.
Company typePublic
TSX: IBG
Industry
Founded1974; 50 years ago (1974)
FounderNeal Irwin
Phil Beinhaker
Headquarters
55 St. Clair Avenue West, Toronto, Ontario
,
Area served
Canada, Caribbean, China, Greece, India, Ireland, Israel, Mexico, UAE, United Kingdom, United States
Key people
Scott Stewart-CEO
David Thom-President
CAD $25.25 million (2021)
Number of employees
3,400 (2022)
Parent
Websitewww.ibigroup.com

Founded in 1974 in Toronto, Canada, IBI Group has since been ranked as one of the largest architecture or architecture/engineering firms in the world: in 2011 it ranked 4th or 6th (depending on the methodology used);[2] in 2016 it was ranked as the 8th largest architecture firm (with 836 fee-earning architects) by BD Online;[3] and in 2016 its United States operations were ranked by ArchDaily as the 13th largest architecture firm in the USA.[4]

As of 2022, IBI Group has approximately 3,400 employees and more than 60 offices located across six continents.[5][6] IBI Group's consulting services business is concentrated in three practice areas: Intelligence, Buildings and Infrastructure. By integrating productivity tools, processes and technology innovations developed through IBI's Intelligence practice, the company has been able to drive incremental growth in its traditional Buildings and Infrastructures practices, while generating more efficient results for IBI clients.[1]

On September 27, 2022, it was acquired by Arcadis.[7]

History

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The IBI Group was founded in Toronto by nine partners to provide professional planning and design services for urban development and transportation projects.

The firm merged with Robbie/Young + Wright Architects to become Robbie Young + Wright / IBI Group Architects, with noted Toronto architect Rod Robbie as chairman emeritus.[8] In 2004 the firm became a publicly owned entity through the formation of the IBI Income Fund. In 2010 the Fund was converted to a corporation, IBI Group Inc.[9]

The firm's name was derived from the last initials of its two founding principals, Neal Irwin and Phil Beinhaker.[10] The firm has rebranded itself, stating the IBI stands for "Intelligence, Buildings, and Infrastructure."[11]

In September 2022, IBI Group was acquired by Arcadis.[12][13]

Major acquisitions

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Since 2000 the firm has expanded through mergers and acquisitions of consulting firms in multiple locations. Some have been folded into the IBI Group brand and others have maintained a distinct identity.[9] The major acquisitions below are listed in chronological order.

Cummings Cockburn

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In 2004, IBI Group acquired the Ontario architecture and consulting firm Cumming Cockburn, as well as its subsidiaries CCL Consultants and Marshall Cumming & Associates.[14]

Vancouver office

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The Vancouver office expanded through the 2005 merger of Hancock Bruckner, Eng + Wright; Lawrence Doyle Architects; and Young + Wright Architects.[9][15]

Grey-Noble & Grey-Noble

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In 2005 the Newmarket, Ontario-based architectural firm of Grey-Noble & Grey-Noble was acquired.[16]

Thomas Blurock Architects

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In 2006 the Costa Mesa, California-based educational project-focused firm of Thomas Blurock Architects was acquired and incorporated.[17][18]

Page+Steele

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In 2008 the Toronto-based firm of Page+Steele, Architects was acquired and operates as Page+Steele/IBI Group.

Gruzen Samton Architects

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In 2009 the New York City based firm of Gruzen Samton Architects, Planners & Interior Designers was acquired. The firm was founded in 1936 and operates as IBI Group.[19][20]

Group Architects

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In 2009 the small Toronto-based firm of Group Architects was acquired. IBI relocated and redistributed its team to a new location and the company and presence dissolved entirely through the following years.[clarification needed]

BFGC Architects Planners

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In 2009, BFGC Architects Planners, with offices in Bakersfield, San Luis Obispo and San Jose, California, was acquired.

Nightingale Architects

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In 2010, Nightingale Architects, with four offices in the United Kingdom, including in London and Cardiff, was acquired for £13.1 million.[21][22]

Dull Olson Weekes Architects

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In 2010, IBI acquired the Portland, Oregon-based firm of Dull Olson Weekes Architects, a regional specialist in the design of educational facilities with offices in Portland and Seattle, Washington. It has received multiple awards for its work, including the CEFPI/A4LE James D. MacConnell Award for excellence in design and planning, in 2009 for the Rosa Parks School and Community Campus at New Columbia, in 2014 for Trillium Creek Primary School, and in 2020 as a finalist for Mary Lyon Elementary School.[23][24][25] The firm operates as IBI Group Architects.

Cardinal Hardy Architectes

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In 2011, the Quebec-based firm of Cardinal Hardy merged with Beinhaker Architecte (within the IBI Group), and became known as Cardinal Hardy Beinhaker Architecte. Groupe Cardinal Hardy merged into the IBI Group. Three years later, in late 2014, it was sold to Montreal-based architecture group Lemay.[26]

Carol R. Johnson Associates

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In 2011 the Boston based landscape architecture firm Carol R. Johnson Associates was acquired.[27]

Bay Architects

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In 2011 the Houston, Texas-based firm of Bay Architects was acquired.[28]

Taylor Young

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In 2012, Taylor Young, a United Kingdom-based architectural and master-planning practice headquartered in Cheshire and with offices in Liverpool and London, was acquired.[29]

M-E Companies

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In 2012, M-E Companies, an Ohio-based engineering firm with offices in Westerville, Cincinnati and Canton was acquired.[30]

Aspyr

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IBI acquired the British Columbia-based Aspyr Engineering on September 3, 2019.[31]

Cole Engineering Group

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Cole Engineering Group in Markham

IBI acquired the Cole Engineering Group on December 1, 2020.[32]

Major projects

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Major projects, ordered by type, are:[33][34]

Masterplans

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Government

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Cultural

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Education

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Transportation

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Office

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  • Ericsson R&D Complex, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
  • Boston Landing, New Balance World Headquarters, Boston

Leisure

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Mixed use

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Residential

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  • 88 Scott Street, Toronto
  • Atlantis The Royal, Dubai

Healthcare

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Products

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HotSpot

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IBI Group acquired HotSpot in June 2022 for $5.74 million. Founded in 2013, HotSpot allows users to pay for municipal parking from their phones, or pay for and receive real-time updates about bus services, as well as order and pay for taxis.[38]

CurbIQ

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CurbIQ is IBI Group's curbside management tool intended to allow municipalities and mobility companies to manage curbside operations by digitizing their regulation.[39][40] It was created as a result of IBI Group's Curbside Management Strategy created for the City of Toronto for the 2015 Pan American and Parapan American Games.

CurbIQ consists of four modules:[40]

  • Curb Viewer - map-based visualization tool allows municipalities to visualise their existing curbside regulations.
  • Curb Manager - simplified GIS platform for municipalities to efficiently manage their curbside by adding, removing, or modifying curbside regulations.
  • Curb Analyzer - quantifies the designations of curb spaces to provide city planners with trends on their usage
  • Curb Rules API - to allow transportation network companies, such as ridesharing applications, and commercial vehicle dispatches, to add information about curbside regulations to their own applications.

CurbIQ was used to launch a SENATOR pilot project in Dublin, Ireland that aimed to create a new logistics system to improve the city's transportation network in 2022.[41]

Nspace

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Nspace is a desk and conference room booking and visitor management application intended to support flexible work arrangements.[42][43]

Acquisition by Arcadis

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IBI Group announced on July 18, 2022, that it has entered into an agreement with the Dutch design, engineering and management consulting company Arcadis to "acquire all issued and outstanding shares" for $19.50 per share, a thirty percent premium on the day's closing price.[44] The approximately $873 million acquisition was finalised in September 2022 after a shareholder vote.[45][46]

References

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  1. ^ a b "IBI Group 2020 Annual Information Form" (PDF). March 22, 2022.
  2. ^ BC Business, BC Architects Without Borders. January 4, 2011. Retrieved 2016-09-15
  3. ^ WA100-2016 the big list. Retrieved 2016-09-16
  4. ^ These are the Top 300 Architecture Firms in the US, Archdaily, August 2, 2016. Retrieved 2016-09-15
  5. ^ "IBI Group March 2022 Corporate Presentation" (PDF). March 22, 2022.
  6. ^ "2021 IBI Group Inc. MD&A + Consolidated Financial Statements" (PDF). ibigroup.com. 2022-03-10. Retrieved 2022-04-13.
  7. ^ "Arcadis completes the acquisition of IBI Group, creating a global leader for planning, designing and building the resilient cities of tomorrow". Arcadis. Retrieved 2022-12-21.
  8. ^ National Capital Heavy Construction Association. Retrieved 2016-09-15
  9. ^ a b c IBI Group history. Retrieved 2016-09-15
  10. ^ IBI Group founder to be honored by TAC, IBI Group. July 22, 2014. Retrieved 2016-09-16
  11. ^ Yonge+St.Clair, IBI Group talks architecture. September 1, 2016. Retrieved 2016-09-16
  12. ^ "Arcadis acquires IBI Group". Canadian Consulting Engineer. 2022-07-19. Retrieved 2022-07-21.
  13. ^ Acadis to acquire architecture and engineering firm IBI Group New Civil Engineer July 20, 2022
  14. ^ IBI Group Company Backgrounder IBI Group p. 11.
  15. ^ Architectural Institute of British Columbia. Retrieved 2016-09-15
  16. ^ Bloomberg, Company Overview of Grey-Noble & Grey-Noble, Architects. Retrieved 2016-09-15
  17. ^ PCAD - Blurock, Thomas, Architects, Incorporated (Practice). Retrieved 2017-07-19
  18. ^ Bloomberg snapshot. Retrieved 2017-07-19
  19. ^ Bloomberg company overview. Retrieved 2016-10-13
  20. ^ The Real Deal, TRD topics. Retrieved 2016-10-13
  21. ^ "IBI Nightingale closes Liverpool office". Place Northwest. 29 October 2013. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  22. ^ Fulcher, Merlin (2 June 2010). "Canadian outfit snaps up Nightingale Associates". Architect's Journal. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  23. ^ CEFPI MacConnell 2009 winner, DesignShare. October 19, 2009. Retrieved 2016-09-16
  24. ^ A4LE MacConnell Award archives 2014. Retrieved 2016-09-16
  25. ^ A4LE MacConnell Award archives 2020 Retrieved 2021-12-06
  26. ^ Bergeron, Maxime (17 December 2014). "Lemay vise le monde". La Presse. Retrieved 9 October 2018.
  27. ^ "CRJA announces strategic alliance with IBI Group", New England Facilities Development News, High Profile. July 15, 2011. Retrieved 2016-09-15
  28. ^ Bloomberg, Company Overview of Bay-IBI Group Architects, Inc.. Retrieved 2015-09-15
  29. ^ "Canadian IBI Group swoops for Taylor Young". Manchester Evening News. August 3, 2012. Archived from the original on 2017-02-02. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  30. ^ M-E Companies acquired by IBI Group of Canada, Columbus Business First, December 13, 2012. Retrieved 2019-10-08
  31. ^ "IBI Group Announces Acquisition of Aspyr". GlobeNewswire. 2019-09-03. Retrieved 2019-11-01.
  32. ^ IBI Group Announces Asset Acquisition of Cole Engineering Group Ltd IBI Group
  33. ^ IBI Group projects. Retrieved 2016-09-16
  34. ^ IBI Group Texas projects. Retrieved 2016-09-16
  35. ^ "Parliament Welcome Centre". tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca. Government of Canada. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
  36. ^ "IBI GROUP MANAGEMENT PARTNERSHIP (EP758-122489/001/FE~000)". buyandsell.gc.ca. Government of Canada. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
  37. ^ Sifuentes, Edward (September 9, 2016). "Historic hotel to be restored". The San Diego Union Tribune. Oceanside, California. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
  38. ^ Mullen, Avery (August 10, 2022). "IBI Group Paid $5.7M for HotSpot". Entrevestor. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  39. ^ "About Us - CurbIQ". CurbIQ.io. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  40. ^ a b "Arcadis IBI Group Products - CurbIQ". ibigroup.com. IBI Group. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  41. ^ "Efficient use of pavements for a more decarbonised Dublin". senatorproject.eu. December 21, 2022. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
  42. ^ "Nspace - A flexible planning, scheduling, and management solution for the hybrid office". ibigroup.com. IBI Group. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
  43. ^ "Nspace - Defining the workplace of tomorrow". ibigroup.com. Nspace. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
  44. ^ "Arcadis and IBI Group Have Entered Into an Agreement on a Recommended, All-Cash Offer of C$19.50 Per Share for Arcadis to Acquire All Issued and Outstanding Shares of IBI Group". ibigroup.com. IBI Group. July 18, 2022. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  45. ^ "Arcadis acquires IBI Group". arcadis.com. IBI Group. September 27, 2022. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  46. ^ "IBI Group Inc. Shareholders Vote Overwhelmingly in Favour of the Acquisition by Arcadis". arcadis.com. IBI Group. September 16, 2022. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
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  NODES
Association 1
COMMUNITY 2
innovation 2
Note 2
Project 9
USERS 1