RTKL Acquires Strategic Facilities

Architecture firm RTKL Associates has acquired Strategic Facilities Inc. (SFI) in a deal focused on the market for energy-efficient data centers. SFI and its principals, including majority owner David DiQuinzio, have become part of RTKL’s Baltimore-based Applied Technology Group, the companies said today.

Data center commissioning is the process of testing equipment and systems to ensure that they operate as designed and work together effectively. "When it comes to commissioning, SFI is a recognized leader in the data center market," said Stephen Spinazzola, vice president of RTKL. "This acquisition not only expands our capabilities, but it also adds a top-tier team of talent—that we’ve already worked with—to our roster. It’s an excellent fit and we’re looking forward to launching our expanded commissioning practice."

RTKL is an engineering and architecture firm that has worked on a number of data center projects where clients earned certification under the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) program administered by the U.S. Green Buildings Council, including the Highmark Data Center in Pennsylvania.

Strategic Facilities Inc. was an early player in the market for mission-critical facilities. The firm was founded in 1996 to specialize in data center site assessment, project planning, reliability analysis, failure investigation, commissioning and operations support. DiQuinzio joined the firm in 1997 and became majority owner of the firm in 2008.

“When SFI was started, it was one of a handful of firms that specialized in mission-critical, and it was among the first to offer comprehensive third-party commissioning programs," said DiQuinzio, who joins RTKL as principal and director of commissioning services. "But now, very large projects that were once the exception are now the rule, and we must prove they meet ‘green’ requirements without sacrificing reliability.

"As the industry has grown, so has the competition," DiQuinzio added. "This acquisition will allow us to apply the methods and processes we’ve perfected over the past decade on a much larger scale, and expand into new markets, as part of RTKL’s world-class organization.”

Some of SFI’s recent projects include the commissioning of mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) systems for the Equinix NY4 data center in Secaucus, N.J., and Chicago CBS affiliate WBBM’s new 220,000-square-foot television studio and headquarters. The firm has also managed data center commissioning projects for Hughes Network Systems in Las Vegas, First National Technology Center in Omaha, Neb. and Safeco Insurance in Redmond, Wash.