Key Takeaways
- • CPL, a portfolio company of GHK Capital Partners LP, announced the acquisition of Bailey Edward, a Chicago-headquartered architecture, engineering, interior design, and planning firm.
- • Bailey Edward has more than 45 professionals across three Illinois offices and serves public and private clients in 24 states, with more than three decades of experience.
- • Pro forma for the deal, CPL has more than 500 professionals in 28 cities across nine states.
- • The transaction is the first acquisition since GHK partnered with CPL in early 2026, and the firms plan to integrate services and launch a coordinated go-to-market approach in 2027.
Summary
CPL, a Rochester, New York-based provider of architecture, engineering, and consulting services for the built environment, has announced the acquisition of Bailey Edward, according to a Business Wire release. CPL is a portfolio company of GHK Capital Partners LP, a Greenwich, Connecticut-based middle-market private equity firm. The release describes Bailey Edward as a well-established multidisciplinary firm headquartered in Chicago, founded in 1991, with more than three decades of design experience.
The transaction strengthens CPL's presence in Chicago and across the Midwest, expanding its capabilities in education, government, healthcare, research, community, and cultural practices. Bailey Edward serves public and private clients across 24 states and has an established reputation throughout Illinois. The firm employs more than 45 professionals across three offices in the state.
Chris Colby, President and Chief Operating Officer of CPL, described the deal as a strategic investment in the company's continued growth in Chicago and the Midwest. Ellen Bailey Dickson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Bailey Edward, said joining CPL creates new avenues for growth for the firm's staff. Robin Edward Whitehurst, Managing Principal of Bailey Edward, said the combined teams would bring more expertise and approaches to each project.
The companies plan to integrate their services and develop a coordinated go-to-market approach in 2027. The release characterizes the acquisition as the first since GHK partnered with CPL in early 2026. Pro forma for the transaction, CPL reports more than 500 professionals in 28 cities across nine states. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed in the release.
The transaction strengthens CPL's presence in Chicago and across the Midwest, expanding its capabilities in education, government, healthcare, research, community, and cultural practices. Bailey Edward serves public and private clients across 24 states and has an established reputation throughout Illinois. The firm employs more than 45 professionals across three offices in the state.
Chris Colby, President and Chief Operating Officer of CPL, described the deal as a strategic investment in the company's continued growth in Chicago and the Midwest. Ellen Bailey Dickson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Bailey Edward, said joining CPL creates new avenues for growth for the firm's staff. Robin Edward Whitehurst, Managing Principal of Bailey Edward, said the combined teams would bring more expertise and approaches to each project.
The companies plan to integrate their services and develop a coordinated go-to-market approach in 2027. The release characterizes the acquisition as the first since GHK partnered with CPL in early 2026. Pro forma for the transaction, CPL reports more than 500 professionals in 28 cities across nine states. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed in the release.
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