Merger Rooted in Success & Succession Creates Second-Largest Certified Women-Owned MEP Engineering & Design Firm in the Pacific Northwest
April 12, 2022 – Bend, Oregon - Oregon-based ColeBreit Engineering has announced its acquisition of and merger with California-based Axiom Engineers. The new combined firm will be the second-largest, certified women-owned Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing (MEP) engineering and design firm in the Pacific Northwest with 50 employees, five West Coast offices, and a commitment to quality, integrity, and expertise. The terms of the acquisition were formally completed on December 31, 2021.
The alliance of these two highly compatible, family-tied firms is rooted in success and succession. Laura Breit, president and CEO of ColeBreit Engineering, is succeeding her father, Ray Cole, former president and CEO of
Axiom Engineers for more than 40 years. Breit, who began her own mechanical practice almost ten years ago, will lead the firm into its next chapter. Cole will step into the role of principal emeritus with a focus on mentoring the next generation of firm leadership.
“It is an honor and joy to pass the leadership baton to my talented, highly qualified daughter, Laura,” said Cole. “I’ve been inspired watching her personal growth as a Professional Engineer and leader of ColeBreit over the past nine years. It became obvious to me that she was the ideal person to guide Axiom Engineers into its future. I look forward to the big things the great people of these two teams will accomplish with Laura at the helm.”
“Completing this merger is the culmination of years of careful brainstorming and planning,” said Breit. “Ray and I are both thrilled about the opportunities this merger will create for our clients, employees, and communities we serve. As we look toward the future, I intend to keep both my father’s and Axiom’s record of success going strong.”
As a result of the merger, ColeBreit Engineering now boasts:
Fifty mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, lighting, energy and commissioning professionals
Five west coast offices in Bend and Corvallis in Oregon, and in Monterey, Napa and Santa Cruz in California
Deep knowledge and experience in market sectors ranging from civic, educational, commercial, healthcare, residential, hospitality, industrial, and biotechnology to agricultural
Breit founded ColeBreit Engineering in 2013. Her vision of providing high-quality, hands-on, and client-focused design and engineering services, combined with the company’s commitment to a positive culture for its team members, quickly grew the company from a two-person firm to a team of 17, and now to a 50-person combined firm that it is today. Axiom Engineers was founded in 1970, with the philosophy that the best solution can come from the most fundamental principles. The company has since grown and expanded its services and its offices across California. The combined firm will continue to operate on the
principles of quality, integrity, and expertise, with an unwavering commitment to client and employee success.