DC Capital Announces Launch of Akela Engineering and Consulting

Firm combines expertise of two leading Southern California MEP engineering firms

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Dec. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- DC Capital Partners Management, LP ("DC Capital" or "DCCP"), a sector focused private equity firm that invests in middle-market companies in the Government and Engineering sectors, today announced the launch of Akela Engineering and Consulting ("Akela"). Akela is a full-service Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing (MEP) firm providing engineering and consulting services to the construction industry in California. Industry veteran Dennis Berlien, P.E., has joined Akela as Chief Executive Officer.

Akela partners with public and private entities to provide a diverse range of services, including mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, commissioning, sustainable solutions, architectural lighting and technology. The firm serves clients in the military, life science, government, education, corporate, multi-family, sustainability, hospitality and healthcare spaces.

DC Capital serves as the parent company to Akela. Michael Wall Engineering, Inc. and DEC Engineers, Inc., two leading Southern California MEP engineering firms, united to form Akela, which is a sister company of Michael Baker International, a global leader in engineering, planning and consulting services.

"Akela is the fusion of two successful engineering firms combining 47 years of shared experience," said Thomas J. Campbell, Founder and Managing Partner of DC Capital. "We are extremely pleased to share the official launch of Akela and welcome these industry experts to our portfolio of companies providing differentiated and innovative services and solutions in the Government and Engineering markets."

Mr. Berlien brings more the 25 years of experience to his role as CEO at Akela. He most recently served as President for Glumac, a Tetra Tech Company, and prior to assuming that role, he held a variety of executive roles since joining in 2011. Throughout his career, Mr. Berlien also held leadership positions at Vanderweil Engineers, Wright Engineers, AMEC, Adobe Consulting Engineers and Bechtel.

Mr. Berlien holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from North Carolina State University. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Orangewood Foundation, one of the leading providers of services to foster and community youth in Orange County. He was a Director for the United States Green Building Council (USGBC), an organization committed to a sustainable, prosperous future through its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) criteria as well as a DBIA certified professional. Mr. Berlien is also co-author of the book, "Connections: Everyone Happens for a Reason."

"Akela is dedicated to delivering innovative design and sophisticated solutions to complex challenges and our culture emphasizes a collaborative wolf pack approach," said Dennis Berlien, P.E., Chief Executive Officer at Akela. "We believe we are Stronger Together, and I look forward to partnering with our colleagues and clients to deliver results for the communities we serve."

Akela is headquartered in San Diego, California, with additional engineering offices in San Diego and Newport Beach, California.

Akela Engineering and Consulting (Akela) is a full-service Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing (MEP) firm providing engineering and consulting services to the construction industry in California. In 2022, Michael Wall Engineering (electrical engineering since 1996) and DEC Engineers (mechanical engineering since 2000) amalgamated to create Akela.

Akela offers full-service design through registered Professional Engineers, in-house Lighting Design staff, in-house Registered Communication Distribution Designers (RCCD), and in-house Certified Technology Specialist (CTS-D & CTS) Audiovisual Designers. The firm's services include project pre-design consulting and planning, construction documents, construction management, cost estimating, lighting design, evaluation, support services and value engineering.

Akela, Stronger Together.

To learn more about Akela, please visit: https://www.akelaeng.com/

DC Capital is a private equity investment firm headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, focused on making control equity investments in middle market companies that provide differentiated and innovative services and solutions to the Government and Engineering markets. Currently raising its third fund, this represents the third investment for Fund III. Fund III's earlier investments include Sionyx, LLC (www.Sionyx.com) and uAvionix Corporation (www.uAvionix.com). DCCP has developed a systematic "Strategic Approach" for creating value in portfolio companies built on their underlying three pillars of Domain Expertise, Market Focus, and Strategic Process.

To learn more about DC Capital Partners, please visit: www.dccp.com.

Contact:
Thomas J. Campbell
202-737-5220

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SOURCE DC Capital Partners Management, LP