ERI Merges With International Leader in Physical & Social Infrastructure

IRVINE, Calif., June 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Environmental Resolutions, Inc. (ERI) has joined forces with international firm and Australian based Cardno Limited in a merger that takes effect today.

The merger with Cardno, a professional services firm founded in 1945 in Brisbane, Australia, means that ERI, a 155-person environment and site remediation consulting firm becomes a key part of an international industry leader with a combined resource base of 3,650 staff working on projects in more than 70 countries.

Steve Zigan, President of ERI, said the merger marks an important step in the next chapter of growth for ERI.

"Our motivation to seek a partnership with an international firm like Cardno was three-fold.  First to provide our clients with a wider range of services and locations; second to provide our talented staff with additional opportunities for career development; and third to accelerate the growth of ERI across the US and overseas," Mr. Zigan said.

"ERI is a growth-oriented, profitable business and by combining with Cardno we will be able to expand organically and look to complement our existing discipline offering with targeted acquisitions," said Mr. Zigan.

ERI brings to Cardno a core competency in environmental soil and groundwater remediation primarily focused on the petrochemical market in the US. The overwhelming majority of their work is undertaken for leading oil and gas companies on sites contaminated with hydrocarbon residues, such as service stations, refineries and bulk oil storage facilities.  

Mr. Zigan said that ERI employs industry leading technology to deliver better outcomes on remediation sites and expects its merger with Cardno will help it to continue to expand across the US and is currently pursuing opportunities to expand into Canada, Europe and Australia.

Cardno brings to ERI a broader range of civil and structural engineering, international development assistance, transportation, marine, project management and planning services across many countries including Australia, New Zealand, United States, United Kingdom, Indonesia, Kenya, Sri Lanka, China and United Arab Emirates.

Additionally, Cardno's leadership in social infrastructure work was a compelling reason for ERI to consider this relationship. Cardno provides opportunities for ERI to become part of a committed, global focus to help developing nations and countries adversely affected by natural disasters and conflict to build and implement social and physical infrastructure programs.

"The potential synergistic benefits from our combined firms are enormous for our staff, our clients and our financial performance," commented Zigan.

Managing Director and CEO of Cardno, Mr. Andrew Buckley, said that the Cardno and ERI union followed the successful business model Cardno has implemented in other countries.

"ERI will now be a platform for the expansion of both Cardno and ERI throughout America and in other international markets," said Mr. Buckley.

With the addition of ERI and ENTRIX (who also announced a merger with Cardno today) staff reporting to Cardno's American operations now comprise 1,420 staff across 75 offices and a further four branch offices in the Canada, Ecuador, Peru, United Kingdom and Belgium.  Cardno's other U.S. businesses include Cardno WRG, Cardno TBE, Cardno Emerging Markets and XP Software.

President of Cardno USA, Michael Renshaw, said ERI offers tremendous potential to cross-sell capabilities with Cardno's existing US based businesses and also with its operations in other countries and continues Cardno's strategy of diversifying its skills base and markets.

"This merger will provide Cardno with significant access to the US environmental and site remediation market, particularly in the resources and oil and gas sectors.

"ERI's business culture and growth potential make it an ideal platform for further expansion of our combined businesses across North America in providing a wide range of environmental remediation consulting services."

"With the addition of ERI around 60 percent of Cardno's 3,650 staff are currently deployed or reside outside Australia," Mr. Renshaw said.

Following Cardno's normal strategy, ERI's key management will become Cardno shareholders and remain active in the company.  

About ERI: ERI is an environmental remediation firm primarily servicing the petro-chemical industry in the United States.  The company was founded in Southern California in 1989 by the firm's President, Steve Zigan.  Mr. Zigan was soon joined by his partner Mr. Joe O'Connell who is a Principal of ERI.  Together they have grown the company which now employs 155 staff across 9 offices across the United States.  The company's corporate office is located in Lake Forest, California.  www.eri-us.com  

About Cardno: Cardno is an integrated professional services provider, locally delivering the specialist advice necessary to create or improve the physical and social infrastructure that underpins communities around the world. Cardno's team comprises leading advisers who plan, design, manage and deliver sustainable projects or community programs. Cardno is an international company, listed on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX: CDD). www.cardno.com

SOURCE Environmental Resolutions, Inc.