SPARKS, Md. — KCI has acquired Keith & Schnars (K&S), a consulting firm specializing in engineering, construction inspection, surveying, landscape architecture, planning, and environmental science. Based out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, K&S has played a key role in Florida’s growing transportation infrastructure, commercial, residential, recreational, and educational markets.

K&S was founded in 1972 by Bill Keith and Tom Schnars. Upon the latter’s death in 1983, Tanzer Kalayci and Arnold Ramos joined the 10-person firm and began explosive growth to become Florida’s third largest multi-disciplined engineering firm. As the firm expanded into different engineering and related service lines, its geographic reach spread across the state and now includes offices in Jacksonville, Orlando, Lehigh Acres, and Miami. K&S has a diverse client base that includes the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) as well as a host of county, municipal, and private organizations.

“K&S’s long history, recognized technical expertise, and reputation among industry peers are a perfect complement to our existing capabilities and planned geographic growth in Florida,” said Nathan J. Beil, P.E., D.WRE, CEO/president, KCI. “Welcoming their team to KCI serves as both an in-state expansion of our existing construction engineering, communications and surveying service lines as well as a new presence in landscape architecture, planning and transportation design.”

Over the years, K&S has worked on some of Florida’s most noteworthy projects, including development of the Sawgrass Mills Mall, one of the largest outlet and value retail shopping centers in the U.S. and the Sawgrass Expressway, a 21-mile-long electronic toll-way in Broward County. The K&S team also conducted more than 10,000 public meetings in support of the I-4 Ultimate Improvement Project in Orlando. More recently, the firm assisted in the development of the state’s current landscape specifications and now provides landscape design and/or inspection services for FDOT Districts 1, 4, 6, and 7 and the Florida Turnpike Enterprise. K&S construction inspectors are on-site overseeing work on the four-mile $60 million Baldwin Bypass in Jacksonville and the $55 million widening of SR 82 including the state’s first continuous flow intersection at Daniels Parkway and Gunnery Road. This firm is also completing final design plans for FDOT’s first Statewide Acceleration and Transformation (SWAT) project—SR 714 Martin Highway in Martin County.

“KCI is a great strategic fit for us based on their corporate culture and similar service lines,” said Errol Kalayci, CEO, K&S. “Our combined experience and resources will lay the groundwork for a brighter and stronger future for the firm as well as opportunities for professional development and career growth for our team.”

Kalayci has spent much of his professional life with K&S, starting at the age of 14 as a draftsman. During his tenure, he served as a construction manager and inspector, geotechnical field technician and laboratory manager, corporate counsel, and COO. He became CEO following the retirement of his father, Tanzer, in 2016. With KCI, Kalayci will take on the role of corporate counsel for the firm of 1,550.

For more information, visit www.kci.com.