The Daily Dig
Minneapolis-based WSB LLC has acquired Alta Science & Engineering, a Pacific Northwest firm with more than 35 years of experience in environmental services, remediation, water resources, ecosystem restoration, and civil engineering. Alta operates from four offices in Idaho and Washington and brings more than 60 employees into the WSB fold.
The deal marks WSB's seventh acquisition in three years and expands WSB into the Pacific Northwest. WSB president and CEO Bret Weiss pointed to Alta's scientific depth and people-first culture as the draw, alongside shared values around collaboration and integrity. The two firms plan to integrate services and build a coordinated go-to-market approach in 2026.
Alta CEO Derek Forseth said the partnership gives clients access to broader resources and integrated expertise, while opening new career development paths for Alta staff. For WSB, the deal strengthens its environmental and natural systems platform, adding depth across remediation, brownfields, site characterization, compliance, ecosystem restoration, data management, and project management.
WSB now operates from more than 50 offices with approximately 1,700 employees, serving government, commercial, and infrastructure clients nationwide. The firm is a portfolio company of GHK Capital Partners LP. Morrissey Goodale advised Alta on the transaction.
Snapshot:
Acquirer: WSB LLC
Acquired Firm: Alta Science & Engineering, Inc.
Acquirer HQ: Minneapolis, MN
Alta Region: Pacific Northwest (Idaho and Washington)
Alta Offices: 4
Alta Employees: 60+
Alta Experience: 35+ years
WSB Total Employees Post-Acquisition: ~1,700
WSB Total Offices Post-Acquisition: 50+
WSB Acquisition Count (Last 3 Years): 7
Services Added: Environmental services, remediation and brownfields, site characterization and compliance, ecosystem restoration, water resources, civil engineering, data management and visualization, project management
Integration Timeline: 2026
WSB Equity Sponsor: GHK Capital Partners LP
Transaction Advisor to Alta: Morrissey Goodale
TheJobWalk Thoughts
WSB's seventh acquisition in three years, backed by private equity, is a clear signal that capital is moving into the environmental and infrastructure consulting space. For geotechnical firms, environmental labs, drilling contractors, and civil subs operating in Idaho and Washington, this is the kind of platform expansion that creates real work. The client base spans government and infrastructure, which means regulated procurement and longer lead times. Get in front of WSB now, before the pipeline fills.
The 2026 integration window is the practical opportunity. When a firm absorbs a new regional platform, service integration tends to surface vendor and partner decisions that would not otherwise be on the table. WSB has confirmed that integration work is planned for 2026. The firms that establish those relationships early are the ones that get considered. The ones that wait find the doors already closed.
