One of the province’s oldest land surveying companies announced Tuesday it was merging with a fellow Brockville-based engineering firm in hopes of streamlining its business processes.
Collett Surveying – which opened its doors in 1881 – was acquired by IN Engineering, a local firm founded in 2018 by owner Andrew Melchers. The acquisition will combine the two companies’ services, which should result in more efficient operations and an easier workflow, says Melchers.
“If you’re going to do a construction project, you have to go find your surveyor, you have to go find your engineer, you have to find all the other consultants, which can be time-consuming,” he says. “We’re going to start building our team to have that all in one office.”
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The idea to merge the two companies came just over a year ago when Melchers sought out office space from Brent Collett, whom he had worked with on several occasions. The two decided combining their resources not only made sense from an office perspective, but from a business standpoint as well.
Under the new name IN Engineering and Surveying, the company will offer building design, surveying and engineering services to commercial, residential and community projects across Eastern Ontario. The team is also equipped with the latest 3D modelling software to assist clients in fully imagining the scale of a project through a digital rendering.
Being in the business for over 30 years, Collett says he has witnessed the digital transformation of the sector, which is why partnering with Melchers, who is well-versed in technical innovations, was such a great fit for his team.
“We’ll be able to modernize not only the engineering side, but the surveying side as well,” says Collett. “We have the software that will put it all together.”
With the deal now solidified, Melchers says he is looking forward to expanding the team and possibly opening offices in other areas. While the headquarters will remain in Brockville – an area that holds significance for both owners – the possibilities created by the merger will only help bolster the business.
“I really loved living in Ottawa. Like Brockville, it’s also a big city with a community feel, so it’s definitely somewhere I’d want to expand to,” adds Melchers. “If we can grow our in-house services as planned, then we can really speed up and simplify the construction process all across Eastern Ontario.”
