Barge Design Solutions, which is based in Nashville, has an office in Kingsport and does significant business in the Tri-Cities region, announced this week it has acquired Nashville-based Gould Turner Group (GTG).
“We are thrilled to announce that Gould Turner Group has officially become part of Barge,” said Bob Higgins, CEO of Barge Design Solutions. “GTG has set the standard in the architecture and interior design world for nearly 40 years. This is a partnership that will double the size of our architectural team, adding top-tier professionals with expertise in health care and higher education design. We will also benefit from GTG’s strong interior design service offering.”
In the past two years, Barge has experienced nearly 38 percent growth, adding more than 180 new employees and opening two new offices. Barge’s staff count grows to 470 with the merger.
“By becoming part of the Barge family, we sustain our brand and become part of a very well-run organization with hundreds of building and design professionals with offices in six states, as well as a fantastic administrative support team, all of whom share our commitment to excellence and commitment to creating a great work environment,” said Linda Marzialo, CEO of Gould Turner Group.
As part of the merger, GTG will retain its name and become a division of Barge. The merger provides GTG with a partner with deep engineering expertise, as well as ancillary services like landscape architecture. It will also receive administrative support in HR, financial management, marketing and other back-office services.
“The culture of our two companies really fit together well,” Higgins said. “We like each other and share a common philosophy about business and commitment to creating positive work environments for our teams. Both of us are extremely excited about the new opportunities this will present to our firms and team members.”
