Tulsa, OK - (September 22, 2006)- Crafton, Tull & Associates, Inc. and SPARKS Companies, Inc. announced their intention to merge the two firms into one architectural and engineering firm. The firm; Crafton, Tull, Sparks & Associates, Inc.; will have 320 employees, 125 of which are in the state of Oklahoma. Other offices are located in Birmingham, AL; Little Rock, AR; Oklahoma City, OK; Rogers, AR; Russellville, AR; and Tulsa, OK.
The announcement was made Monday by Tom Hopper; president of Crafton, Tull & Associates, Inc.; and Gary Sparks, president of SPARKS Companies, Inc. In the new structure, Hopper will serve as president and Sparks will become a principal and serve on the board of directors. The merger is scheduled to be complete within 60 days subject to the completion of the formal merger agreement.
"This merger will make us the largest, full-service architecture and engineering firm based in the state of Arkansas and positions us for growth across the country," said Hopper. "We have similar cultures and philosophies, both of us are client focused which makes it a natural fit."
The company will offer architecture; structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing and civil engineering; interior design; landscape architecture; and surveying services to serve clients nationwide.
"The last twenty years have been phenomenal for SPARKS," said Sparks. "This merger allows us to serve our clients more completely with added expertise and experience."
SPARKS Education, SPARKS Health, SPARKS Spiritual, and SPARKS Sports will continue to operate under those brands as divisions of Crafton, Tull, Sparks & Associates, Inc.
SPARKS was founded by Gary Sparks in Tulsa, OK, in 1986. With offices in Tulsa and Oklahoma City, the firm offers architecture, interior design and mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering services. SPARKS specializes in creating environments that serve the mind, body and spirit. They have worked with education, healthcare, spiritual and sports clients. The firm's signature projects include Oklahoma State University's Gallagher-Iba Arena, ranked the No. 1 college venue in the nation; Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, OK; Asbury United Methodist Church in Tulsa, OK; Living Word Family Worship Center in Naples, FL; Women's Health Center at Hillcrest Medical Center in Tulsa, OK; Valley View Hospital in Ada, OK; Tulsa Technology Center in Tulsa,OK; West Field Elementary School in Edmond, OK; and the Union Multipurpose Activity Center in Tulsa, OK. The firm's Oklahoma roots go back to the 1960's when the founder began practicing architecture.
Crafton, Tull & Associates, Inc. has provided architectural, engineering and surveying services throughout Arkansas, Oklahoma and across the nation since 1963. The firm has a diverse market base that includes design services for interstate highway systems; state highways; city streets and bridges; single family and multi-family residential developments; commercial site and "big box" store development; single and multistory offices; elementary, secondary and high schools; regional hospitals; industrial buildings; medical offices; water distribution projects; sanitary sewer collection projects; and sports and recreation facilities. They were recently named to the ZweigWhite's 2006 Hot Firm list of fastest growing architectural, engineering and environmental firms.
The anticipated merger continues Crafton, Tull, Sparks & Associates, Inc.'s vision of providing clients with superior service in the architecture and engineering market.
For more information contact:
Ginger D. Homan
Director of Marketing and Public Relations
918-588-4025