Otak Inc. has acquired Seattle-based Tarr Whitman Group LLC. TWG will operate as a business unit of Otak and remain focused on providing project control and related services to the full spectrum of Otak and TWG clients.

“We are seeing our clients delivering projects that are becoming larger and more complex. Project controls brings a focus on cost and schedule that is essential in completing projects on schedule and within budgets,” Jim Hamann, Otak chief executive officer, said in a news release. “TWG’s specialized data-focused services allow clients to see beyond the basic costs and schedules to gain a real view of the decisions that need to be made now to achieve their goals for completion. As projects become more complex change management is key, and TWG’s services strengthen our clients’ ability to manage the cost and schedule impacts of changes during project implementation. TWG’s services essentially pay for themselves through more efficient project delivery.”

A specialized project controls and construction support consulting firm, TWG has a long history in the A/E/C industry, with program work at the Washington State Department of Transportation, Sound Transit, and the Port of Seattle, among others. TWG’s experience in mega-projects will increase Otak’s capabilities to compete for larger program and project initiatives.

Walter Tarr, TWG’s founder, said in the news release that joining Otak positions the company well to help clients manage the increase in federal and local infrastructure spending.

“With Otak’s support our senior staff can focus their efforts on pursuing more clients, hiring quality staff and providing a greater range of services,” he said. “We are excited about the merger and think it will strengthen our relationships with our existing clients. We can now offer a wider range of integrated services that will strengthen our ability to quickly respond to our clients’ needs.”

In business for more than 40 years, Otak is an interdisciplinary planning, design, engineering, and project management firm based in Portland. It has offices in Redmond, Everett and Vancouver, Washington, and Louisville and Denver, Colorado.

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