Birdsall Services Group buys up most CMX Inc. contracts; Phillipsburg opts to follow engineer Stanley Schrek to Van Cleef Engineering Associates

Wednesday, March 24, 2010
By SARAH M. WOJCIK
The Express-Times

PHILLIPSBURG | Construction on the new Phillipsburg High School will continue without delay despite the project's engineering firm, CMX Inc., closing its town office and ceasing all operations by May 11.

Many of the firm's contracts, including the high school project, have been purchased by an eastern New Jersey engineering firm, Birdsall Services Group. The group announced the purchases Friday along with plans to hire many of the former employees of CMX, formerly known as Schoor DePalma.

Among former CMX employees who will not be going to Birdsall is Stanley Schrek, the town engineer. Schrek's new home is with Van Cleef Engineering Associates, and he will remain Phillipsburg's town engineer, town council decided Monday night.

As for the high school project, it is one of more than 700 contracts through CMX for about 350 different clients that Birdsall has acquired, Birdsall spokesman Bob Gerard said Tuesday.

New Jersey Schools Development Authority spokesman Larry Hanover confirmed that Birdsall now has the $174 million construction of the high school on its books. The school, being built on a site off Belvidere Road in Lopatcong Township, is due to be completed in 2013.

"There has been no impact to the project," Hanover said of the transition.

Birdsall's staff has grown to 400 workers and annual revenue has increased to about $75 million since the acquisition. The deal's financial terms were not disclosed.

"We're trying to hire as many people, quite frankly, as we can to keep them employed," Gerard said.

Gerard said in many cases Birdsall will become the engineering firm for those municipalities whose engineers have joined the company's ranks.

Phillipsburg and Alpha both decided to stay with Schrek and his new firm, based locally in the town, instead of going with Birdsall.

Town council voted 3-1 on Monday to accept Van Cleef as the town's new engineering firm. Alpha Borough Council followed suit Tuesday night by unanimous decision to retain Schrek, despite his change in employer.

In Phillipsburg, town Councilman Todd Tersigni cast the dissenting vote because the town did not go out to bid on the contract.

"By giving the contract (without going out to bid), we will never know if we could have received the service for less," Tersigni said after his vote.

Mayor Harry Wyant Jr. said a provision in the engineering contract allowed the town to terminate that contract and follow Schrek to his new employer.

"We're comfortable with Stan. He's familiar with the projects and the funding," Wyant said. "To keep the continuity, it's just best to keep the engineer."

The one-year contract with Van Cleef for $49,200 is the same as was arranged with CMX, Schrek and Wyant said.

"This enables us to seamlessly continue with projects and we don't have to skip a beat," Schrek said.

Town Councilman Bernie Fey Jr. said staying with Schrek will hopefully prevent any interference with ongoing work.

"To stop that forward progress would delay a number of projects," Fey said.