Eppstein Uhen Merging With Green Bay Area Firm

One of Milwaukee’s largest architecture firms is expanding.

Eppstein Uhen Architects will merge with Performa, an architecture and engineering firm based in De Pere, Wis. and Atlanta.

The combined firm will have more than 250 employees with offices in Milwaukee, De Pere, Madison, Denver and Atlanta. Performa reports currently having a 50-person team.

“First and foremost, Performa and EUA are a great cultural match. Over the last year of working closely together on several projects, we’ve seen that each firm has tremendously talented people, and a deep respect has grown from that,” said EUA CEO Rich Tennessen in a statement. “With this merger, EUA will be able to serve an even broader national footprint, offer more diverse and enhanced capabilities to our clients and retain and attract talent in our markets.”

Performa’s Doug Page will join Eppstein’s board as vice president and will lead the Atlanta and De Pere offices. Brian Netzel and Matt Marek, both currently of Performa, will also join Page and EUA’s existing shareholders as owners of the combined firm.

The firms will combine, using the EUA brand, on Jan. 31.

“We’ve always maintained the highest regard for EUA and after working with their leadership and teaming together for over a year, we’ve learned that our values, vision, and cultures are closely aligned. We’re excited to elevate our combined firm value for clients and expand the opportunities for our team members to grow and develop,” said Page.

Eppstein and Performa have partnered on multiple projects in the past year. EUA touts strengths in architecture, planning and interior design for education, workplace, healthcare, senior living, industrial, mixed-use, community, aerospace and science and technology clients. Performa lists strengths in architecture and engineering for corporate office, industrial, manufacturing, higher education and faith-based clients.

The combined firm intends to spread the engineering expertise through each of its offices. EUA is headquartered in a redeveloped Historic Third Ward warehouse at 333 E. Chicago St. owned by Monarch Partners, which lists named partner Greg Uhen as its registered agent. Eppstein Uhen is also named for retired partner Sam Eppstein.

EUA traces its roots back to 1907 when it was founded by William Herbst. The firm has designed a long list of Milwaukee projects, including Komatsu Mining‘s South Harbor Campus, the under-construction Rite-Hite Headquarters and serving as the architect of record for both Fiserv Forum and American Family Field.

Performa was founded in 1995. Its past clients have included Schneider National, Titletown Tech in the Green Bay Packers‘ Titletown District, Oshkosh Corporation and St. Norbert College.

EUA is led by Tennessen, president Kristin Dufek and vice president John Chapman.