Drees & Sommer SE, a consulting company specializing in construction, real estate and infrastructure, is continuing its global expansion. With the acquisition of the US-based company VVA, founded in 1994, the German company is strengthening its position in the North American market. As a specialist in project management and cost consulting, VVA, headquartered in New York, offers interdisciplinary consulting services to clients at 12 locations. "The integration of VVA is an important milestone in our growth strategy," says Steffen Szeidl, Chief Executive Officer of Drees & Sommer. "Together we can further expand our expertise in the USA and provide even more comprehensive support to our local clients."
The merger became legally effective on January 31, 2025, and supports Drees & Sommer's global strategy. The company currently employs more than 6,500 people in 63 offices worldwide and has increasingly focused on international markets in recent years. With more than 100 employees, VVA has a broad customer base across a wide range of sectors. The company will operate under the name VVA - Part of Drees & Sommer.
Steffen Szeidl, Chief Executive Officer: "We are thrilled about our merger with VVA, a widely recognized leader in the fields of project management and cost management in the U.S. This merger brings together two strong companies with shared values and philosophies. Together, we will strengthen our market position, unlock new growth opportunities, and deliver even better solutions to our customers on a global scale. This partnership marks a significant milestone on our journey into the future."
"We are confident that this merger will create exciting opportunities for our customers, VVA and us," says Philipp Späth, Partner of Drees & Sommer. "We will combine our strengths and expand our reach, both globally and locally. This will allow us to offer our customers a broader range of services, expanding into new markets."
Kenneth Wood, Partner of Drees & Sommer, adds: "Our experience with the merger with AA Projects in the UK in 2022 has shown us the immense potential that such partnerships can unlock. This new merger with our American partner is another step in our strategy to become an international company. We are confident that this collaboration will drive innovation, enhance our service portfolio for both sides and deliver value for our customers across all markets."
Synergies from local and global expertise
VVA supports its clients in the United States with a wide range of project management and cost consulting services. The service offer includes initial project and cost planning, due diligence, site selection, detailed cost estimates, procurement and bid management, design oversight, construction administration and cost control. VVA has supported international companies such as SONY and Allianz Global Invest to relocate their US headquarters to New York.
Lorenzo Vascotto, Founder and Managing Director of VVA, sees synergies for both companies in the merger: "The combination of our local expertise and Drees & Sommer's broad range of services strengthens our position in the market and opens up new opportunities." Vascotto is positive about the merger: “Due to the partnership structure of both companies, there are many similarities in corporate culture and philosophy. Our shared vision is to further develop the North American market with a focus on real estate and industry, and to support larger projects.”
Cross-selling and knowledge transfer between markets
According to Steffen Szeidl, the integration of VVA also opens up new cross-selling opportunities. "We can introduce American best practices into European projects and thus promote the transfer of knowledge between the two markets," says Szeidl. He sees this as an important stabilizing factor for European customers, especially in a dynamic market environment.
Drees & Sommer plans to further expand its presence in the USA in the coming years. In addition to supporting existing clients, new business areas are to be developed in the real estate, infrastructure and industrial sectors. Alongside project management and construction cost consultancy, the portfolio will include services in the areas of digitalization and sustainability.
About VVA:
VVA is a national independent Project & Cost Management firm comprised of seasoned professionals offering a full range of project & cost management, advisory and technical services within the real estate & construction industry. VVA was founded in New York City in 1994 and has steadily grown to include offices beyond New York in Boston, Westchester/Connecticut, New Jersey, Washington D.C., Florida, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Salt Lake City, Denver, Chicago, and the UK. As industry veterans, VVA’s philosophy is to partner with clients and become an integral part of their organization, providing the specialized expertise and resources needed to lead the project effort for the duration of the assignment. We pride ourselves on not only delivering our clients’ projects on schedule and within budget, but also providing the highest quality service and return on investment possible.
About Drees & Sommer:
Uniting opposites to create a world we want to live in.
Drees & Sommer is a partner-managed, global consulting company providing a single source of consultation and implementation services for the real estate, infrastructure and industrial markets. The company delivers sustainable, innovative, and economically viable solutions that meet each client’s unique needs. Founded in 1970 and long recognized as a pioneer in driving sustainability and digitization, today Drees & Sommer employs more than 6,000 people at 63 offices. The company’s interdisciplinary teams are involved in around 6,500 projects worldwide, working to create a livable future and unite concepts which can at face value appear to be opposites: tradition and future, economy and ecology, analog and digital, efficiency and well-being. As ‘intrapreneurs’, the Drees & Sommer Partners are personally responsible for managing the company.