Bates enters merger agreement with Clayco subsidiary

Steve Warlick will be president and co-owner of BatesForum.

Bates & Associates Inc. signed a merger deal with a subsidiary of Chicago-based construction, architecture, engineering and real estate firm Clayco Inc.

The Springfield architecture firm is joining forces with Forum Studio to form BatesForum. The combined, St. Louis-based firm will be evenly split in ownership between Bates’ current partners and Clayco, a 2,000-employee company that recorded $2 billion in 2017 revenue. Bates President and CEO Steve Warlick will be president of BatesForum, which will have offices in Springfield, St. Louis, Chicago, San Francisco and Bentonville, Arkansas, according to a news release.

“This is an incredible opportunity for the Bates and Forum teams to gain instant synergy in technology exchange, building talent and to partner with the Clayco companies’ fully integrated delivery process,” Clayco Chairman and CEO Bob Clark said in the release.

Through the deal for undisclosed terms, Warlick also will have a role in Clayco’s health care business. The specifics of the new management team and organizational details are scheduled to be revealed when the transaction closes within an expected eight weeks.

BatesForum would have more than 200 employees, according to the release.

At Forum Studio, longtime Chairman Chris Cedergreen plans to retire and help transition the company’s merger with Bates. Kapil Khanna, Forum’s chief operating officer, will retain that role in BatesForum.

Warlick took over ownership of Bates in 2011 after founder Alan Bates died at age 55 of a stroke.

Bates’ recent projects include Mercy Heart Hospital Springfield, Mercy Branson Multi-Specialty Clinic, the planned expansion of Hotel Vandivort and Big Whiskey’s Republic restaurant.

On Springfield Business Journal’s recently released list of the area’s largest architectural firms, Bates ranked third with 10 area registered architects. According to the release, the combined BatesForum would be the No. 1 company on the St. Louis Business Journal’s largest architecture firm list. Forum Studio ranked seventh, and Bates was 10th on the most recent list in St. Louis, according to the release.