KMB bolsters solar and storage engineering with Hurricane Hill acquisition
Renewable energy engineering firm KMB Design Group has acquired “substantially all the assets” of Amherst, New Hampshire-based electrical engineering company Hurricane Hill Development Co. PLLC (H2DC).
Financial terms of the deal, which closed July 31, have not been disclosed.
The deal gives the combined firm more than 10 GW of solar engineering experience across the U.S., officials say. The company’s newly bolstered team of 75 employees now serves some of the fastest growing segments of the energy sector, including utility-scale solar and battery systems.
Stephen A. Bray, founder and CEO of KMB Design Group, says Hurricane Hill is “one of the most respected electrical design firms in the renewable energy market.” Hurricane Hill’s founder and owner, Mike McGuire, will be staying on with the team as a newly appointed senior vice president.
“Solar and storage engineering is not a new market for us,” Bray says. “It is one of our strongest practices, and demand from data center buildout, grid modernization, and storage deployment is outrunning what the engineering community can supply. This acquisition puts serious additional horsepower behind a capability we already deliver at scale.”
A new opportunity
The move comes as a response to growing energy demand across the world, especially in North America. As the U.S. moves toward utility electrification and AI data centers continue to crop up around the country, there is a “limited pool of qualified engineers,” according to KMB officials. This deal helps the company to capitalize on some of that demand.
“Our clients increasingly ask us for work that spans multiple disciplines, and now we can say yes across the board,” Bray adds. “The clients this team serves gain access to KMB’s mechanical, plumbing, structural, EV charging, and fiber/OSP capabilities. KMB clients gain even greater bench strength in solar, BESS, and data center power.
“Electrification is one connected story — generation, storage, charging, and the networks that tie them together — and we now cover all of it under one roof.”
The acquisition reflects KMB’s wider strategy, officials say, as the company hopes to build a national engineering platform in multiple energy-focused disciplines.
The deal also provides a new opportunity for Mike McGuire. For his part, the move brings him into the fold of a national platform covering solar, storage, EV charging, data center electrical power, and more.
“After twenty-three years, I wanted a partner who would strengthen what we built rather than absorb it,” McGuire says. “KMB brings the infrastructure, systems, and multi-discipline bench that let our engineers focus on engineering. The team is here in Amherst, and we simply have more behind us.”
