Educational Planning Firms Announce Merger

Irvine, Calif. - Cooperative Strategies, LLC, an educational consulting firm headquartered in Irvine, California, and DeJONG-RICHTER, LLC, an educational facility planning firm located in Hilliard, Ohio have merged into one firm to focus on the planning and financing of schools nationwide. The merger came after careful consideration of how to utilize the firms' individual expertise in a collaborative manner to provide public school districts and other local educational agencies with the best tools and resources available. As of January 1, 2017, the combined firms began to operate under the Cooperative Strategies name.

For more than two decades, Cooperative Strategies has focused on providing California school districts with comprehensive services for the planning and financing of facilities construction and improvements. Uniting with DeJONG-RICHTER brings the firm nationwide expertise with advanced approaches to facilities planning that combine key data analysis with community outreach. Their focus on educational assessments aids educational agencies in crafting facilities plans that reflect the unique needs of their students. Combined, the firms have helped plan and finance school facilities for over 2,000 local educational agencies, serving millions of students across the nation.

Tracy Richter, Chief Executive Officer of DeJONG-RICHTER, says uniting with Cooperative Strategies was the "right move" for his firm. "This is an exciting opportunity to combine two firms committed to providing the highest quality learning environments. Cooperative Strategies' expertise in financial analysis related to demographics and facilities conditions is an ideal complement to our educational approach to planning."

Featured

  • Average Annual Number of Tornadoes per State

    New Tornado Wind Load Design Criteria in IBC Offer Improvements to Life Safety

    For the first time in U.S. building code history, the 2024 International Building Code (IBC) includes tornado wind load design criteria, marking a significant advancement in life-safety provisions.

  • Image credit: O

    Strategic Campus Assessment: Moving Beyond Reactive Maintenance in Educational Facilities

    While campuses may appear stable on the surface, building systems naturally evolve over time, and proactive assessment can identify developing issues before they become expensive emergencies. The question isn't whether aging educational facilities need attention. It's how institutions can transition from costly reactive maintenance to strategic asset management in a way that protects both budgets and communities.

  • University of Southern Mississippi Starts Construction on Oyster Hatchery

    The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) recently announced that construction has begun on a new oyster hatchery at its Gulf Coast Research Laboratory (GCRL) Thad Cochran Marine Aquaculture Center (TCMAC) Cedar Point campus in Ocean Springs, Miss., according to a news release.

  • Pudu Robotics Launches AI-Powered, Large-Scale Floor Sweeper

    Pudu Robotics recently launched the newest member of its MT1 series of robotic floor sweepers, the PUDU MT1 Max, according to a news release. The AI-powered, 3D perception robotic sweeper was designed for use in large, complex cleaning environments both indoors and semi-outdoors, like parking garages and semi-open building atriums.

Digital Edition