News & Events

PRESS RELEASE

Thursday April 7th, 2016

Summit Liability Solutions Announces Closing of Meridian Environmental Consulting Ltd. Acquisition

Calgary, Alberta – Summit Liability Solutions Inc. ("Summit" or the "Corporation") is pleased to announce that it has completed its acquisition of Meridian Environmental Consulting Ltd. ("Meridian"). Meridian, which has approximately 20 employees, is a highly respected and leading privately-owned engineering consulting company in Canada. 

"I have incredible respect for Mr. Bruce MacEachern and Mr. Lee Deibert and their company. As such I am very excited about the degree of professionalism and for the growth opportunities our firms will generate by joining forces," said Russel Orcutt, President of Summit. "This strategic union will enable us to pursue contracts with a wider environmental scope and geographically strengthen our presence across Western Canada. The resulting diversification will better position the Corporation to deliver superior value to our customers and move our business plan forward. We are now even better equipped to deliver on our mission to service our customers beyond their expectations, create a positive impact on the environment and maximize value to our employees and stakeholders.” 

Bruce MacEachern, President of Meridian Environmental Consulting Ltd., commented that: “This is a great move that brings together two like-minded companies with complimentary cultures and skill sets. Partnering with an organization like Summit will not only expand our geographical footprint and introduce Meridian to Summit’s loyal customers, it will expand the services and expertise we can offer our customers as well. Equally important, both companies share the same fundamental values of providing exceptional technical services in a dynamic and employee oriented working environment. By leveraging our respective experience and resources, we will be better positioned to provide superior value and growth potential to both our clients and staff. I cannot think of two companies that represent a better fit." 

ABOUT THE ACQUISITION

This is a strategic acquisition, a milestone for both organizations and the impact will be positive and immediate. “Simply put, today we become a better company,” stated Mr. Orcutt. “This is a perfect example of the sum being greater than the parts and we have added valuable resources that will create opportunity for our organization.” Enhancing our technical services group and increasing our remediation expertise has been a central focus of our business plan and bringing Meridian into the Summit Group achieves this initiative. “We have a well-respected and technically strong operations team that has helped make Summit an industry leader,” commented Mr. Orcutt. “By taking this step we will better support this group and further diversify our technical teams. It will allow us to increase the capacity and scope of the projects we can manage and deliver better overall service to our customers.” At the same time, Summit adds extensive reclamation depth and experience to Meridian and introduces drilling waste management expertise and services to their customers. In 2013, Summit started to develop a relationship with Fundy Engineering to support drafting, geotechnical and hydrogeological services and introduce our services to the eastern market. Fundy is a mid-sized full-service 

engineering-consulting company primarily serving Atlantic Canada and New England through offices in Saint John, New Brunswick, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, and Halifax, Nova Scotia. Meridian’s engineers will further support and optimize this relationship and allows Summit to provide services across Canada. The integration of Meridian will increase our employee count and broaden our geographical presence by adding an office in Edmonton, Alberta and Langham, Saskatchewan. It will also allow the companies to consolidate and optimize corporate services which will also have a net benefit. “This is a positive move for our organization,” exclaims Russel, “and we are excited to see what our two organizations can do by working as one.” 

ABOUT MERIDIAN

Initially founded in 2000, Meridian is a privately owned multi-disciplinary environmental consulting company with 3 offices in Alberta and Saskatchewan and projects throughout Western Canada. The focus of our operations is the assessment and management of environmental risks and liabilities in the energy and industrial sectors. Meridians core services include environmental site assessment and remediation; environmental monitoring and risk management; project planning, permitting, regulatory support and environmental liability assessment. Meridian’s principals each have over 25 years of environmental consulting experience in Western Canada and internationally. The Meridian team includes registered professionals in the areas of engineering, geology, and agrology supported by environmental scientists and technologists that bring together a diverse range of knowledge, expertise and professionalism. Meridian holds a Permit to Practice through the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA) and a Certificate of Authorization through the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Saskatchewan (APEGS). More information on Meridian can be found at www.mecl.ca 

ABOUT SUMMIT

Founded in 2005, Summit is a privately owned professional environmental consulting and service company with 7 offices across British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba here in Canada and 1 in Queensland Australia. In addition to these operating areas, the Corporation has completed projects in the United States and focuses on providing a diverse set of environmental assessment services to the energy, transportation & utility, and industrial sectors. The company prides itself on being innovative and holds a number of patents for its Summit Earth Navigator equipment that is used in support of its drilling waste management division. Summit is also affiliated with Earth Fluids Inc. which is a highly specialized drilling fluids provider for oil and gas wells and trenchless pipeline crossings. The Summit team is comprised of registered professionals in the area of agrology, ecology, chemistry, biology and other environmental technologists creating a professional diversity which has supported our growth throughout the years. Summit is a member of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA). More information on Summit can be found at www.summitls.ca 

For more information contact: 

Jeff Carratt 

Vice President, Business Development

Summit Liability Solutions Inc. 

Phone: 403.827.7028 

Email: jcarratt@summitls.ca