Hughes Assoc. adds Kleinsorg Group as subsidiary

BALTIMORE - Fire protection design and consulting group Hughes Associates Inc. has joined forces with The Kleinsorg Group, a California-based fire protection, risk management and engineering firm specializing in the energy and power industries, under a merger deal that makes The Kleinsorg Group a wholly owned subsidiary of Hughes. Now operating under the name Kleinsorg Group Risk Services - A Hughes Associates Company, the division will continue to operate as usual, said Elizabeth Kleinsorg, managing director of the subsidiary and founder and owner of The Kleinsorg Group. Kleinsorg said of the merger decision, “I was looking for a growth opportunity,” as well as a way to add needed infrastructure to her business in a cost-effective way. Kleinsorg said she and Hughes’ chief executive officer, Phil DiNenno, have worked on projects in past, with The Kleinsorg Group serving as a subcontractor for Hughes and that company’s more than 80 engineers, scientists and computer programmers. Hughes’ expertise in the fire protection field includes many of the same services, such as fire hazard and risk assessment, systems design and testing, code consulting and engineering. The difference, Kleinsorg said, “is that I know nuclear.” The merger of the two businesses, which was announced in early May, “was a great opportunity for both of us,” Kleinsorg said. Each side brings an special expertise to the table, she added. “The Kleinsorg Group’s experience and knowledge base and presence in the industry, coupled with Hughes’ industry-leading capabilities…enables us to provide an unparalleled range and depth of service to the energy and nuclear and fossil power generation industries,” said DiNenno in a prepared statement. Attempts to reach DiNenno for comment on the merger were unsuccessful. The Kleinsorg Group has worked with numerous utilities, including Consolidated Edison, Southern Company, Tennessee Valley Authority, Wisconsin Electric, Northeast Utilities, Consumers Power and Florida Power Corp.