RES Expands in Florida

RES (Resource Environmental Solutions, LLC) has acquired E Sciences Inc. and Sandra Walters Consultants, Inc., two of Florida’s premier ecological consulting firms. With these transactions, RES now has more than 70 employees in nine offices across Florida.

Founded in 2000 and headquartered in Orlando, E Sciences is a diverse ecological, environmental, and engineering consulting firm. E Sciences is a trusted advisor to municipalities and state agencies, such as the Florida Department of Transportation, who are seeking best practices in environmental management, stormwater management, water quality, and flood resilience. E Sciences has worked across the state and the southeastern U.S. and has five offices across central and southern Florida. The principals of the firm, Peter Partlow and Jim Bassett, will be staying on after the transaction to help lead the RES presence in Florida.

Headquartered in the Florida Keys and founded in 1997, Sandra Walters Consultants (SWC) provides a wide range of land use planning, habitat assessment, environmental permitting, and mitigation design services for public and private clients from four offices across southern Florida. SWC has extensive experience developing solutions for the complex land use and water quality issues common in the Florida Keys region, one of the most highly environmentally regulated areas of the country. This background has extended into work on major public infrastructure projects throughout the southern peninsula. SWC also brings to RES an American Academy of Underwater Sciences (AAUS) diver safety program, ensuring scientific competence and safety in the marine environment.

Both firms’ principals are highly engaged in regional and statewide organizations focused on addressing Florida’s unique ecological challenges. Peter Partlow, President of E Sciences, is currently serving as 2021-2022 President of the American Council of Engineering Companies – Florida (ACEC-FL). Sandra Walters, President of SWC, served for 15 years on the South Florida Regional Planning Council, appointed by Governors Bush, Crist and Scott, and was president of the Florida Regional Council Association in 2020. She was a Governor’s appointee on the Acquisition and Restoration Council, which oversees all State conservation lands including the Florida Forever program, and is a long-time member of EPA’s Water Quality Steering Committee and Technical Advisory Committee for the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Ms. Walters will also continue with RES as a Florida services leader.

“RES is excited to enter Florida with a meaningful presence across several regions of the state through these transactions. We are bolstering our capabilities in Florida by investing in the outstanding teams E Sciences and SWC have assembled,” says Darrell Whitley, RES President and CEO. “They’ve established great reputations for bringing practical, integrated ecological expertise to Florida’s incredible – and regionally unique – natural resources. We are excited to back their expertise with our national platform and goal of building the highest quality provider of nature-based solutions across environmental mitigation, water quality, coastal and marine resiliency, and urban flooding issues.”

“RES has a great reputation for solving complex ecological challenges with creativity and a model that covers the project’s long-term performance,” says Peter Partlow. Jim Bassett, E Sciences Principal, adds: “When you combine that approach with our local experience, we think it’s a winning equation for increasing water quality, flood resiliency, habitat preservation, and climate adaptation across the state.”

“We’re thrilled to have our team joining RES,” says Sandra Walters. “RES brings not just a platform but also the capital to invest to solutions for Florida’s complex coastal environments.”

“Together, we see a wide range of opportunities for contributing to a healthy environment for Floridians,” says Don Seaborn, Region Vice President, East for RES. “From the water quality and algal bloom challenges facing Lake Okeechobee to impaired mangrove and manatee habitats to coastal resiliency needs, we think we have the right model and the right team to deliver durable solutions.”