RES Acquires Applied Ecological Services (AES)

RES announced today the acquisition of Applied Ecological Services (AES), one of the nation’s longest-standing ecological restoration firms and a leader in applying the science of ecology to land-use decisions. Founded in 1978 by Steve Apfelbaum in Brodhead, WI, AES provides ecological consulting, design, and restoration contracting throughout North America from 17 locations across the Midwest.

With the acquisition of AES, RES is deepening its talent for restoring ecosystems at every scale. RES has established a track record for landscape-scale restoration accomplished with its unique operational model covering all phases of the project, backed by long-term stewardship. AES adds a deep bench of scientists and ecological construction teams experienced in science-led approaches to a wide range of restoration projects in the Midwest and across the nation.

“We are very excited to add AES to the RES platform,” says Darrell Whitley, RES President and CEO. “The AES team shares our views on what makes effective restoration and the importance of nature-based solutions. Together, we can address environmental impacts in our communities better, provide more science-based solutions to critical projects at the municipal level, and deliver larger-scale mitigation to support major infrastructure projects. These projects help to build ecosystem resilience in our communities and are so important for protecting the earth for generations to come.”

“The AES team is delighted to join the team at RES,” says Steve Dischler, AES President and CEO. “And the timing for joining RES could not be better. For more than 40 years, our clients have relied on us to design and build projects using nature-based solutions grounded in sound science. We have learned that by working with nature, our projects not only have lower life-cycle costs, but they are also more durable. By combining our expertise with RES’ total delivery platform, we are uniquely positioned to take ecosystem restoration and mitigation to the next level.”  

AES will maintain its leadership and all consulting and operational staff and services as part of RES. AES consulting and construction professionals offer comprehensive, coordinated expertise in ecological science, natural area restoration, nursery science, geospatial services, sustainable ecological engineering, and landscape architecture.