Grace Acquires CRGA Design Strengthening Healthcare Practice and Presence in Maryland, North Carolina & South Carolina

Grace Design Studios (“Grace”), a leading architecture, engineering, and consulting (“AEC”) firm, today announced it has acquired CRGA Design (“CRGA”), a comprehensive architecture, interior design, and planning firm that specializes in healthcare facility design.

Founded in 1982 and headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, with offices in North Carolina and South Carolina, CRGA specializes in the comprehensive design of healthcare-focused facilities across the entire continuum of care, including acute care, ambulatory care, private physician practices, and senior and other long-term care environments. CRGA delivers high-impact, tailored design solutions that enhance the patient experience, minimize wait times, and improve caregiver efficiency for a wide variety of hospital and health system clients.

This acquisition marks the eighth strategic addition to Bernhard Capital Partners’ ("Bernhard Capital") AEC platform and significantly strengthens Grace’s capabilities in healthcare design while expanding its footprint in the Mid-Atlantic region. In connection with the transaction, CRGA will begin operating as CRGA Design, a Grace Design Studio. President Sandy Goodman and Senior Vice President Rolf Haarstad will continue to lead the business.

“CRGA has a more than four-decade track record as a partner of choice for hospitals and health systems looking to deliver modern healthcare design solutions,” said Jerry Hebert, Chief Executive Officer of Grace. “With a reputation for quality and innovation, CRGA’s leadership in medical planning perfectly aligns with our mission to deliver end-to-end services across high-growth, community-minded sectors. We are pleased to welcome the world-class CRGA team to Grace as we significantly strengthen our healthcare offerings and reach.”

“At CRGA, we know firsthand the impact that innovative, thoughtful healthcare design can have on patients, families and clinicians, and our mission and vision is built around creating healing environments that meet the complex and stringent requirements of healthcare facilities,” said Sandy Goodman, President of CRGA Design. “This partnership allows us to expand our impact, invest in our people, and continue delivering thoughtful, high-performing environments that support patients and caregivers in more communities across the country.”

“With the addition of CRGA, Grace continues to scale through strategic partnerships with market-leading firms that provide the full suite of technical services to mission-critical sectors,” said Patrick Bernhard, Managing Director at Bernhard Capital. “As we continue to see significant technological improvements in medicine, patient care, and treatment, the healthcare industry as a whole and the facilities from which it operates need to keep pace. CRGA has played a meaningful role in improving health outcomes for more than four decades, and the company’s commitment to innovative and effective design is perfectly suited to Grace’s long-term vision and ability to deliver architectural solutions of uncompromising quality.”

About Grace Design Studios

Grace Design Studios serves a diverse client base, including national healthcare providers, K-12 and higher education institutions, and government entities. Grace Design Studios has a workforce of over 400 professionals and operates in 18 offices across Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Arizona, Tennessee, Indiana, Kentucky, and Missouri. Grace Design Studios recently ranked #46 on BD+C’s Architecture and Engineering Firms List which recognizes over 500 AEC Giants.

About CRGA Design

CRGA Design is a comprehensive architecture, interior design and planning firm dedicated to the practice of healthcare facility design, boasting over 43 years of industry experience. Based in Baltimore, Maryland, with additional offices in North Carolina and South Carolina, CRGA Design maintains long-standing relationships with major healthcare systems in the Mid-Atlantic region. Its team of passionate professionals focuses on providing effective, environmentally friendly solutions tailored to healthcare needs.

About Bernhard Capital Partners
Bernhard Capital Partners is a services and infrastructure-focused private equity management firm established in 2013. Bernhard Capital Partners has deployed capital in five funds across several strategies and has approximately $5 billion of assets under management. Bernhard Capital Partners seeks to create sustainable value by leveraging its experience in acquiring, operating, and growing services and infrastructure businesses. For more information, visit www.BernhardCapital.com.