Stambaugh Ness and Zweig Group Merge to Form SNZweig

Stambaugh Ness and Zweig Group have combined to form SNZweig, a new professional services and advisory firm dedicated to supporting and advancing architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) businesses. The merger, announced on September 15, 2026, is expected to close later that fall and follows a successful strategic partnership that began in March 2025.

SNZweig will operate under an alternative practice structure, with SNZweig Advisors LLC providing comprehensive advisory, tax, technology, and consulting services, and Stambaugh Ness LLC, an independent CPA firm, offering audit and attest services. The new firm aims to unite industry-specific financial, strategic, technology, and transaction advisory expertise under one roof, providing AEC leaders with a more connected way to navigate the complexities of their industry.

Aphias Capital, a private equity firm focused on lower middle market companies, has made a majority growth investment in SNZweig Advisors LLC to support the firm's next chapter of growth. This investment will fuel SNZweig's ambitions for rapid expansion, broadening its service lines, and scaling its integrated model across the AEC market.

Chad Clinehens, President of SNZweig, stated, "We've created a platform unlike anything else in the AEC market. By putting financial, strategic, technology, and transaction expertise under a single roof, we can deliver on our mission of elevating the industry and helping firms excel in an increasingly complex future."

The opportunities and challenges facing AEC firms today are no longer neatly categorized. Growth, ownership, technology, talent, capital, risk, compliance, and performance are deeply interconnected. SNZweig is designed to address these complexities, leveraging its deep industry specialization, proprietary technology and intelligence, and team of industry-leading experts to help AEC leaders accelerate growth and build lasting value.

Steven L. Hake, CEO of SNZweig, emphasized, "This is a defining moment for the AEC industry. SNZweig represents more than the combination of two organizations; it represents a new opportunity for the industry. Together, we've designed something unprecedented, equipping firm leaders with insight, confidence, and support to grow stronger and more resilient."

SNZweig's launch is fueled by a mandate to strengthen its national footprint, broaden its service lines, and scale the integrated model across the AEC market. The firm expects to grow rapidly through both organic expansion and additional strategic acquisitions of firms that share a vision and commitment to the AEC industry. As SNZweig expands, it will be actively building its talent bench across advisory, tax, technology, and consulting disciplines.

Aphias Capital's Rob Wolfson and Amanda Kalin expressed their excitement about the partnership, stating, "Stambaugh Ness and Zweig Group have each spent decades earning the trust of architecture and engineering firms, and their partnership has already shown what the integrated model can do for clients. We are proud to partner with the SNZweig team to create the market-leading professional service provider and knowledge partner to AEC firms."

The combination of Stambaugh Ness and Zweig Group, along with Aphias Capital's investment, positions SNZweig as the premier destination for professionals passionate about serving the AEC industry. The firm aims to provide advisors, consultants, technologists, and industry specialists with a platform that offers resources, scale, and a singular focus to do the most meaningful work of their careers.

Citizens Capital Markets & Advisory served as financial advisor, and Vedder Price P.C. served as legal counsel to Stambaugh Ness and Zweig Group. Lazard Frères & Co. served as financial advisor, and Kirkland & Ellis LLP served as legal counsel to Aphias Capital. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

SNZweig is the first national integrated advisory platform built exclusively for architecture, engineering, and construction firms. Its mission is to Elevate the Industry® by serving as a trusted partner to AEC clients, delivering clarity, confidence, and the freedom to focus on what matters most.