John Kirksey

In an announcement that hopes to ensure the longevity of the company, on April 23, Houston-based Kirskey Architecture, the city’s fourth largest architecture company, said it would splinter ownership of the firm between current owner and founder, John Kirksey, and 25 other partners.

“Kirksey has continually ‘grown from within’ over our 44 year history,” Kirksey said. “Each leader is a product of that growth and they are committed to elevating our reputation as a superior, Houston-based design firm.”

The Houston Business Journal reported that Kirskey currently boasts over $33 million in local billings, and with revenues topping $49 million in 2014, the time was right to change, according to the company’s chief executive.

Both Kirksey and managing partner Wes Good, who is also now a part owner, said they had toyed with the idea of merging, as they had several offers, but neither thought it was a good fit. The company was unable to identify the firms with which they spoke.

“Unlike the recent mergers, corporate consolidations and acquisitions that are taking place in our industry, this ownership expansion ensures that Kirksey stays Kirksey,” said Good. “Our unique culture remains the same, and our leadership team is now also our ownership team.”

Following the company’s restructuring, Kirksey will remain as president and continue to be active in management, but the founder admitted to the Journal that he’s getting to a point in his career “where you bring wisdom more than anything else to the table,” which suggests he could be phasing himself out and letting new hands take the wheel.

In an email sent to Houston Agent, Good reaffirmed that “from an operations standpoint, things will remain the same.”

“This ownership expansion represents a strong investment in the future of our firm and the next generation of leadership at Kirksey,” Kirksey said.