HUNTER FOREST CAPITAL ANNOUNCES FORMATION OF AGATHOS AEC AND STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS WITH PLUMP ENGINEERING AND JMPE
CHICAGO, IL— February 10, 2026 — Hunter Forest Capital LLC, a private investment firm focused on middle-market partnerships, is pleased to announce the formation of Agathos AEC, Inc. (“Agathos AEC”), a premier platform in the Architecture & Engineering (A&E) sector. In a major step toward building a comprehensive A&E services provider, Agathos AEC has successfully partnered with Plump Engineering, Inc. (“PEI”), a full-service Architectural and Engineering (Civil, Structural, MEP and Surveying) firm operating across the country, and JMPE, a specialist in Electrical Engineering.
“We are thrilled to launch Agathos AEC and welcome PEI and JMPE as our founding partners,” said Scott Daum, Managing Partner at Hunter Forest Capital. “This platform represents our commitment to investing in high-quality professional service firms that prioritize client success and technical excellence. We believe the combined expertise of these firms creates a powerful foundation for future growth.”
Reflecting on the vision for the new platform, John Buergler, CEO of Agathos AEC, emphasized the organization's core values: "Agathos was founded on the principle of collaboration and excellence in service. By bringing together the talented teams at PEI and JMPE, we are creating a collaborative environment where innovation thrives. Our goal is to provide a seamless, multi-disciplinary experience for our clients across the country."
"Joining Agathos AEC is an exciting new chapter for our firm," noted Richard Plump, President of Plump Engineering, Inc. He added that the partnership creates a unique balance for the company: "It allows us to maintain our culture and commitment to our clients while gaining the resources and scale of a larger platform to help take PEI to the next level. We look forward to working alongside the Hunter Forest and Agathos teams."
"We are proud to be part of the Agathos AEC vision," stated John Maloney, President of JMPE. "This partnership provides our employees with new opportunities for professional growth and ensures that JMPE will continue to deliver the high-standard electrical engineering services our clients depend on." Mr. Maloney added that the additional architectural and engineering services PEI brings to the table will be a meaningful differentiator to JMPE’s client base.
The formation of Agathos AEC and these initial acquisitions were made possible through the support of our valued partners at Aldine Capital Partners, Petra Capital Partners, Pine Street Capital, and Patriot Capital. Their collaboration and financial backing were instrumental in executing these transactions.
Lawson & Weitzen, LLP served as legal counsel for Agathos AEC on each of the acquisitions and Croke Fairchild Duarte & Beres served as legal counsel on the equity and debt financing.
Strategic Growth & Future Partnerships Agathos AEC is currently executing a strategy to build a diversified, nationwide architecture and engineering design firm. The platform is actively seeking to partner with small, entrepreneurial firms that are at a critical inflection point and can benefit from the professional services brought to the table by the Agathos corporate team. By joining the platform, future partners will gain access to a robust ecosystem of best practice and resource sharing among Agathos sister companies.
STRATEGIC GROWTH & FUTURE PARTNERSHIPS
Agathos AEC is currently executing a strategy to build a diversified, nationwide architecture and engineering design firm. The platform is actively seeking to partner with small, entrepreneurial firms that are at a critical inflection point and can benefit from the professional services brought to the table by the Agathos corporate team. By joining the platform, future partners will gain access to a robust ecosystem of best practice and resource sharing among Agathos sister companies.