Austin-based RVi Acquires NJB in Dallas

Austin-based planning and landscape architecture firm RVi is expanding into the North Texas market through the acquisition of Dallas-based NJB.

The principals have a long history. In the 1970s and 1980s, RVi CEO Bob Richardson, NJB President Rowland Jackson, and NJB Senior Vice President Karl Von Bieberstein all worked together under the firm of MND Partners. Bob left MND to start his own practice in 1982, while Rowland and Karl remained with MND and eventually reorganized the firm under the NJB name in 1990.

“After over three decades of practicing independently, it will be a joy to work with Rowland and Karl again. As a result of our shared history, we have a lot of shared values. I am confident that the transition for our employees, clients, and allied firms will be very smooth,” Bob said.

In addition to his role as President, Jackson has served as Director of Design at NJB, working with many prominent clients such as the Dallas Arboretum and Baylor University Medical Center. “We are excited about joining forces with RVi. We believe the combination of the two firms’ talent and resources will ultimately benefit the clients of both organizations,” Jackson said.

Von Bieberstein has served as NJB’s Senior Vice President of Company Operations and has led the firm’s long history of work for Texas Christian University. “This is a marvelous opportunity for our two respected companies to learn from one another. We each have unique experiences that, when shared, have the potential to improve the practice of landscape architecture and sharpen the focus on important design and development issues,” Von Bieberstein said.

RVi Project Director Paul Cozzolino has been tapped to lead the integration effort in Dallas. He will begin work immediately alongside Rowland and Karl, who will retain their leadership roles as Officers and Principals in the firm. A Dallas native, Paul also has a history with NJB, having worked as an intern in their office on multiple occasions throughout college. Paul is a graduate of Texas A&M University’s Landscape Architecture program and has been with RVi since 2009.

“NJB has great strengths in the urban design, health care, academic, and institutional markets. This acquisition is an important step in the diversification of RVi’s practice and will also enable us to serve our existing Dallas-area clients from a more convenient geographical location,” Paul said.

NJB operates mainly in North Texas and has been recognized with over 50 design awards and citations for projects like the new AT&T Stadium (Cowboys Stadium), The Trammel Crow Center, Texas Rangers Ballpark, EDS Corporate Headquarters, and multiple projects at Baylor University Medical Center and Texas Christian University. The firm is currently working on the Grandscape Development, a 400-acre mixed use project in The Colony, TX that will be anchored by the first Nebraska Furniture Mart .