Wold Expands Justice Design Practice with Klein McCarthy Acquisition

• Wold Architects & Engineers has acquired Minnesota-based Klein McCarthy Architects, marking Wold’s third acquisition of 2026.
• The deal adds a firm founded in 1977 with a specialty in justice architecture and public facility design and more than 90 completed justice projects.
• Klein McCarthy’s existing project teams will remain in place while gaining access to Wold’s in-house engineering and broader technical resources.

MINNEAPOLIS — Wold Architects & Engineers has acquired Klein McCarthy Architects, combining two firms with established government and justice-sector portfolios and expanding Wold’s correctional and public-sector design capacity across the upper Midwest.

Klein McCarthy, founded in 1977 and headquartered in St. Louis Park, Minn., reports more than 90 completed justice projects and a client base that includes counties and other government entities in Minnesota and surrounding states. According to Klein McCarthy’s website, the firm’s portfolio includes jails, law enforcement centers, courthouses and justice centers.

The transaction is Wold’s third acquisition of 2026 and strengthens an existing government practice rather than moving the company into a new market.

“Klein McCarthy stood out because of the way they approach their work,” Wold CEO Vaughn Dierks said in an announcement from Wold Architects & Engineers. “Like Wold, they’ve built their reputation by listening first, building trusted relationships and designing facilities around the unique needs of each community they serve. Bringing our teams together expands our capacity and expertise while preserving everything that has made both firms successful.”

Under the acquisition, Klein McCarthy clients are expected to continue working with their existing project teams while receiving access to Wold’s in-house engineering capabilities, additional technical resources and a larger multidisciplinary staff. Wold said the combination will strengthen its Minnesota presence and support work in Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota and other markets.

“Our clients have always counted on us to be accessible, responsive and invested in helping their communities succeed,” Klein McCarthy Owner and President Scott Fettig said in the Wold announcement. “Joining Wold allows us to continue delivering that same experience while giving our team additional resources behind the scenes.”

The Klein McCarthy transaction follows Wold’s 2026 acquisitions of education and public-sector infrastructure firm VPS Architecture and Nashville-based healthcare and education firm JJCA. The company described its acquisition strategy as one that retains local leadership and established client relationships while adding resources across the combined organization.

This article is based on information originally published by Wold Architects & Engineers and Klein McCarthy Architects in September 2026.