Consulting and operations firm Woodard & Curran, with offices throughout the eastern U.S. and treatment facilities across the country, has acquired Cummings/Riter Consultants, Inc. of Pittsburgh. Cummings/Riter is a 32-person firm concentrating in corrective action work with associated services in environmental compliance and site development. The two firms have successfully teamed on corrective action projects for the past 12 years. In addition to its remediation practice, Cummings/Riter has a growing practice in the natural gas market, and specifically the Pennsylvania shale gas market. Woodard & Curran chief executive officer Douglas McKeown said, "Both firms just completed extremely successful years. We're tremendously excited about the greater depth and additional services we can now offer our clients and the opportunities this presents for our people." Cummings/Riter was founded in 1993 by Pat O'Hara, P.E., and Ken Bird, C.I.H. According to O'Hara the firm will operate as Cummings/Riter, a Woodard & Curran Company and that O'Hara and Bird will continue to provide leadership as the people and resources of the firms are merged. O'Hara said, "Our conversations showed that the two firms are fully aligned around the principles and values that attracted our people to Cummings/Riter, including opportunities for our people to grow and learn and excellence in client service. Joining Woodard & Curran will allow us to greatly expand our offerings in Pennsylvania." Woodard & Curran is an integrated engineering, science, and operations company with 650 employees serving clients locally and nationwide with particular focus in the municipal, food & beverage, real estate, energy, college/university, and hospital markets. Founded in 1979, it ranks #84 in Engineering News Records' listing of the nation's top 200 environmental firms.