LEXINGTON, Ky. — Gray, Inc., the engineering, architecture and construction firm that has built processing facilities for Champion Petfoods in both the US and Canada, has fully acquired SPEC Engineering, a Plainfield, Illinois-based process engineering and equipment fabrication company.

 “We’re thrilled to take this next step with SPEC to better meet our customer needs under one company umbrella,” said Stephen Gray, president and CEO of Gray Construction, a subsidiary of Gray, Inc. “Gray and SPEC are completely committed to providing full, turnkey solutions to the highly dynamic food and beverage market.”

Gray has been in the construction business for 60 years, and SPEC for 40. SPEC specializes in bakery, confectionary, ingredients and nutritional product manufacturing facilities.

“Gray and SPEC’s expertise and comprehensive service offerings complement each other and elevate the collective presence in the market as demand for engineering, equipment and construction services in the food and beverage sector continues to increase,” said Brian Bernard, president of SPEC Engineering. “We provide a uniquely strong solution set to meet the growing food and beverage market’s needs.”

Gray partnered with Keller Construction Ltd. on Champion Petfoods’ state-of-the-art NorthStar Kitchens in Parkland County, Alberta, Canada, which sits on 75 acres and spans 420,000-sq.-ft. The facility includes an on-site distribution warehouse and logistics center, bulk ingredient silos that can hold up to 80,000 kilograms of dry ingredients, and the capacity to produce up to 145,000,000 kilograms of dry kibble.

Gray also contributed to the construction of Champion’s DogStar Kitchens in Auburn, Kentucky, the manufacturer’s first specialty pet food facility in the US. The construction company provided services including automation systems integration, architecture, electrical, mechanical, structural and process engineering, and others.

Other projects recently completed by Gray Construction include a state-of-the-art facility for Kraft Heinz in Davenport, Iowa, an award-winning bakery for Mondelēz International’s Enjoy Life Foods in Jeffersonville, Indiana, and a fresh pork processing facility for Clemens Food Group in Coldwater, Michigan.

Read more about corporate strategy, financial performance, mergers and acquisitions on our Business page.