"Our firm has always been traditionally focused on the development of education-related facilities. We felt after eight years of that devotion that we wanted to spread our wings and focus on other areas of public-private development," Susan Eastridge, CEO of Concord Eastridge, tells GlobeSt.com.

The idea took root when Jeffery Arnold, now president of the merged company, last year bought out his two partners in Concord. Arnold, who also claimed a partnership stake in Eastridge, agreed with Susan Eastridge that their development goals would benefit from combining their resources. "It dovetailed nicely with their growth," Eastridge says. "They've had projects in California, Colorado, Texas and Nevada."

The buy-in costs are subject to financial disclosures, but Eastridge says she negotiated the merger as the 51% majority owner to preserve her legacy as a woman-owned business. With two regional headquarters in Phoenix and Washington, DC, the deal includes a Sacramento office that Eastridge opened a couple years ago. Additional offices are being considered for Southern California, Denver and either Florida or Georgia.