Industrial Inspection & Analysis Acquires Kova Engineering Ltd.
December 9, 2024 – Atlanta, GA – As a growth-driven leader for inspections and certifications in over twenty industries, Industrial Inspection & Analysis® (IIA) is pleased to announce the acquisition of Canada-based Kova Engineering Ltd. The addition of Kova, which has 15 offices across Canada, makes IIA the largest third-party lift inspection company in North America.
Founded in 1989, Kova Engineering Ltd was formed to provide engineering, inspection, and certification services of cranes and lift equipment using accredited inspectors overseen by licensed professional engineers. They perform their work in many industries including construction, manufacturing, aerospace, maritime and petroleum industries. Kova provides essential expertise in weld inspection, non-destructive testing, equipment certification, structural maintenance programs, as well as mechanical, civil, and metallurgical engineering.
Based in Atlanta, Georgia, Industrial Inspection & Analysis has an extensive footprint across North America and an ever-expanding presence across key growth industries. With the addition of Kova Engineering, IIA has 33 locations, including 17 offices in Canada. The offices serve a diverse group of industries including aerospace, bridges and infrastructure, government, medical, manufacturing, food and beverage, power generation, high tech, and more.
“We’re proud to bring Kova Engineering into the IIA family. Our synergy in providing expert inspection services, as well as our shared values of investing in employees and being growth-minded makes this a great fit,” says Christopher Niebuhr, CEO at Industrial Inspection & Analysis. “We believe providing the best service, fastest response and industry-leading expertise earns the highest customer satisfaction and loyalty, and Kova mirrors these core values as well.”
Gord Kovacik, Founder of Kova Engineering LTD agrees, “I believe the people at Kova have built an exceptional company that takes care of its people, customers, and strives to be the best in the world at what it does. This acquisition is not just the next step in our journey; it's a chance to scale our vision and amplify the impact this team has always aimed for.” He continued with his vision, “I founded this company with a belief in people, integrity, and delivering nothing but the best. By joining forces with IIA, I am excited for the possibilities ahead. Together, we are poised to achieve even greater things, and I’m thrilled to be part of this new chapter."
Paul Walchuk, CEO of Kova Engineering LTD, reinforced Gord’s sentiment. “Today marks an exciting new chapter for the Kova family. As we join forces with IIA, we are not just expanding our reach, but strengthening our commitment to innovation, customer satisfaction, and the values that have driven us for 35 years. This is an opportunity to build on our legacy and create even more impactful solutions together. I am confident that, with the combined expertise and resources, we will achieve greater success and continue to deliver outstanding value to our customers and partners."
“Kova has long been viewed as the best in the business and with a world-class training institute, IIA and Kova are ready to meet the demands of this rapidly growing industry,” Niebuhr continued. “We are excited to welcome the Kova Engineering team to IIA and look forward to growing together and leveraging our combined strengths and capabilities.”
About Industrial Inspection & Analysis
IIA is a leading inspection provider for nearly 100 years in North America for an array of industries. In both laboratory and field settings, we offer a full range of lift inspections, non-destructive examinations (NDE), testing and certification solutions to ensure safety, performance and compliance. As part of our mission to make the world safer, IIA is committed to operating in an environmentally and socially responsible manner, and to helping companies do so as well. Visit Industrial Inspection & Analysis online at Industrial-IA.com.
About Kova Engineering, Ltd.
Kova Engineering, Ltd. has head offices in British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario. For 35 years, their mission has been to provide world class engineering, inspection, certification and training services. Kova established the Crane Certification BureauTM which set the standard for crane inspection and certification across Canada. They are a Transport Canada Approved Maintenance Organization (AMO 84-18) and certified welding inspection organization with the Canadian Welding Bureau (CSA W178.1). Their certifications include COR certification in Alberta, and all their inspectors are certified or accredited with CGSB inspections, Level I, II, and III visual welding inspectors, AWS certified, and their inspectors hold certifications in various inspection methods. Visit kova.com to learn more.
IIA Services
- Laboratory Services: IIA has grown to become one of the largest and most trusted providers of lab services in North America and beyond. Serving a spectrum of industries, our capabilities include metallurgical, non-destructive, dimensional, mechanical, EMC/EMI, consumer goods, calibration, environmental, chemical analysis, and lubricant, fuel, coolant and grease testing.
- Industrial Inspection Services: IIA’s expert technicians are available 24/7 to support planned or unplanned inspection needs. Our toolkit includes turnkey solutions of both traditional and advanced NDE methods, such as corrosion mapping and laser profilometry, as well as engineers who can solve quality and design challenges that we uncover during inspections. Our multidisciplinary engineering expertise includes structural/civil, mechanical, reverse engineering, crane accident investigation, lift planning and engineering, welding and materials and electrical. We also bring patented, proprietary tools like PASS® for non-intrusive valve testing and ARMUT® to address unique issues.
- Asset & Infrastructure Inspection Services: We have decades of experience providing on-site inspections and certifications and repair services to ensure the safety of overhead cranes, airline ground support equipment (GSE), bucket and fire trucks, stevedoring/maritime equipment, and other aerial and lift devices as well as bridges, light poles, and other critical infrastructure. IIA is one of few companies in the U.S. that offers on-site, live line tool testing for the electrical power industry.
