KKE Architects Acquires Howard F. Thompson Associates with Offices in California and Nevada — Acquisition Expands KKE's Office Division

PASADENA, CA - Award winning KKE Architects, Inc., headquartered in Minneapolis with offices in Pasadena and Newport Beach, Calif., announced today the acquisition of Howard F. Thompson Associates (HFTA) through KKE of Nevada, Inc. Founded in 1967, HFTA is an 18-person development oriented architectural firm with offices in Irvine, California and Henderson, Nevada. The company was recently named the "Architectural Firm of the Year'� for the third year in a row by the Las Vegas Chapter of National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP).

Complementing KKE Architects' diverse portfolio of retail/lifestyle, live entertainment, housing, government, hospitality, aging, education and private development projects, HFTA is well recognized for its land planning and business architecture having designed over 1,200 buildings in seven states.

"This acquisition is quite significant on many levels,'� says KKE's CEO Greg Hollenkamp. "First of all, the acquisition doubles the size of our Southwestern resources to 40 professionals. Greatly enhancing our ability to service our industrial, high tech clientele more expediently than ever. Secondly, the acquisition expands the depth and breadth of our office division. And, thirdly, we now have a significant local presence in the greater Las Vegas marketplace. We are quite thrilled to have the great talents of this firm under the banner of KKE.'�

"We have been working jointly on projects in Las Vegas as well as in Southern California and felt our corporate cultures were very similar. It felt like a natural step to merge our talents and further expand KKE's diversity,'� Says Brian Arial, AIA managing principal for the West Coast operation of KKE. "Our approach to doing business is very similar since both companies provide our clients with creative yet pragmatic solutions to the business of commercial land and building development.'�

Prior to the acquisition, HFTA and KKE had recently teamed up on "Desert Marketplace,'� a large mixed-use project consisting of 208,000 square feet of retail and 180,000 square feet of office for the Walters Group in Las Vegas. HFTA and KKE have also coordinated efforts on several projects including: a senior housing project for the Molasky Group of Companies; Charleston Crossing, a 200-unit housing project in downtown Las Vegas for LaPour Partners; Valencia Plaza, two 55,000-square-foot office towers in Valencia, California; and Claremont Commons, a mixed-use project in Claremont California for Americal Management.


About KKE Architects, Inc.

After 36 years in the business, award-winning KKE Architects, Inc. has grown to become one of the top architectural firms in the country. Now with offices in Minneapolis, Minn.; Newport Beach, Irvine and Pasadena, Calif., and Las Vegas, Nev. KKE's professional staff of over 160 offers a unique blend of expertise across a broad range of market segments encompassing Retail/Lifestyle, Live Entertainment, Housing, Government, Hospitality, Aging, Education and Private Development. Ideally suited for mixed-use developments, KKE applies its broad expertise to the delivery of "reality grounded'� solutions in the disciplines of architecture, interior design and planning services.

KKE continues to grow through a keen focus upon maximizing their clients' success; by understanding and expanding upon the vision of each client to accomplish more than they ever thought possible. For more information, visit www.kke.com.

# # #