Legacy Preservation

You’ve spent decades building a strong technical knowledge base, mastering the art and science of water. Partnering with Hines allows your life’s work to continue making an impact—mentoring the next generation of hyper-clever irrigation innovators while ensuring your company’s reputation and relationships thrive for decades to come. Together, we preserve your legacy while shaping the future of water stewardship.

Sustained Growth

Joining Hines means gaining access to a national network of technical experts, business strategists, and creative thinkers—all focused on helping you and your team grow. From professional certifications (PE, CID, LEED AP) to marketing and operations support, we help you scale your capabilities, your confidence, and your impact. Growth at Hines is strategic, sustainable, and fun.

Maximize Value

Hines recognizes the extraordinary value you have created. We have provided a succession plan for a wide variety of firms that have allowed Owners to step away with security, confidence, and freedom - ensuring your team, clients, and vision are protected while you enjoy the next chapter of life on your terms.

Bob Scott

Irrigation Consultant Services

“I’ve spent more than thirty years in this industry. I’ve seen firms come and go, trends rise and fall, and too many good intentions fail to translate into the kind of lasting impact our world truly needs.

We are facing a convergence of challenges: explosive population growth, aging and failing infrastructure, a shrinking labor pool, and powerful technologies that remain underutilized or misunderstood. Hines is stepping directly into that reality—guiding, developing, and delivering solutions at scale. This isn’t about individual projects or short-term wins; it’s about legacy. It’s about fundamentally changing how water is planned, engineered, managed, protected, and respected—and saving a world’s worth of water in the process.

From my vantage point at the highest levels of our profession, what struck me about Hines is simple: they aren’t debating the problem; they’re acting. Water is the most precious resource we have, and Hines treats it that way—WaterFirst engineering, systems-minded, and unafraid to lead where others have stalled. They are doing what our industry has talked about for decades.

What this partnership has given me personally is clarity and momentum. I can focus on insight, relationships, and opportunity, knowing there is a disciplined, deeply capable team behind me executing with precision and care. That balance—vision supported by real delivery—is rare in this business.

If you’re serious about legacy—about seeing your life’s work strengthened rather than diluted—Hines is the real deal. They respect where you’ve been, and they are exceptionally good at building what the industry needs next.”

For decades, I ran an efficient, intentionally small practice. Two to three people. Tight, well-coordinated execution. No shortcuts. That approach built an amazing reputation and deep client trust. But as the industry changed, I started paying close attention to who was actually pushing it forward — and who was just repeating the same old patterns. That’s when I found Hines.

What caught my attention was not size or marketing. It was the vision: treating water as an essential asset, engineering WaterFirst systems that actually perform, and building teams that can deliver at scale without losing technical rigor. Frankly, the industry needs that kind of leadership. I did not want to sit on the sidelines while that happened.

I connected with Hines because I saw a group doing the hard things the right way — investing in people, building real engineering depth, and raising the bar for how irrigation and water systems should be designed and managed. The more I learned, the more obvious it became that this was something worth being part of. The partnership honored everything that came before it — the legacy, the standards, the relationships — while opening the door to a much bigger arena. Same discipline. Same accountability. But now paired with momentum, resources, and a team that genuinely enjoys building something meaningful together. I was good at the old way. But I wanted more than the status quo. Hines offered a real adventure — a chance to contribute to a vision this industry desperately needs, alongside people who care as much as I do.

If you’ve built something you are proud of and you see where the industry should be heading, partnering with Hines is not an exit, it’s a decision to lean in.

Dan Lynch

Lynch & Associates

Mitchel Walker

Masuen Consulting

I’ve been in this industry for over forty years. Long enough to hear a lot of talk and see a lot of recycled ideas. What I have not seen enough of are professionals who are committed to delivering a holistic, sustainable, proven, water management solution.

I didn’t come at water management from a desk. I came at it from the ground up; not afraid to get my hands dirty. I accomplished this by learning the challenges, testing concepts, validating ideas, and implementing solutions through daily operational water management. Over time, it became obvious managing water properly meant designing systems differently—WaterFirst systems built for performance, not just installation. That belief has guided my work for decades.

What drew me to Hines Inc. is simple: they’re builders. Real ones. They understand water is the constraint that defines the future—of Cities, of development, of entire regions—and they’re willing to do the hard, unglamorous work to address it head-on. They’re not chasing projects. They’re building WaterFirst systems, teams, and standards that actually move the needle to save significant money, water and time through every stage of project development and operation.

Partnering with Hines gives me the chance to do what I do best—think deeply about water, challenge assumptions, and help build a water management practice that matches what science, the soil, and the future demand. My vision doesn’t get diluted here. It gets sharpened. It gets executed.

After forty years, that matters.

“I was pleased to hear from Nate Hines when he proposed the acquisition of Design PSI,  my irrigation design company. The negotiation phase of the process was seamless and  professional, and I feel like I received a fair valuation for my company. The Hines  administrative team proposed a structured financial payout for the duration of the buyout  period. Since this was an owner-financed sale, Hines offered to pay a market-competitive  interest rate, and the transition has been mutually beneficial.  

The Hines irrigation consulting team is a collection of experienced and professional  irrigation designers. The staff have vast technical knowledge and are able to provide expanded services to my clients. I was especially pleased when Hines recognized the institutional knowledge and experience of Design PSI and retained all the employees.  

To ensure an orderly transition, Hines offered me a one-year contract to help with design  services and business development. As part of their sales team, I have been able to introduce  Hines to our existing clients and help detail the expanded capabilities of the company.  The result for Hines has been an effective move into the local irrigation design market while at the same time, allowing me to transition into retirement.”

Mike Prevost
Design PSI

Integrity in Action

We honor every agreement, ensuring smooth transitions and lasting relationships that create tangible value.

Proven Growth

Our partners have seen their output and impact multiply. Through mentorship and support, Hines is dedicated to empowering you and your staff with lifelong expertise.

Legacy Building

We respect and elevate the foundations you've built, integrating them into a stronger future for the next generation of irrigation engineers and designers.

Mike Clark
CLARK DESIGN & CONSULTING

"After running my irrigation design business in Georgia for decades, I thought I’d seen it all. My clients were loyal, and I always did my best to serve them right. But I never imagined I could merge my business with another firm and get compensated for it. When Hines approached me about acquiring my company, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Turns out, it was the best decision I could have made.

Hines handled everything with integrity and respect—not just for me, but for my clients as well. They gave me a great price for the business, and made the entire process smooth and straightforward. I was able to step back immediately knowing my clients were in good hands and that was very important to me.

I’m proud to say that after one year, it is still the best decision I could have made. Hines didn’t just keep the promises they made; they exceeded them. My clients are happy, the work is getting done better than ever, and I’m enjoying retirement without the stress of running my own business.

Hines didn’t just acquire my business—they took care of it. And that means everything."

"I’ve been involved with the irrigation industry for 35 years. I built my business from the ground up—as a high-quality company with an unwavering commitment to doing things right. I’ve always believed that perfection is in the details, and I’ve never been willing to compromise on that. This is why I stayed small; I did not want to trust anyone else to maintain that standard.

When I approached Hines, I was skeptical. Big companies often lose sight of the details that matter. But I have to admit—they surprised me. Within two years, the amount of work I was handling more than tripled, and they honored every financial agreement we made.  I can’t deny their ability to grow and genuinely take care of clients.  Their commitment to continue to attract young talent and help them develop the next generation of irrigation designers is real.

Hines’s has shown me that it is possible to scale up without losing sight of what matters.  That is something I didn’t think I’d ever say."

Dan Feick
frs dESIGN

jim Davis

"When I joined Hines back in 2019, the goal was clear: build a strong Eastern presence and allow me to focus on client development & sales. What I didn’t expect was just how transformative that journey would be—not just for the business, but for me personally. In less than five years, I saw my best year’s output triple, a milestone I couldn't have imagined before joining Hines.

But it wasn’t just about growth; it was also about development. Hines didn’t just bring me on board—they brought on another designer as well, and together we were trained and pushed to master our craft in ways I hadn’t experienced in my entire career. Hines' commitment to processes and technical expertise is unmatched in the industry, setting a standard that makes one proud to be a part of such a finely-tuned machine.

More than that, Hines takes remarkable care of their people. It’s not just lip service—it’s genuine. They invest in your skills, your career, and your future, with a vision that extends beyond the next job and looks toward building something truly generational. The kind of legacy that lasts.

If you want to work with a company that knows how to grow, knows how to take care of its employees, and knows how to build something that will stand the test of time, Hines is it. I know because I've been there."