CDI Corporation
CDI Corporation is a U.S. engineering, project-services, and technical staffing company focused primarily on industrial, energy, chemical, semiconductor, and battery-manufacturing clients.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
CDI Corporation is a privately held American professional-services company that provides engineering, procurement, construction-management, technical consulting, and workforce services. The company is headquartered in Houston, Texas, and its principal operating business is CDI Engineering Solutions. As of 2024, CDI employed more than 650 people. The business began in Philadelphia in 1950 as Comprehensive Designers, Inc., supplying temporary technical personnel to manufacturing customers. Its early work was connected with the expansion of the automotive and defense industries, where manufacturers needed specialized engineering and technical labor without necessarily hiring all capability permanently. In 1956, Walter R. Garrison, an aerospace engineer who had worked at Boeing, joined the company as chief engineer. In 1961, Garrison and two colleagues acquired the company, and Garrison became chief executive. CDI expanded beyond temporary technical services during the 1970s. In 1972, it acquired Management Recruiters International, a business specializing in permanent management recruitment. The following year, Comprehensive Designers changed its name to CDI Corporation. This combination of technical services, professional recruitment, and later general temporary staffing became the foundation of a diversified services group. CDI became a public company listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 1988. During the 1990s and 2000s, CDI built a broad platform through acquisitions. It entered clerical and general temporary staffing through the 1991 acquisition of Today's Staffing, and by the end of 1994 reported more than $1 billion in revenue across its technical-services, temporary-services, and Management Recruiters activities. In 1996, acquisitions including Stubbs, Overbeck & Associates and AWARE Engineering were combined into CDI Engineering Group, later known as CDI Engineering Solutions. The company also expanded executive and management recruitment through the 1999 purchase of Humana International, and broadened its professional-services footprint through the acquisition of the U.K. firm AndersElite in 2003 and L. Robert Kimball & Associates in 2010. CDI subsequently narrowed its portfolio. It sold Today's Staffing to Spherion in 2007, acquired IT staffing company EdgeRock Technologies in 2015, sold CDI AndersElite in 2016, and was taken private by AE Industrial Partners in 2017. After the privatization, several business lines were transferred or sold to other AE Industrial Partners portfolio companies or outside buyers. These transactions included the aerospace and industrial-equipment business line, government-services assets, and the talent and technology services unit. In 2021, the L.R. Kimball transportation engineering and architecture division was sold to TranSystems, leaving CDI more concentrated on industrial engineering and project services. CDI moved its headquarters to Houston in February 2022, reflecting its emphasis on energy and industrial customers. On January 1, 2025, CDI Engineering Solutions, LLC, described as CDI Corporation's sole operating division, became a wholly owned subsidiary of Tata Consulting Engineers. CDI's current identity is therefore centered on engineering and technical execution for complex industrial projects rather than the much broader staffing and recruitment portfolio associated with its earlier public-company era.
History
CDI Corporation was established in Philadelphia in 1950 under the name Comprehensive Designers, Inc. Its original business supplied temporary technical services to manufacturing companies, serving industries such as automotive and defense during a period of expanding industrial and aerospace production. Walter R. Garrison, an aerospace engineer formerly associated with Boeing, joined as chief engineer in 1956. Five years later, Garrison and two colleagues acquired the company, with Garrison assuming the chief executive role. The company began broadening its service model in the 1970s. It purchased Management Recruiters International in 1972, adding permanent management-placement services to its technical staffing business. In 1973, Comprehensive Designers adopted the CDI Corporation name. CDI entered the New York Stock Exchange in 1988, giving the company access to public capital as it expanded through acquisitions. In 1991, CDI entered temporary clerical and general labor placement by acquiring Today's Staffing. By the end of 1994, the company reported more than $1 billion in revenue across three principal areas: technical services, temporary services, and Management Recruiters. It served approximately 3,000 customers at that point. CDI also assembled an engineering-services platform through acquisitions of firms including Stubbs, Overbeck & Associates and AWARE Engineering. These businesses were consolidated in 1996 as CDI Engineering Group, later renamed CDI Engineering Solutions. Leadership changed several times as CDI diversified. Mitch Wienick became president and chief executive in 1997, succeeding the retiring Garrison, who remained on the board. In 1999, CDI acquired Humana International, adding a network of 136 franchised offices in Europe and Asia to its management-search operations. Wienick retired in 2001 and was succeeded by Roger H. Ballou. CDI acquired U.K.-based AndersElite in 2003, expanding its construction and building-professional recruitment activities. The company later pursued a mixture of expansion and portfolio reduction. It sold Today's Staffing to Spherion for $40 million in 2007. In 2010, it acquired L. Robert Kimball & Associates, a professional-services firm with architecture, civil and environmental engineering, communications technology, and consulting capabilities. Paulett Eberhart became chief executive in 2011, followed by Scott J. Freidheim in 2014 and Michael Castleman in 2016 after Freidheim's resignation. CDI sold AndersElite to its management and employees in 2016 and acquired EdgeRock Technologies in 2015 to expand IT staffing. AE Industrial Partners took CDI private in 2017. Following the transaction, CDI's portfolio was progressively reorganized. Belcan acquired the aerospace and industrial-equipment business, CDI government-services assets were combined with Gryphon Technologies, and Artech acquired the talent and technology services unit. CDI Engineering Solutions remained the core operating platform. In 2021, its transportation engineering and architecture division, formerly associated with L.R. Kimball, was sold to TranSystems so that CDI could concentrate on industrial work in the chemical and energy sectors. CDI moved its headquarters to Houston in February 2022. On January 1, 2025, CDI Engineering Solutions, LLC, identified as CDI Corporation's sole operating division, became a wholly owned subsidiary of Tata Consulting Engineers. The transaction placed CDI's continuing engineering operations within Tata Consulting Engineers while preserving CDI Engineering Solutions as the operating identity described in the available reference material.
- 2025
CDI Engineering Solutions joins Tata Consulting Engineers
[1]The sole operating division of CDI Corporation became a wholly owned subsidiary of Tata Consulting Engineers on January 1.
- 2022
Headquarters moved to Houston
[1]CDI relocated its headquarters to Houston, Texas.
- 2021
Transportation division sold to TranSystems
[1]CDI Engineering Solutions sold the L.R. Kimball transportation engineering and architecture business.
- 2017
Taken private by AE Industrial Partners
[1]CDI ceased to be publicly traded following its acquisition by AE Industrial Partners.
- 2015
EdgeRock Technologies acquired
[1]The purchase expanded CDI's IT staffing and technology-services offering.
- 2010
L. Robert Kimball & Associates acquired
[1]CDI added architecture, engineering, communications technology, and consulting capabilities.
- 2007
Today's Staffing sold to Spherion
[1]The sale marked a step toward reducing CDI's general temporary-staffing activities.
- 2003
AndersElite acquired
[1]CDI acquired the U.K. provider of permanent and temporary building and construction professionals.
- 1999
Humana International acquired
[1]The acquisition expanded CDI's management-search services through Humana's international franchise network.
- 1996
Formation of CDI Engineering Group
[1]Several acquired engineering firms were combined into a dedicated engineering-services group, later known as CDI Engineering Solutions.
Products and positioning
A specialized engineering and project-services partner for complex industrial and manufacturing environments, with historical capabilities in technical staffing and professional recruitment.
Engineering and industrial project services · 1996
CDI Engineering Solutions
CDI Engineering Solutions is the company's principal continuing operating platform. It provides engineering, procurement, construction-management, and related professional services for industrial clients. Available reference material identifies a concentration on chemical and energy projects, as well as work connected with semiconductor and battery manufacturing. The group was formed from several engineering acquisitions in the 1990s and later incorporated capabilities obtained through L. Robert Kimball & Associates.
Staffing and workforce services · 1950
Technical staffing services
CDI's original business supplied temporary technical personnel to manufacturing customers, including automotive and defense companies. Technical staffing was historically one of the company's three major service areas and supported customers that needed engineering and specialized labor on a flexible basis. The available material does not establish the extent to which this legacy offering remains separately marketed after later portfolio transactions.
Professional recruitment · 1972
Management Recruiters International
Management Recruiters International became part of CDI in 1972 and gave the company a permanent-placement business focused on management talent. It formed part of CDI's broader recruitment platform during the company's diversified public-company period. The available reference material does not specify its current ownership or operating status within CDI.
Brand decisions
2025
Transfer of CDI Engineering Solutions to Tata Consulting EngineersM&ABackground
After portfolio restructuring, CDI Engineering Solutions was CDI Corporation's sole operating division.
Action taken
On January 1, 2025, CDI Engineering Solutions, LLC became a wholly owned subsidiary of Tata Consulting Engineers.
Aftermath
The engineering business became part of Tata Consulting Engineers, while the available reference material does not specify the future corporate treatment of the CDI Corporation name.
2021
Concentration on industrial engineeringStrategyBackground
CDI retained engineering operations while reducing activities in transportation architecture and other diversified services.
Action taken
CDI Engineering Solutions sold its L.R. Kimball transportation engineering and architecture division to TranSystems.
Aftermath
The company stated that the transaction supported a greater focus on core chemical and energy industrial business.
2017
Privatization by AE Industrial PartnersM&ABackground
CDI had operated as a diversified public company with engineering, staffing, and recruitment activities.
Action taken
AE Industrial Partners acquired CDI Corporation and took it private.
Aftermath
CDI's shares ceased trading publicly, and the company subsequently reorganized and divested several non-core business lines.
Sources1 sources
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