Smith Carter joins forces with GENIVAR

MONTREAL, March 15, 2012 /CNW Telbec/ - GENIVAR Inc. (TSX: GNV) ("GENIVAR" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that Smith Carter Architects and Engineers Inc. and Smith Carter (USA) LLC (collectively referred to as "Smith Carter"), international leaders in the areas of integrated architectural design and engineering, are joining the GENIVAR team. Headquartered in Winnipeg and with offices in Calgary, Ottawa, Atlanta and Washington, DC, Smith Carter has a workforce of some 190 employees and has designed some of the world's most complex buildings in some of its most challenging environments.

Scott Stirton, Smith Carter's current Chief Executive Officer, will be joining GENIVAR's National Leadership Committee, where he will play a key role in developing an architectural platform. All of Smith Carter's partners applaud this transaction and will become GENIVAR shareholders.

Smith Carter's core specialities are designing and engineering complex projects in the science and technology, healthcare, security and defence as well as urban impact markets. Known for excelling at high-profile projects, the firm is a world leader in bio-containment laboratory design. Its clients include a mixture of government, academic and healthcare agencies undertaking critical missions, including Boston University, the Public Health Agency of Canada, Defence Construction Canada, the Centers for Disease Control, the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority and the Army Corps of Engineers.

Smith Carter's outstanding track record has been recognized with numerous awards, including a Royal Architectural Institute of Canada Innovation Award for the use of business information modeling in connection with the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in 2011; a Canadian Architect Award of Excellence for the Women's Hospital at the Winnipeg Health Sciences Centre in 2010; most Innovative Building and Best Building Award for structural, mechanical and electrical engineering in 2005; LEED^® Platinum status for their headquarters building in 2009; and the Governor General's Medal in Architecture—Canada's highest architectural honour— in 2006.

"We are very pleased to welcome Smith Carter into the GENIVAR family. Smith Carter is recognized as a leading firm in the architectural/engineering building industry. With this transaction, we have achieved two expansion objectives, which were to strengthen our presence in Western Canada and enter the U.S. market, where we believe there are many other opportunities for growth," said Pierre Shoiry, GENIVAR's President and Chief Executive Officer. "Over the past few years, our architecture partnerships has grown significantly, with firms like PBK Architects, ANO Architects, WHW Architects, the Arcop Group and most recently AE Consultants tying up with GENIVAR. The time has now come to unify these practices and their respective areas of expertise. This will be Scott's main responsibility. Under his leadership, we are confident that this architecture practice will become an essential component in GENIVAR becoming a leading global player in the building market," he added.

"We are delighted to be joining GENIVAR, which has a reputation for promoting solid values while focusing on excellence and strong client relationships," said Scott Stirton. "Contributing to GENIVAR's continued success while spearheading the long-term growth of our combined architectural and engineering practices will be a wonderful opportunity for our respective teams. We have similar market capabilities and expertise, complimentary cultures, a focus on design excellence and a passion for professional service delivery that responds to market opportunities and client expectations. Through the power of partnership, we are convinced that GENIVAR will benefit from the knowledge we have honed through years of experience."

ABOUT SMITH CARTER ARCHITECTS AND ENGINEERS INC.
Established in 1947, Smith Carter is one of North America's leading integrated architectural design and engineering firms. With offices in Winnipeg, Calgary, Ottawa, Atlanta and Washington, DC, Smith Carter works with government, institutional and private-sector clients from across Canada and around the world. Offering expertise on all types of complex projects, the firm specializes in designing healthcare and research environments. Smith Carter is committed to supporting the vital urban fabric of the communities in which its projects are located.

ABOUT GENIVAR INC.
GENIVAR is a leading Canadian consulting services firm providing private and public-sector clients with a full range of professional consulting services through all project phases, including planning, design, construction and maintenance. Ranging in size, its clients operate in various market segments, including the building, industrial and energy, municipal infrastructure, transportation and environmental sectors. GENIVAR is one of the largest engineering services companies in Canada by number of employees, with more than 5,500 managers, professionals, technicians, technologists and support staff in over 100 cities in Canada and internationally.
www.genivar.com

Forward-looking statements
Certain information regarding GENIVAR contained herein may constitute forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements may include estimates, plans, expectations, opinions, forecasts, projections, guidance or other statements that are not statements of fact. Although GENIVAR believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to have been correct. These statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties and may be based on assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements. GENIVAR's forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. The complete version of the cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements as well as a description of the relevant assumptions and risk factors likely to affect GENIVAR's actual or projected results are included in the Management Discussion and Analysis for the three and nine-month periods ended October 1, 2011 and the year ended December 31, 2010, which are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date hereof and GENIVAR does not assume any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise unless expressly required by applicable securities laws.

Pierre Shoiry
President and Chief Executive Officer
GENIVAR Inc.
Tel: [phone], ext. 5104
[email protected]

Isabelle Adjahi
Director, Communications and Investor Relations
GENIVAR Inc.
Tel: [phone], ext. 5648
[email protected]

Scott Stirton
Chief Executive Officer
Smith Carter Architects and Engineers Inc.
Tel: [phone]
[email protected]

Heather Smith
Director of Advanced Strategies
Smith Carter Architects and Engineers Inc.
Tel: [phone], ext. 312
[email protected]