Coffman Engineers Acquires S.S. Dannaway Associates

Words: Bronzella Cleveland

Coffman Engineers, Inc., a mid-sized, multidiscipline engineering firm, has acquired Honolulu-based fire protection engineering firm S.S. Dannaway Associates, Inc (SSDA).

SSDA is the Pacific Rim’s leading fire protection engineering firm. They bring to Coffman 14 staff members and more than 30 years of experience through offices in Honolulu and Guam. Coffman has more than 360 employees with eight office locations serving clients across the United States and overseas.

Coffman Engineers Founder, Dave Coffman, said: “I am particularly excited about the fire protection engineering growth at Coffman with the addition of Sam Dannaway and his staff. We have a great deal of respect for the successful business Sam has built, their technical capabilities, and their dominance in the Pacific Rim fire protection market. We are privileged to provide SSDA employees a great place to work, commitment to their career growth, and support for SSDA clients with the excellence in services they have come to expect.”

Founder and President of S.S. Dannaway, Samuel S. Dannaway, added: “All of us at S.S. Dannaway Associates are thrilled to join the Coffman team. We are very excited that our fire protection group will play a key role in fulfilling the Coffman commitment to providing quality fire protection engineering throughout the United States and important international markets.”

SSDA’s employees will remain in their current office location. Samuel Dannaway, PE, FSFPE, will become VP of Fire Protection Technology at Coffman. Other SSDA partners Robert T. Bigtas, PE; and Jay T. Higashi, PE, will become principals at Coffman and lead the Pacific Region fire protection group.

The addition of the SSDA staff brings Coffman’s Honolulu presence to more than 40 multidiscipline engineers and support staff, and also grows the companywide fire protection engineering group to 40 professionals located across the country.

The Craft of Brick Repair: The Difference Between a Coverup and a Solution
June 2026

More often than not, you can walk up to a wall, observe its condition, and get an entire timeline story. How it was built, how footers were set, and where water is routed. After years in the field, I’ve come to understand that brick repair isn’t maintenan

The Benefits of Concealed Lintel Systems in Modern Masonry
June 2026

When looking at iconic structures built throughout history, one of the most recognizable architectural elements is the masonry arch. These arches are not only aesthetically and visually pleasing but also serve as an engineering solution for structural sta

What’s New With CMU: A Closer Look From Ken Rathbun
June 2026

Anyone who’s spending time around CMU jobs today can see the shift. Concrete masonry isn’t just the backup wall; it is the finish on more projects. Thanks in part to the CMU check-off program and a broader focus on design and education, architects and own

Brick & Masonry Aesthetics: Managing Color, Consistency, and Architectural Expectations
June 2026

Brick and masonry remain among the most admired architectural materials in the world because of their natural beauty and authenticity. Masonry possesses depth, variation, texture, permanence, and character that synthetic cladding systems often struggle to