Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum (HOK), St. Louis, has announced that Sam Spata, AIA, senior principal, has been promoted to director/management + operations for HOK International. Formerly situated in the firm’s New York City office, Spata will now be based in London. In addition, the firm has appointed Jeff Schantz, AIA, to the newly created position of strategic director for the Science + Technology Group. Schantz will provide worldwide support for lab projects. SEi Cos., Boston, founded in 1961 as Shooshanian Engineering, is marking its 45th year in business this year. Since its 2003 name change, the MEP engineering consulting firm has established offices in Houston and in Washington D.C., and created a renewed focus on sustainable design. Recent lab projects include Millennium Pharmaceuticals’ 35 Landsdowne St. location in Cambridge, Mass., and a 370,000-ft2 tenant lab facility at Cambridge Center. SEi has also announced that Dennis G. Dinsmore, RCDD, has joined the firm as associate director/information technologies engineering. PaR Systems, St. Paul., Minn., has acquired SSI Robotics, Tustin, Calif. SSI, which provides lab automation products and life science equipment development and manufacturing, will become the core of PaR Systems’ new Life Sciences Automation product line, focusing on biotech, lab, medical, and pharmaceutical applications. SSI founder Paul Smith will be GM for the new business. Terms were not disclosed. Airgas Inc., Radnor, Pa., has completed the planned acquisition of the assets and operations of Houston-based Aeriform Corp. Aeriform is an independent distributor with 29 locations in Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Kansas. RNL, the Denver-based design firm, has announced the purchase of wind power to power its offices in support of its commitment to sustainable design practices. RNA purchased 252,685 kWh from Renewable Choice Energy in the form of certificates. The transaction equates to preventing more than 350,000 lb of CO2 pollution, effectively taking 31 cars off the road. RNL is also actively promoting the LEED accredited professional program, with Ann Baker and Curtis Scharfenaker as the firm’s most recently named APs. The RNL-designed Colorado Springs Utilities Environmental Services Laboratory recently received the 2006 Exemplary Building Award from the Colorado Renewable Energy Society. The project was rated LEED Silver. SmithGroup has opened an office at 2530 Meridian Parkway, Suite 300, Research Triangle Park, NC 27713. The phone number for the new location is 919-806-4467; Chris Brasier, principal, has been hired to lead the design team. Formerly Brasier was principal/director of marketing of the Raleigh firm PBC+L Architecture. SmithGroup has also promoted the following to associate in its Detroit headquarters office: Hikmat Gerges, PE; Jerome Misiolek; Renee Sarcinia; Marie Sayer; and Andre Sharon. Clay Vogel has been appointed associate in the Chicago office; Vogel is a senior architectural designer in the Health + Science Studio. BSA LifeStructures has hired Karen Vaccarello as director of client and media relations in its Chicago office. Formerly Vaccarello was manager of business development at the Chicago office of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP. BSA is based in Indianapolis and specializes in the design of research, technology, healthcare, and education facilities. Lytron Inc. has opened a new factory and administrative space in Woburn, Mass. The maker of high-performance heat-transfer systems and components has doubled its square footage and increased its manufacturing capabilities with this move, which also provided space for the integration of staff from the recent acquisition of Lockhart Industries Inc.