Lowry & Associates, an Irvine-based engineering firm...

Lowry & Associates, an Irvine-based engineering firm founded in 1946, has agreed to merge with the San Diego-based engineering firm of Neste, Brudin & Stone, effective Thursday. The new firm, to be called NBS/Lowry, will be based in San Diego, with Norman Neste as chairman and John B. Brudin as president and chief executive. Alfred W. Jorgensen, a Lowry principal and the firm’s chief financial officer, will be chief operating officer for the merged company.