This article first appeared in the 200107
issue of BD+C.
Parsons Brinckerhoff Inc. spread its wings this year by acquiring PPK Environment & Infrastructure Pty. Ltd., a Sydney, Australia-based civil engineering and environmental consulting firm, furthering its most recent objective — and the overall industry trend — of creating a greater global sphere of influence.
"The [building] owners are increasingly looking for firms that are active all over the world," says Robert Prieto, PB's chairman of the board. "The owners themselves are changing, their needs are changing, and firms like ourselves have the right global footprint to provide them with the services they need.
"The firm down the street who has never been to Shanghai? Well, we have an office in Shanghai," says Pietro. "Our strength since we [expanded] out of New York City has been that we were going to be local so that we would become part of that community and therefore part of whatever big project happened in that community."
The emerging global client base has led PB to become increasingly involved in tying together various building services, something Pietro calls "life-cycle physicality program management." The management approach means PB is involved in building projects from the initial strategic planning and designing to construction completion and post-occupancy, when the owner may need to expand his facilities or accommodate a change in the company mission. The engineer would "stay with the owner as if on the owner's staff, and would bring with him the experience" of being there from the beginning.
According to Pietro, the advantage is that clients no longer have to bring engineers "up to speed." Instead, the consultants will have been there, recommending strategies from day one.
In the next year, PB hopes to look for meaningful acquisitions in the building market, bringing new skills to the firm and expanding its size. According to Pietro, today's growth in the building sector, its second largest practice area, will allow PB to take advantage of the market in the future. With 3,000 of its 9,000 total employees working outside the United States, PB stands to make an imprint worldwide. Pietro says, "Global is a state of mind. It's about how you think about yourself, how your clients think about you and how you relate to them."
| 1 (1) $331.50 | BE&K Inc. 2000 International Park Drive Birmingham, AL 35243 (205) 972-6000 www.bek.com |
As the largest grossing engineering firm for 2000, BE&K spread its wings this past year and acquired two engineering firms,Industra E&C of Portland, Ore., and MEI of Houston. Recent projects include a $440 million automotive manufacturing facility for Honda in the firm's home state, as well as the Opryland Hotel in Orlando, Fla., costing $250 million. T.C. Kennedy, Chmn.; T. Michael Goodrich, Pres., CEO. |
| 2 (—) $161.16 | Fluor Corp. One Enterprise Drive Aliso Viejo, CA 92698 (949) 349-2000 www.fluor.com |
With 41 percent of its revenues derived from projects outside the United States, Fluor Corp. completed buildings around the globe in 2000, including the Silterra Wafer Tech building in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and the Suncor Millennium project in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, Canada. Domestic projects include the Pfizer Solid Dosage building in New London, Conn. Philip J. Carrol, Jr., CEO; Alan L. Boeckmann, COO. |
| 3 (3) $135.00 | Washington Group 1500 W. 3rd St. Cleveland, OH 44113-1408 (216) 523-8668 www.wgint.com |
Washington Group was formed in July 2000 following the acquisition by Morrison Knudsen Corp. of Raytheon Engineers & Constructors. With 38,000 employees, the Washington Group works in more than 40 countries worldwide. The firm provides engineering, construction and program management services to the environmental, industrial, governmental and transportation markets. Dennis R. Washington, Chrmn., CEO; Stephen G. Hanks, Pres. |
| 4 (4) $91.39 | Parsons Brinckerhoff Inc. One Penn Plaza New York, NY 10119 (212) 465-5000 www.pbworld.com |
Firm offers a full range of engineering services encompassing the transportation, power, environmental and building sectors (see profile above), with revenues of $1.16 billion. Recent domestic projects include the Cincinnati Reds ballpark; the Warren Technical Facility for General Motors in Warren, Mich.; and the Cintas facility in Perrysburg, Ohio. Thomas J. O'Neill, Pres., CEO; Robert Prieto, Chmn.; Joel H. Bennett, Sr. VP. |
| 5 (8) $62.19 | R.G. Vanderweil Engineers Inc. 274 Summer St. Boston, MA 02210-1123 (617) 423-7423 www.vanderweil.com |
A revamping of the management last year left the firm with a newly appointed CEO as well as new regional managers. Total revenues for 2000 were $71.8 million. The firm's recent projects include the Discovery Cove at Sea World in Orlando, Fla., and the World Trade Center, East Tower, Boston. A staff of 560 includes 98 registered engineers, including both mechanical and electrical disciplines. Garen H. Demirchien, Pres.; Paul J. Banks, CEO. |
| 6 (7) $57.88 | Syska & Hennessy 11 West 42nd St. New York, NY 10036 (212) 921-2300 www.syska.com |
In the last year, Syska & Hennessy moved majority ownership and control to the firm's management. Total revenues for the year 2000 equal $88.6 million. Recent projects include facilities for Nortel in Billerica, Mass., and the Manhattan Civil Court in New York City. Firm has a total staff of 615, including 169 registered engineers. Design/build accounted for 20 percent of work. John F. Hennessy III, Chmn.; Andrew P. Watson, Pres., COO. |
| 7 (37) $51.00 | Gage-Babcock & Associates Inc. 3975 Fair Ridge Drive, No. 310 North Fairfax, VA 22033-2924 (703) 934-6440 www.gage-babcock.com |
Total revenues were $85 million last year, with an increase in retrofit projects. Emphasis for the company includes fire-protection, life-safety and security engineering. The firm currently has six major U.S. offices. With more than 30 registered engineers, Gage-Babcock has 76 employees. Thomas W. Jaeger, Pres.; Alfred J. Longhitano, VP, Treas.; Douglas J. Rollman, VP Bus. Dev. |
| 8 (12) $38.00 | Flack + Kurtz Inc. 475 Fifth Ave. New York, NY 10017 (212) 532-9600 www.flackandkurtz.com |
Flack + Kurtz Consulting Engineers was acquired by the London-based WSP Group, forming Flack + Kurtz Inc. Firm designs M/E/P for telecommunications, data, audiovisual, security and lighting systems with services ranging from planning to construction administration. Recent projects include Safeco Field in Seattle, with 46,000 seats and a retractable roof, and Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati. Norman D. Kurtz, Pres.; Alan Zlotkowski, Sr.VP; Alan Traugott, VP. |
| 8 (10) $38.00 | KPFF Consulting Engineers 1201 Third Ave., Suite 900 Seattle, WA 98101 (206) 622-5822 www.kpff.com |
KPFF completed 3,400 projects last year, continuing its growth. Projects included the Imunex Headquarters in Seattle. Thirteen percent of the company's buildings are reconstruction projects, while 22 percent are federal, state and local government buildings. Seventy percent of its total 2000 billings were for structural engineering projects, while the other 30 percent were civil engineering projects. David I. Thomas , Chmn.; Jeff Asher, Pres. |
| 10 (—) $31.36 | Arup 955 Massachusetts Ave. Cambridge, MA 02139 (617) 864-2987 www.arup.com |
More than 6,000 people worldwide and 447 in the United States make up the staff of this multinational engineering firm, of which London-based Ove Arup Partnership is the parent. Among U.S. projects are the $28 million historic renovation of Tweed Courthouse in New York City, the $30 million Austin Museum of Art in Texas, and renovation of the General Motors Proving Ground in Warren, Mich. Tony Fitzpatrick, Chmn., Americas Division; Raymond Crane, Prin. |
| 11 (15) $28.50 | BR+A/Bard, Rao + Athanas Consulting Engrs. 1320 Soldiers Field Road Boston, MA 02135 (617) 254-0016 www.brplusa.com |
BR+A provides fully integrated mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire-protection engineering services, as well as telecommunication/data engineering and building commissioning for health-care, research, academic and corporate clients nationwide. Recent projects include a 715,000-sq.-ft. research building on the University of Michigan's campus and the University of Maryland's Dental School. Eugene M. Bard, Pres.; Arjun B. Rao, VP. |
| 12 (13) $25.94 | Affiliated Engineers Inc. 625 N. Segoe Road, P.O. Box 5039 Madison, WI 53705-0039 (608) 238-2616 www.aeieng.com |
Firm serves markets including research facilities, development facilities, health care, data centers, utility infrastructure and commercial office buildings. Total revenues were $28.2 million. Recent projects include the National Institutes of Health in Washington, D.C.; three data centers for Sprint in various domestic locations; and a 1 million-sq.-ft. research center for Immunex in Seattle. John S. Nelson, CEO; Steve Frei, Prin. |
| 13 (16) $23.81 | Walter P. Moore and Associates Inc. 3131 Eastside, Second Floor Houston, TX 77098-1919 (713) 630-7300 www.walterpmoore.com |
Total revenues were $25.6 million in 2000. Structural design firm specializes in large facilities, including arenas, stadiums, convention centers, themed entertainment, airports and parking facilities. Current projects include DFW Terminal D and Parking Garage in Dallas, George Bush Intercontinental Airport's International Terminal Expansion in Houston and the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford, Conn. Raymond F. Messer, Pres.; Lawrence G. Griffis, Sr. Prin. |
| 14 (18) $22.28 | RJA Inc. 549 W. Randolph, Fifth Floor Chicago, IL 60661-2208 (312) 831-4752 www.rjagroup.com |
In the past year, RJA has grown to 17 offices in the United States, while Fire Protection Management (FPM), an affiliate, has grown to seven offices. Firm provides full line of fire-protection and security engineering consulting services, construction management services and educational programs on fire-protection topics to the commercial, institutional and industrial marketplace. Martin H. Reiss, Pres., CEO; Steven W. Moran, VP. |
| 15 (19) $21.77 | Simpson Gumpertz & Heger Inc. 297 Broadway Arlington, MA 02474 (781) 643-2000 www.sgh.com |
Structural design firm investigates and retrofits buildings and structures of all types, designing structural elements and assemblies, building envelope systems and mechanical structures. Current projects include a $10 million Yale School of Medicine building, the repair and rehabilitation of the historic roof of the New York State Capitol Building and additional new construction on the campus of Princeton University. Glen R. Bell, CEO; Thomas A. Schwartz, Pres. |
| 16 (11) $21.55 | Burns and Roe Group Inc. 800 Kinderkamack Road Oradell, NJ 07649 (201) 986-4335 www.roe.com |
Providing services to government and commercial clients in the power, process, infrastructure and federal services market, Burns and Roe has a staff of 1,700, including 171 registered engineers. Total revenues in 2000 were $143.6 million. Major projects in the last year include several power plants as well as an accelerator facility for the production of tritium for the U.S. Department of Energy in South Carolina. K. Keith Roe, Chmn., CEO; Robert J. Hemler, COO. |
| 17 (20) $21.22 | Tilden Lobnitz Cooper 1717 S. Orange Ave., Suite 300 Orlando, FL 32806 (407) 841-9050 www.tlc-engineers.com |
An M/E/P, structural, electronic systems and aquatics engineering firm, Tilden Lobnitz Cooper specializes in health care, education, corporate commercial development, governmental facilities and aviation. With reorganized management, the firm has a staff of 230. Current projects include the expansion of major airports in Orlando and Tampa, Fla. and the Mall of the Millennia in metro Orlando, Fla. John Douglas Benz, CEO; Winston Gardner, COO. |
| 18 (31) $21.00 | Glumac International 320 S.W. Washington St., Suite 200 Portland, OR 97204 (503) 227-5280 www.glumac.com |
Five offices were combined into one in the past year for this engineering firm. Emphasis rests in commercial, health care, higher education, data centers, laboratories and retail buildings. Current projects include the 160,000-sq.-ft. Student Recreation Center at Washington State University; the 28-story FoxTower in Portland, Ore.; and the 250,000-sq.-ft., five-story CNF headquarters in Portland. Steven Straus, Pres.; Rick Thomas, CFO. |
| 19 (—) $20.62 | Clark, Richardson & Biskup Consulting Engrs. 7410 NW Tiffany Springs Parkway, Suite 100 Kansas City, MO 64153 (816) 880-9800 www.crbusa.com |
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| 20 (28) $18.30 | DLB Associates 1001 Wickapecko Drive Wanamessa, NJ 07712 (732) 774-2000 www.dlbassociates.com |
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| 21 (26) $17.20 | KJWW Engineering Consultants, P.C. 623 26th Avenue Rock Island, IL 61201-5290 (309) 788-0673 www.kjww.com |
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| 22 (23) $16.59 | Skilling Ward Magnusson Barkshire Inc. 1301 Fifth Ave., Suite 3200 Seattle, WA 98101-2699 (206) 292-1200 www.skilling.com |
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| 23 (22) $16.41 | Sebesta Blomberg & Associates 2381 Rosegate, P.O. Box 131750 Roseville, MN 55113 (651) 634-0775 www.sebesta.com |
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| 24 (25) $15.93 | Sparling Inc. 720 Olive Way, Suite 1100 Seattle, WA 98101-1853 (206) 667-0510 www.sparling.com |
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| 25 (32) $15.80 | Henderson Engineers Inc 11627 W. 79th Street Lenexa, KS 66214 (913) 492-3377 www.hei-kc.com |
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| 26 (21) $15.40 | Fru-Con Construction Corp. 15933 Clayton Rd., P.O. Box 100 Ballwin, MO 63022-0100 (636) 391-6700 www.frucon.com |
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| 27 (27) $14.58 | Weidlinger Associates Inc. 375 Hudson Street New York, NY 10014-3656 (212) 367-3000 www.wai.com |
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| 28 (—) $14.47 | Shooshanian Engineering Inc. 88 Black Falcon Ave., Suite 210 Boston, MA 02210-2414 (617) 210-1600 www.shooshanian.com |
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| 29 (24) $14.14 | Brinjac Engineering Inc. 114 N Second St. Harrisburg, PA 17101-1401 (717) 233-4502 www.brinjac.com |
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| 30 (36) $13.68 | Bala Consulting Engineers Inc. 259 E. Lancaster Ave. Wynnewood, PA 19096 (610) 649-8000 www.bala.com |
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| 31 (29) $13.19 | Newcomb & Boyd One Northside 75 Atlanta, GA 30318-7761 (404) 352-3930 www.newcomb-boyd.com |
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| 32 (30) $13.00 | Michaud, Cooley, Erickson 333 S. 7th St., Suite 1200 Minneapolis, MN 55402 (612) 339-4941 www.michaudcooley.com |
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| 33 (33) $11.85 | Heapy Engineering LLC 200 S. Keowee St. Dayton, OH 45402 (937) 224-0861 www.heapy.com |
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| 34 (34) $11.17 | H.F. Lenz Co. 1407 Scalp Ave. Johnstown, PA 15904-3329 (814) 269-9300 www.hflenz.com |
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| 35 (35) $8.13 | The RMH Group Inc. 12600 W. Colfax Ave., Suite A-400 Lakewood, CO 80215 (303) 239-0909 www.rmhgroup.com |
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| 36 (—) $7.90 | James Posey Associates Inc. 3112 Timanus Lane Baltimore, MD 21244-2871 (410) 265-6100 www.jposey.com |
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| 37 (—) $7.35 | Bridgers & Paxton Consulting Engineers Inc. 4600-C Montgomery Blvd., N.E. Albuquerque, NM 87109 (505) 883-4111 www.bpce.com |
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| 38 (—) $6.74 | Goetting & Associates Inc. Consulting Engineers 12042 Blanco Road Suite 200 San Antonio, TX 78216-2440 (210) 530-7000 www.goetting.com |
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| 39 (38) $6.21 | Dufresne-Henry Inc. Precision Park, Box 29 North Springfield, VT 05150 (802) 886-2261 www.d-hinc.com |
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| 40 (—) $6.01 | Zak-Heideman Companies Inc. 13545 Barrett Parkway Drive, Suite 200 St. Louis, MO 63021 (314) 822-5242 www.zhco.com |
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