Engineering firms and engineering/architecture firms—those that earn more than 50% of their revenues from engineering—have their sights set on foreign shores. Many are jumping headfirst into international waters.
“Instead of overseeing projects from New York, our firm has established offices in Mumbai, Moscow, and other cities outside North America, aiming to overcome the challenge of navigating the local landscape or hiring practices, tax law, and business practices,” says Thomas Z. Scarangello, PE, CEO and Chairman of EA Giant Thornton Tomasetti.
Other firms are just dipping their toes into foreign waters, still looking for international business but choosing not to establish additional offices. Brad Harmsen, AIA, Chairman/CEO of BRPH, says that although his firm is actively working in locales across the globe, they’re partnering with domestic firms to do so, partly because of “the learning curve that comes when working with different currencies and legalities.”
SCROLL DOWN FOR GIANTS 300 ENGINEERING & ENGINEERING/ARCHITECTURE FIRM RANKINGS
Shanghai and Dubai are hot spots for E and EA Giants these days. Glumac, Magnusson Klemencic Associates, and Syska Hennessy Group have opened or expanded their offices in Shanghai. KJWW and Syska Hennessy opened new offices in Dubai. Thornton Tomasetti bucked the trend and opened offices in Beijing and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, while Arup Americas opened new offices in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, just in time for soccer’s World Cup in 2014.
Establishing an office abroad is one thing; getting the business is something entirely different. Referring specifically to the Middle East, Paul VanDuyne, PE, president of KJWW, says, “It takes approximately two years to develop the appropriate relationships, name recognition, and reputation to be successful in obtaining projects in this region.”
Despite the difficulties, an increasingly large share of engineering Giants’ yearly revenue is coming from international projects. Magnusson Klemencic President Ron Klemencic, PE, SE, says that 20-30% of MKA’s gross revenue comes from international business, while KJWW anticipates that 10% of its 2013 revenue will come from international projects. Syska Hennessy Group’s goal is to beef up its international activity by 25% over the next five years.
KEY ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY
Beyond establishing an international presence, technology is also a crucial differentiator for E and EA Giants firms.
Syska Hennessy Group’s new Information and Communications Technology group is offering an expanded scope of services for organizations looking to upgrade their IT platforms with the latest technologies. “Our new offerings include tools and expertise to apply virtualization of existing client environments, data center relocation management, disaster recovery and IT security services, and network and Internet/intranet design and implementation,” said Co-CEO/Co-president Cyrus J. Izzo, PE.
Thornton Tomasetti launched a new Building Sustainability practice in January and now offers LEED consulting and administration, energy and daylight modeling, and sustainable business strategies. The firm also has an advanced computational modeling team; it leverages new technologies by developing custom digital tools that utilize generative and parametric modeling, which enables its engineers to collaborate more effectively with architects in the early phases of design.
HELPING CLIENTS FIND THE MONEY FOR PROJECTS
New financing solutions are also playing a part in E/EA Giants’ business strategies. With the U.S. construction market still in recovery, alternative financing methods are being sought out to help clients put together the dollars they need to complete projects.
At Syska Hennessy Group, public-private partnerships are on the radar. “We are observing an increase in P3 projects across geographies and market sectors,” said Syska Hennessy Group’s Izzo. “The first building being delivered as a true P3 is the Long Beach courthouse in California, which will top out this summer.”
Others are bringing on experts to find the money. Graef hired an economic development specialist, Ronald Van Straten, who has more than 25 years’ experience in helping mostly municipal clients seek grants, low-cost loans, and other funding streams for their capital projects, including tax increment financing.
HEAVY CONCENTRATION AT THE TOP 10 FIRMS
As is true of most of the categories in our Giants 300 rankings, there is a great deal of concentration at the highest level in the E and EA markets. The top 10 engineering firms generated 47% of total revenue for the category, while the top 10 engineering/architecture Giants generated a hefty 85% of the dollars in their group. +
ENGINEERING FIRMS
Rank | Company | 2011 Total Revenue ($) |
1 | Fluor Corp. | 220,674,900 |
2 | Arup | 140,324,134 |
3 | WSP USA | 98,900,000 |
4 | Syska Hennessy Group | 98,744,701 |
5 | Affiliated Engineers | 92,815,000 |
6 | KPFF Consulting Engineers | 89,000,000 |
7 | Henderson Engineers | 61,266,000 |
8 | AKF Group | 58,100,000 |
9 | TTG/TMAD Taylor & Gaines | 56,820,300 |
10 | Smith Seckman Reid | 53,497,000 |
11 | R.G. Vanderweil Engineers | 49,823,500 |
12 | KJWW Engineering Consultants | 43,784,892 |
13 | Bard, Rao + Athanas Consulting Engineers | 40,100,000 |
14 | Coffman Engineers | 37,200,000 |
15 | TLC Engineering for Architecture | 36,387,033 |
16 | Degenkolb Engineers | 35,398,917 |
17 | Sebesta Blomberg | 35,120,000 |
18 | ESD/Environmental Systems Design | 34,465,000 |
19 | Rolf Jensen & Associates | 34,300,000 |
20 | Walter P Moore | 34,231,775 |
21 | RMF Engineering | 34,005,000 |
22 | Glumac | 33,010,927 |
23 | Magnusson Klemencic Associates | 32,306,973 |
24 | RDK Engineers | 30,882,000 |
25 | Mazzetti Nash Lipsey Burch | 28,836,967 |
26 | Aon Fire Protection Engineering | 28,200,000 |
27 | Birdsall Services Group | 27,500,000 |
28 | Interface Engineering | 25,938,485 |
29 | M/E Engineering | 25,915,000 |
30 | ccrd partners | 24,100,000 |
31 | H.F. Lenz Co. | 22,799,000 |
32 | Heapy Engineering | 21,402,816 |
33 | Sparling | 20,589,847 |
34 | ThermalTech Engineering | 19,890,000 |
35 | KCI Technologies | 19,761,000 |
36 | Newcomb & Boyd | 18,454,021 |
37 | Henneman Engineering | 18,000,000 |
38 | Bridgers & Paxton Consulting Eng. | 17,650,492 |
39 | GHT Limited | 17,363,705 |
40 | Eaton Energy Solutions | 16,694,769 |
41 | Rutherford & Chekene | 16,538,000 |
42 | Dunham Associates | 15,500,000 |
43 | Joseph R. Loring & Associates | 15,000,000 |
44 | Wallace Engineering | 13,780,000 |
45 | James Posey Associates | 13,500,000 |
46 | KLH Engineers | 12,559,382 |
47 | Lilker Associates Consulting Engineers | 12,500,000 |
48 | Karpinski Engineering | 12,343,996 |
49 | P2S Engineering | 11,896,229 |
50 | RMH Group, The | 11,864,683 |
51 | Peter Basso Associates | 10,400,000 |
52 | Rist-Frost-Shumway Engineering | 10,039,000 |
53 | French & Parrello Associates | 9,782,762 |
54 | Bala Consulting Engineers | 9,360,000 |
55 | Allen & Shariff | 8,610,036 |
56 | Wick Fisher White | 7,821,928 |
57 | Brinjac Engineering | 7,342,166 |
58 | CTLGroup | 6,030,000 |
59 | O’Dea, Lynch, Abbattista Consulting Engineers | 5,900,000 |
60 | FBA Engineering | 4,000,000 |
61 | Kamm Consulting | 3,681,775 |
62 | Apogee Consulting Group | 2,485,000 |
63 | G&W Engineering | 2,058,000 |
ENGINEERING/ARCHITECTURE FIRMS
Rank | Company | 2011 Total Revenue ($) |
1 | Jacobs | 2,699,100,000 |
2 | AECOM Technology Corp. | 1,487,000,000 |
3 | M+W U.S. | 1,015,199,252 |
4 | Stantec | 463,300,000 |
5 | Parsons Brinckerhoff | 311,300,000 |
6 | URS Corp. | 294,100,000 |
7 | exp | 205,000,000 |
8 | Science Applications International Corp. | 185,390,000 |
9 | Merrick & Co. | 111,000,000 |
10 | Day & Zimmermann | 109,909,604 |
11 | SSOE Group | 107,819,740 |
12 | STV | 104,876,000 |
13 | Thornton Tomasetti | 98,017,214 |
14 | Burns & McDonnell | 94,711,826 |
15 | Dewberry | 89,282,766 |
16 | Michael Baker Jr., Inc. | 80,730,000 |
17 | Middough | 75,750,000 |
18 | Clark Nexsen | 68,424,208 |
19 | Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates | 64,080,000 |
20 | Simpson Gumpertz & Heger | 59,170,000 |
21 | AKF Group | 58,100,000 |
22 | H&A Architects & Engineers | 39,064,020 |
23 | Walker Parking Consultants | 34,422,898 |
24 | BRPH | 31,500,000 |
25 | Bergmann Associates | 30,700,000 |
26 | Shive-Hattery | 28,192,943 |
27 | Atkins North America | 23,620,537 |
28 | Ross & Baruzzini | 20,377,769 |
29 | Barge Waggoner Sumner & Cannon | 20,100,000 |
30 | Paulus, Sokolowski and Sartor | 18,300,000 |
31 | Guernsey | 18,293,701 |
32 | L.R. Kimball | 17,759,000 |
33 | GRAEF-USA | 16,770,180 |
34 | Zak Companies | 12,335,494 |
35 | CJL Engineering | 12,228,000 |
36 | Stanley Consultants | 10,892,000 |
37 | Spectrum Engineers | 8,828,890 |
38 | GRW | 6,290,216 |
39 | Davis, Bowen & Friedel | 4,680,714 |
40 | Vintage Archonics | 1,972,220 |
Related Stories
Adaptive Reuse | Jul 12, 2024
Detroit’s Michigan Central Station, centerpiece of innovation hub, opens
The recently opened Michigan Central Station in Detroit is the centerpiece of a 30-acre technology and cultural hub that will include development of urban transportation solutions. The six-year adaptive reuse project of the 640,000 sf historic station, created by the same architect as New York’s Grand Central Station, is the latest sign of a reinvigorating Detroit.
University Buildings | Jul 11, 2024
3 considerations for designing healthy, adaptable student dining
Amanda Vigneau, IIDA, NCDIQ, LEED ID+C, Director, Shepley Bulfinch, shares three ways student dining facilities have evolved to match changes in student life.
Healthcare Facilities | Jul 11, 2024
New download: BD+C's 2024 Healthcare Annual Report
Welcome to Building Design+Construction’s 2024 Healthcare Annual Report. This free 66-page special report is our first-ever “state of the state” update on the $65 billion healthcare construction sector.
Transit Facilities | Jul 10, 2024
Historic Fresno train depot to be renovated for California high speed rail station project
A long-shuttered rail station in Fresno, Calif., will be renovated to serve as the city’s high speed rail (HSR) station as part of the California High-Speed Rail Authority system, the nation’s first high speed rail project. California’s HSR system will eventually link more than 800 miles of rail, served by up to 24 stations.
Government Buildings | Jul 8, 2024
GSA adopts new accessibility guidelines for federal properties
The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) adopted a new rule with new accessibility guidelines for federal buildings. The rule establishes that pedestrian facilities in the public right-of-way are readily accessible to and usable by people with disabilities.
Office Buildings | Jul 8, 2024
Office vacancy peak of 22% to 28% forecasted for 2026
The work from home trend will continue to put pressure on the office real estate market, with peak vacancy of between 22% and 28% in 2026, according to a forecast by Moody’s.
Virtual Reality | Jul 8, 2024
Can a VR-enabled AEC firm transform your project?
With the aid of virtual reality and three-dimensional visualization technologies, designers, consultants, and their clients can envision a place as though the project were in a later stage.
Green | Jul 8, 2024
Global green building alliance releases guide for $35 trillion investment to achieve net zero, meet global energy transition goals
The international alliance of UK-based Building Research Establishment (BRE), the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA), the Singapore Green Building Council (SGBC), the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), and the Alliance HQE-GBC France developed the guide, Financing Transformation: A Guide to Green Building for Green Bonds and Green Loans, to strengthen global cooperation between the finance and real estate sectors.
Codes and Standards | Jul 8, 2024
New York State building code update would ban fossil fuels in new buildings
New York’s Building Code Council is set to include the All-Electric Buildings Act in its 2025 code update. The Act would ban natural gas and other fossil fuels in new buildings.
AEC Tech Innovation | Jul 4, 2024
Caution competes with inevitability at conference exploring artificial intelligence for design and construction
Hosted by PSMJ, AEC Innovate in Boston found an AEC industry anxiously at the threshold of change.