American-based electrical design firms ventured into overseas markets and explored new business opportunities to stay competitive in a challenging economy. Many companies turned to diversification to survive the sharp economic downturn, slowdown in the construction industry, and delay or cancellation of projects. Revenues dropped for nearly half of the firms in 2003, but more than 60% expect their sales to increase in 2004, according to EC&M's second annual Top 40 survey.
“We have certainly bottomed out, but things are looking brighter in 2004 versus 2003,” says Joe Umberto, vice president of business development for the power and energy division for Burns and Roe Group, which ranked 20th on this year's listing. “We believe there will be a rebound in the industry, but it won't be a steep recovery.”
The top players in the electrical design market are listed in the Table on the facing page. Each of these firms (with the exception of one) provided EC&M with its 2003 design revenue, which determined its ranking on the list. The firm that didn't supply us with this figure was ranked by data from Dun and Bradstreet's Million Dollar Database. The table also includes these firms' rankings from last year and the location of their headquarters.
For the 2004 listing, EC&M added some new firms and dropped others that didn't do a significant percentage of their work in the electrical design market. During 2003, some companies were also bought or sold, formed new operating divisions, or changed their operating names. For example, two acquisitions affected three of the companies on our list — The Sear-Brown Group, CH2M Hill, and Lockwood Greene. To expand its reach into the Northeast and break into the pharmaceutical industry, Stantec, Inc., an Alberta, Canada-based firm, acquired Rochester, N.Y.-based Sear-Brown Group in April 2004. Stantec, which has more than 50 offices and 4,000 employees throughout North America and the Caribbean, will add more than 10 office locations and 400 employees through the Sear-Brown acquisition. Denver-based CH2M Hill also expanded its engineering and construction capabilities by acquiring Spartanburg, S.C.-based Lockwood Greene for $95.5 million in December 2003.
To learn more about these as well as the other Top 40 electrical design firms, turn to page 48 to read the capsule summaries, which identify the companies' percentage of sales related to electrical design, the factors leading to an increase or decrease in their 2003 sales figure, their areas of expertise, and their Web site. This article will explain how these power players stay at the top of their game through working in diverse geographic markets and business segments. It will also discuss current trends in electrical design such as design/build and include some firms' predictions for the electrical design industry in 2004 and beyond.
Working overseas
To stay on top, it's no longer possible for electrical design firms to specialize in just one market or operate in a limited geographic region. Today's firms are designing electrical systems for power plants, industrial facilities, and commercial buildings worldwide. Many of the companies in EC&M's Top 40 listing are helping to rebuild Iraq, providing power to China, or working on oil and gas projects in South America or Eastern Europe. To capture the growing overseas power market, engineering firms are opening up branch offices abroad and establishing international joint ventures. By working abroad, an American-based engineering firm can take advantage of a wider range of opportunities, says Roger Smith, director of corporate strategy development for Fluor Corp.
“When the U.S. markets go through a recession, you have the opportunity to work in other areas to offset the slowdown,” Smith says. “Most of our clients are international companies, so we can create global alliances.”
Aliso, Viejo, Calif.-based Fluor Corp., which ranked fourth on the 2004 listing, was awarded a $102-million contract by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in October 2003 to support ongoing efforts to repair Iraq's electrical infrastructure. About 100 British and American Fluor employees are working alongside Iraqi engineers to repair, replace, or supplement generating, transmission, and distribution systems that are out of service, damaged, or operating at reduced capacity or efficiency within central Iraq. Fluor Corp. has been working in Iraq since last June and plans to establish a permanent presence in Iraq by opening up a branch office and launching a training program for the local workers.
“Fluor has the philosophy of helping the local communities that we work in and training the people to operate the facility once we are finished with it,” Smith says. “We bring in the local people and train them in labor skills so we can give them a better life. Since we have a long-term commitment to Iraq, we hope to be in the country for a long time and train Iraqis to execute work there.”
Power Engineers, a Hailey, Idaho-based engineering firm with 2003 sales of $70 million, also had a contract to restore electricity to Iraq. The company restored 360 kilometers of 400kV transmission line that was damaged by a storm at the beginning of the war and then further damaged by vandalism and looting following the occupation of Iraq by coalition forces. The firm also provided plant design, field engineering, and fuel system engineering for two diesel power plants in Afghanistan and is providing the design and engineering for a 50-mile-long 230kV transmission line in Puerto Rico.
While more engineering firms are performing work overseas, these companies are challenged by global instability in many regions. Major geopolitical issues in multiple international markets have caused operators to delay decisionmaking and postpone capital spending on major projects. For example, Fluor's sales dropped 12% in 2003 due to the delay of international projects in the upstream offshore market. For the firms that work on the development of oil reserves, the fluctuating price of oil can have a significant effect on whether or not the projects are viable. As a result, the starting date of a project may be delayed.
“Some clients are waiting to see what happens in the Middle East before they make their decision to move ahead with a project,” Smith says. “The current feeling now is that the oil prices will maintain their high levels.”
Diversifying market segments
In addition to working abroad, American engineering firms are also shifting their focus to thriving markets at home. Both government and private agencies have reduced the amount of spending on new projects. Since the competition has remained relatively the same, engineering and construction firms are now facing the challenge of marketing themselves in new areas of business.
Oradell, N.J.-based Burns and Roe experienced a slight increase in 2003 sales, but the soft power market prevented substantial growth. The overbuilding of gas turbine plants and high natural gas prices led to a decrease in the demand for natural-gas fired power plants and a resurgence of coal-fired generating stations. About 70 to 100 coal-fired power plants are being proposed throughout the United States, but Donald Flood, director of proposals and marketing for Burns and Roe, says he expects fewer plants to actually be built.
To compensate for the lull in power plant construction, Burns and Roe is involved in the waste-to-energy market. As the nation's landfills are filling up and closing down, more developers are building plants that convert garbage into usable energy. The waste-to-energy plants usually only produce about 50MW to 100MW of power as compared to 300MW to 1,000MW for natural gas-fired power plants. While the waste-to-energy plants are relatively small, Umberto says they provide a social service by getting rid of garbage.
“We think waste-to-energy and renewable resources is going to be a revived market because it's becoming very expensive to landfill,” Umberto says. “To prevent a parade of trucks from going through their states, some states are applying a $5-per-ton tax on each of the trucks.”
Burns and Roe is currently working on a waste-to-energy plant in Florida and has been awarded three other projects in the first quarter — two combustion turbine projects and another waste-to-energy project. The company is also looking forward to the future recovery of the power market. Umberto forecasts that a need for power in many areas will lead to a rebound in the engineering, design, and construction markets in late 2004.
“It takes two years to build natural gas plants and three years to build coal plants, so in 2007 or 2008, there will be a strong need for power again,” Umberto says. “Coming out of 2004 into 2005, the power market will be on its way up.”
Not only did the power market get hit hard in recent years, the telecommunications industry all but disappeared. During the dot-com boom, Edwards and Kelcey, which ranked 23rd on this year's listing, designed cell sites and data centers. The downturn of the economy and the collapse of the high-tech market led to a saturation in the marketplace.
“We were putting fiber all over and doing all kinds of installations, and no one knew if this fiber would be used or not,” says Jeremiah Muncaciu, an electrical engineer who specializes in the electrical design of highways, airports, and rail systems for Edwards and Kelcey. “In the end, we found out that some clients may have overbuilt fiber by as much as 90%.”
The collapse of some of the high-tech firms that Edwards and Kelcey was closely associated with in the Northeast drove the firm to look at new markets like education. After experiencing a dip in sales in 2003, the firm forecasts a 6% to 10% increase in sales for 2004 (Chart above) due in part to New Jersey's $16 billion state-wide school bond issue.
Before the bond issue, only one or two new schools would be under construction, and Morristown, N.J.-based Edwards and Kelcey would be fortunate to have a handful of renovation projects come their way. In 2004, however, six new schools are already under construction and more than a dozen aging facilities are being renovated. The average New Jersey school is 30 to 40 years old and generally in need of data and power improvements and other upgrades. Edwards and Kelcey is working on pre-K, childcare, elementary, middle and high school facilities in the northern part of the state, predominately in Jersey City and Newark, N.J.
“This bond issue has kept every contractor and designer in the state of New Jersey busy, and a few in Pennsylvania and New York are helping us out,” says Howard Kraus, an electrical engineer who specializes in schools, libraries, and other public buildings for Edwards and Kelcey. “It has been a big boost for us.”
Trends in electrical design
More electrical design firms are boosting their profitability through diversifying market segments. Companies are also improving the communication on construction projects through a design/build relationship. The Design-Build Institute of America projects that by 2005 most of the commercial work in the United States will use the design/build method. For the 2004 EC&M Top 40 survey, 14 companies answered the question, “What percentage of your work is design/build?” Overall, the respondents perform an average of 14% of their work using the design/build method of project delivery. While some firms reported that a mere 1% to 2% of their work was completed via this method, other companies, like the Fluor Corp., do a significant part of their work with design/build (54%). Smith says the company prefers to do design/build work because it's an integrated approach that delivers a better project at a better price.
“When the opportunity is there, we push our client to go for the design-build opportunity,” Smith says. “However, I think many clients want to have a design and then get a competitive bid to make sure that the EPC contractor is not overcharging them. If we had our preference, we would be 100% design/build, but that is not the reality in the marketplace.”
Other trends in electrical design cited by the respondents include the need to meet clients' demands for power quality and reliability. For example, Burns and Roe is designing combined heat and power systems for petrochemical and other industrial facilities that are looking for higher reliability following the Aug. 14 blackout, which cut off power to 50 milion people in the northeastern United States and Canada.
Charles Ballinger, director of communications for Edwards and Kelcey, says it's getting more challenging to meet clients' power quality demands. New Jersey's schools are starting to mandate the installation of emergency generators, and even toll plazas are requesting emergency backup power.
“The great Northeast blackout of last summer has made everyone sit up and take notice,” Ballinger says. “Our clients can't afford another loss like they had in the last blackout. Some recent media reports were saying it could happen again, so redundancy in a lot of systems has become more and more important.”
What's in store for 2004?
While the nation's largest electrical design firms endured a severe downturn in the market, they're now starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel. Construction economists don't forecast a recovery until 2005, but electrical design firms are already starting to see signs that the market may finally be turning around.
“There's more confidence out there right now in terms of companies willing to make investments to cover their needs,” Ballinger says. “I think the economy is inching back, but it's been a slow and unusual recovery.”
Carter & Burgess, a national firm based in Fort Worth, Texas, says its most daunting challenge for 2004 is managing its time and resources to handle all of the projects. With the possible recovery of the economy just around the corner, other firms may soon feel the same way.
Note: 2003 sales figures were supplied by each design firm. The revenue figure for Sear-Brown Group was acquired from a corporate news release issued by Stantec, which acquired the Sear-Brown Group in April 2004.
DP-Declined to participate in survey. This company's ranking is estimated based on information from Dun and Bradstreet's Million Dollar Database.
NL-Not listed. This company didn't appear in last year's Top 40 listing.
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Bechtel Corp., which is based in San Francisco, ranked second on our listing last year. This year we are listing Frederick, Md.-based Bechtel Power due to the division's focus on the electrical power market.
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CH2M Hill (#6) acquired Lockwood Greene (#18) in December 2003.
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Aker Kvaerner Oil, Gas, Process, and Energy (OGPE) was created during the restructuring of Aker Kvaerner in 2003.
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Stone and Webster and Energy Delivery Services, which ranked 14th and 29th on our 2003 listing, are now part of the Shaw Group, Inc.
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Atkins Benham, which ranked 32nd on our 2003 listing, changed its name to the Benham Companies after buying the company back from London-based Atkins in 2003.
Hot and Cool Markets for 2004
Top Players in Key Markets
We asked our survey respondents to identify the percentage of their design work focused in particular market segments. The following list highlights those companies that noted a strength in particular markets.
Automotive — ARCADIS (80%)
Aviation — TLC Engineering for Architecture (41%)
Chemicals and Petrochemicals — Fluor Corp. (55%)
Commercial Office Space — Flack + Kurtz (54%), Glumac International (34%), and Leo A. Daly (30%)
Data Centers — EYP Mission Critical Facilities, Inc. (60%)
Education and Institutional — Affiliated Engineers (25%)
Energy — Black & Veatch (52%)
Environmental — The Shaw Group (37%)
Health-Care — Smith Seckman Reid (72%), Ellerbe Beckett (50%), and Affiliated Engineers (35%)
Oil and Gas — VECO Corp. (85%) and Mustang Engineering (75%)
Pharmaceutical — Lockwood Greene (29%)
Power — Sargent & Lundy LLC (100%), Utility Engineering Corp. (100%), Burns and Roe Group (66%), POWER Engineers (62.5%), the Shaw Group (39%), Burns & McDonnell (35%), and Bechtel Power
Retail — Henderson Engineers (78%)
Sports and Recreation — Ellerbe Beckett (25%)
Transportation — Edwards and Kelcey (56%), Carter & Burgess (53%), Gannett Fleming (50%), and Washington Group International (28%)
Water and Wastewater — CH2M Hill Companies Ltd. (34.5%)
- URS CORP.
Headquarters. San Francisco
Branch Offices. URS has 300 offices in locations throughout the world, including the United States, Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, Europe, the Middle East, and the Asia/Pacific region.
2003 Sales. $3.1 billion
% Sales for Electrical Design. 1% to 5%
Behind the Numbers. The firm reported an increase in sales from $2.8 billion in 2002.
Areas of Expertise. Planning/design, construction services, operations and maintenance services, systems engineering and technical assistance
Web site. www.urscorp.com
- BECHTEL POWER CORP.
Headquarters. Frederick, Md.
Branch Offices. Bechtel Power Corp. works in about 60 countries.
2003 Sales. Bechtel Power earned $1.96 billion in workoff revenue in 2003.
% Sales for Electrical Design. The revenue for power design, which contains an unidentifiable electrical component, was $371 million.
Behind the Numbers. Bechtel Power did not provide a percentage increase or decrease in sales from 2002 to 2003.
Areas of Expertise. Construction management, startup, engineering, financing and development, procurement, project management, and technology
Web site. www.bechtel.com
- JACOBS ENGINEERING GROUP, INC.
Headquarters. Pasadena, Calif.
Branch Offices. Jacobs has about 60 offices in more than a dozen countries.
2003 Sales. $1.8 billion
% Sales for Electrical Design. This firm did not provide a breakdown of revenues for electrical design.
Behind the Numbers. The firm reports a decrease in design revenues from $1.896 billion in 2002 to $1.882 billion in 2003.
Areas of Expertise. Consulting, modular fabrication, technology services, planning, management services, architectural/engineering, construction/field and environmental, health, and safety services
Web site. www.jacobs.com
- FLUOR CORP.
Headquarters. Aliso Viejo, Calif.
Branch Offices. Fluor has offices in the United States, Canada, Latin America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia.
2003 Sales. $1.765 billion
% Sales for Electrical Design. This firm did not provide a breakdown of revenues for electrical design.
Behind the Numbers. The firm reports a 12% decrease in sales due to delays in the awarding of several major international projects, the winding down of the power generation build cycle, and geopolitical uncertainty.
Areas of Expertise. Architecture and planning services, design/build, electrical design, fire protection and life safety, mechanical and plumbing, operations and maintenance, procurement, project/construction management, and utilities planning
Web site. www.fluor.com
- PARSONS CORP.
Headquarters. Pasadena, Calif.
Branch Offices. Parsons operates in 46 states and 37 countries.
2003 Sales. Did not submit figure.
% Sales for Electrical Design. This firm did not provide a breakdown of revenues for electrical design.
Behind the Numbers. Sales increased as compared to the 2002 sales figure noted in D&B's Million Dollar Database.
Areas of Expertise. Planning, engineering, construction, project management, and technology
Web site. www.parsons.com
- CH2M HILL COMPANIES LTD.
Headquarters. Englewood, Colo.
Branch Offices. CH2M operates out of 350 permanent and project locations in 40 countries.
2003 Sales. $1.4 billion
% Sales for Electrical Design. 0.84%
Behind the Numbers. The firm reports an increase in total revenues for design services from $1.3 billion in 2002 to $1.4 billion in 2003 due to an increased need for design-related services for construction.
Areas of Expertise. Architecture and planning services, design/build, electrical design, energy management, mechanical and plumbing, operations and maintenance, and project and construction management
Web site. www.ch2m.com
- BLACK & VEATCH
Headquarters. Overland Park, Kan.
Branch Offices. Black & Veatch has more than 90 branch offices worldwide.
2003 Sales. $1.4 billion
% Sales for Electrical Design. This firm did not provide a breakdown of revenues for electrical design.
Behind the Numbers. The firm reports a decrease in 2003 sales from $2 billion in 2002 due to the downturn in the U.S. EPC energy market.
Areas of Expertise. Architecture and planning services, design/build, electrical design, energy management, financial services, information technology, mechanical and plumbing, operations and maintenance, procurement, project and construction management, and utilities planning
Web site. www.bv.com
- PARSONS BRINCKERHOFF
Headquarters. New York City
Branch Offices. Parsons Brinckerhoff has 150 branch offices worldwide.
2003 Sales. $896.6 million
% Sales for Electrical Design. This firm did not provide an exact breakdown of revenues for electrical design, but 65% of the company's total 2003 revenues was for design services.
Behind the Numbers. The firm reports an increase in sales from $823.3 million for design services during fiscal year 2002 to $896.6 million for design services during fiscal year 2003.
Areas of Expertise. Architecture and planning services, design/build, electrical design, energy management, financial services, information technology, mechanical and plumbing, operations and maintenance, procurement, project/construction management, research and development, and utilities planning
Web site. www.pbworld.com
- AKER KVAERNER OPGE
Headquarters. Houston
Branch Offices. The parent company, Aker Kvaerner Group, has 30 branch offices worldwide.
2003 Sales. $850 million
% Sales for Electrical Design. This firm did not provide a breakdown of revenues for electrical design.
Behind the Numbers. The firm reports higher sales in 2003 due to increased market shares and improved profitability.
Areas of Expertise. Process technology, design, engineering, project management, procurement, construction, maintenance, upgrading and support services to facilities already in operation. During restructuring in 2003, Aker Kvaerner created this new business group called Aker Kvaerner Oil, Gas, Process, and Energy (OPGE), which specializes in oil and gas development projects.
Web site. www.akerkvaerner.com
- HDR
Headquarters. Omaha, Neb.
Branch Offices. HDR has more than 90 branch offices worldwide in cities that include Chicago; Dallas; Alexandria, Va.; Tampa, Fla.; Pasadena and Sacramento, Calif.; Portland, Ore.; Seattle; Phoenix; and Minneapolis.
2003 Sales. $509.2 million
% Sales for Electrical Design. This firm did not provide a breakdown of revenues for electrical design.
Behind the Numbers. The 2003 sales figure submitted by the firm shows a 9% increase from the 2002 sales figure noted in D&B's Million Dollar Database. HDR attributes this increase in 2003 sales to larger project wins and added markets.
Areas of Expertise. Architecture and planning services, engineering, design/assist, design/build, electrical design, mechanical and plumbing, project and construction management, research and development, and utilities planning
Web site. www.hdrinc.com
- THE SHAW GROUP
Headquarters. Baton Rouge, La.
Branch Offices. The Shaw Group has 250 offices in the United States, the United Kingdom, Iraq, China, Australia, and Russia.
2003 Sales. $423 million
% Sales for Electrical Design. This firm did not provide a breakdown of revenues for electrical design.
Behind the Numbers. The firm reports a decrease in sales for design services in fiscal year 2003 from $600 million in fiscal year 2002 due to the downturn in the power market.
Areas of Expertise. Design/build, energy management, operations and maintenance, procurement, project/construction management, research and development, utilities planning, environmental and infrastructure, fabrication, and manufacturing
Web site. www.shawgrp.com
- MUSTANG ENGINEERING, L.P.
Headquarters. Houston
Branch Offices. Mustang Engineering has branch offices in Philadelphia; Birmingham, Ala.; LaPort, Texas; Gahanna, Ohio; Monroe, La.; Tampa, Fla.; Savannah, Ga.; and Martinez, Calif.
2003 Sales. $384.5 million
% Sales for Electrical Design. 4%
Behind the Numbers. The firm reports a decrease in sales from 2002 due to a lower number of awarded projects, a slower market, and a smaller backlog.
Areas of Expertise. Engineering services
Web site. www.mustangeng.com
- WASHINGTON GROUP INTERNATIONAL
Headquarters. Boise, Idaho
Branch Offices. Washington Group International has more than 40 offices worldwide. The major engineering offices are in Princeton, N.J.; Cleveland; Denver; Bellevue, Wash.; Irvine, Calif.; Downers Grove, Ill.; Aiken, S.C.; and Bucharest, Romania.
2003 Sales. $361.7 million
% Sales for Electrical Design. 20% was for power design.
Behind the Numbers. The firm reports a decrease in sales from 2002 due to the completion of several major projects.
Areas of Expertise. Architecture and planning services, design/build, electrical design, fire protection and life safety, mechanical and plumbing, operations and maintenance, procurement, project/construction management, research and development, utilities planning, civil and nuclear engineering, process engineering, and instrumentation and controls
Web site. www.wgint.com
- VECO CORP.
Headquarters. Anchorage, Alaska
Branch Offices. VECO has branch offices in Bellingham, Wash.; Centennial, Colo.; Durango, Colo.; Rock Springs, Wy.; Houston; Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Buranby, British Columbia, Canada; Abu Dhabi, UAE; and Mumbai, India.
2003 Sales. $350 million
% Sales for Electrical Design. 5%
Behind the Numbers. The firm reports a decrease in sales from 2002 due to a general lag in heavy industrial and energy-related projects.
Areas of Expertise. Design/build, electrical design, energy management, fire protection and life safety, information technology, mechanical and plumbing, operations and maintenance, procurement, project and construction management, and utilities planning
Web site. www.veco.com
- CARTER & BURGESS
Headquarters. Fort Worth, Texas
Branch Offices. Carter & Burgess has 36 offices in the United States.
2003 Sales. $288.2 million
% Sales for Electrical Design. 7%
Behind the Numbers. The firm's 2003 sales increased according to the sales figure of $285 million reported on last year's survey.
Areas of Expertise. Architecture and planning services, design/build, electrical design, energy management, fire protection and life safety, mechanical and plumbing, operations and maintenance, procurement, project/construction management, and utilities planning
Web site. www.c-b.com
- BURNS & MCDONNELL CORP.
Headquarters. Kansas City, Mo.
Branch Offices. Burns & McDonnell has branch offices in Atlanta; Chicago; Dallas; Denver; St. Louis; Fenton, Mo.; Miami; Summit, N.J.; O'Fallon, Ill.; Phoenix; Wichita, Kan.; Washington, D.C.; Houston; San Francisco; San Diego; and Los Angeles.
2003 Sales. $266.2 million
% Sales for Electrical Design. 37%
Behind the Numbers. The firm reports a slight decrease in design/build revenue from 2002.
Areas of Expertise. Architecture and planning services, design/assist, design/build, electrical design, energy management, financial services, information technology, mechanical and plumbing, operations and maintenance, procurement, project/construction management, and utilities planning
Web site. www.burnsmcd.com
- SARGENT & LUNDY LLC
Headquarters. Chicago
Branch Offices. Sargent & Lundy has U.S. office locations in Wilmington, Del.; St. Petersburg, Fla.; Chattanooga, Tenn.; and Houston and international and joint venture offices in Canada, China, Korea, India, Turkey, Egypt, and U.A.E.
2003 Sales. $253.2 million
% Sales for Electrical Design. This firm did not provide a breakdown of revenues for electrical design.
Behind the Numbers. The firm reports a decrease in sales from 2002 due to the downturn in the power market.
Areas of Expertise. Design/build, electrical design, energy management, fire protection and life safety, information technology, mechanical and plumbing, operations and maintenance, procurement, project/construction management, and utilities planning
Web site. www.sargentlundy.com
- LOCKWOOD GREENE
Headquarters. Spartanburg, S.C.
Branch Offices. Lockwood Greene has 25 branch offices in the United States, Thailand; Argentina; Ireland; Mexico; Puerto Rico; Brazil; China; and Singapore.
2003 Sales. $228.6 million
% Sales for Electrical Design. 13%
Behind the Numbers. The firm reports a decrease in sales from 2002 due to the continuing recession in industrial capital spending.
Areas of Expertise. Architecture and planning services, design/build, electrical design, mechanical and plumbing, operations and maintenance, procurement, and project/construction management
Web site. www.lg.com
- GANNETT FLEMING, INC.
Headquarters. Camp Hill, Pa.
Branch Offices. Gannett Fleming has 53 offices in the United States.
2003 Sales. $207.6 million
% Sales for Electrical Design. 1.84%
Behind the Numbers. The firm reports an increase in sales from 2002 due to the diversity of services offered.
Areas of Expertise. Architecture and planning services, design/build, electrical design, information technology, mechanical and plumbing, project/construction management, and utilities planning
Web site. www.gannettfleming.com
- BURNS AND ROE GROUP
Headquarters. Oradell, N.J.
Branch Offices. Burns and Roe has branch offices in Virginia Beach, Va.; Washington, D.C.; Mount Laurel, N.J.; Los Alamos, N.M.; Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney, Australia; Adelaidi; Taipei; and Singapore.
2003 Sales. $181.8 million
% Sales for Electrical Design. 25%
Behind the Numbers. The firm reports a slight increase in sales from 2002, but the soft power market prevented substantial growth.
Areas of Expertise. Architecture and planning services, design/build, electrical design, energy management, fire protection and life safety, mechanical and plumbing, operations and maintenance, procurement, project/construction management, and utilities planning
Web site. www.roe.com
- DEWBERRY
Headquarters. Fairfax, Va.
Branch Offices. Dewberry has 27 branch offices in the United States.
2003 Sales. $177.7 million
% Sales for Electrical Design. 1%
Behind the Numbers. Sales decreased from the 2002 sales figure of $184 million reported in last year's survey.
Areas of Expertise. Engineering, planning, architecture, design/build, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing, and information technology
Web site. www.dewberry.com
- LEO A. DALY
Headquarters. Omaha, Neb.
Branch Offices. Leo A. Daly has branch offices in Washington, D.C.; Atlanta; Miami; Dallas; Houston; Minneapolis; Phoenix; Las Vegas; Los Angeles; and Honolulu
2003 Sales. $177 million
% Sales for Electrical Design. 11%
Behind the Numbers. The firm reports an increase in sales from 2002 due to the additional workload and corresponding overall fee increases.
Areas of Expertise. Architecture and planning services, design/assist, design/build, electrical design, fire protection and life safety, mechanical and plumbing, project/construction management, and utilities planning
Web site. www.leoadaly.com
- EDWARDS AND KELCEY
Headquarters. Morristown, N.J.
Branch Offices. Edwards and Kelcey has 25 offices in the United States and Puerto Rico.
2003 Sales. $137 million
% Sales for Electrical Design. 5%
Behind the Numbers. The firm reports a decrease in sales from $144.7 million in 2002 due to a slowdown in the telecommunications and retail markets as well as a decline in the number of local and state projects.
Areas of Expertise. Architecture and planning services, design/build, electrical design, energy management, information technology, mechanical and plumbing, operations and maintenance, and project/construction management
Web site. www.ekcorp.com
- RTKL ASSOCIATES
Headquarters. Baltimore
Branch Offices. RTKL has branch offices in Chicago; Dallas; Los Angeles; Miami; London; Madrid; Shanghai; Tokyo; and Washington.
2003 Sales. $105 million
% Sales for Electrical Design. 5%
Behind the Numbers. The firm reports a decrease in sales from 2002 due to the prevailing economic conditions.
Areas of Expertise. Architecture and planning services, design/assist, design/build, electrical design, energy management, fire protection and life safety, information technology, and mechanical and plumbing
Web site. www.rtkl.com
- UTILITY ENGINEERING CORP.
Headquarters. Denver
Branch Offices. Utility Engineering has branch offices in Groton, Conn.; Atlanta; Minneapolis; Omaha, Neb.; and Amarillo, Texas.
2003 Sales. $76.6 million
% Sales for Electrical Design. 37%
Behind the Numbers. The firm reports an 11% decrease in sales from 2002 due to a downturn in the power market.
Areas of Expertise. Architecture and planning services, design/assist, electrical design, mechanical and plumbing, operations and maintenance, procurement, project/construction management, and utilities planning
Web site. www.ue-corp.com
- THE BENHAM COMPANIES, INC.
Headquarters. Oklahoma City
Branch Offices. The Benham Companies has branch offices in Atlanta; Norman and Tulsa, Okla.; Lowell and Little Rock, Ark.; Arlington, Texas; St. Paul, Minn.; Detroit; Houston; St. Louis; Phoenix; and Chicago.
2003 Sales. $75.2 million
% Sales for Electrical Design. This firm did not provide a breakdown of revenues for electrical design.
Behind the Numbers. The 2003 sales figure submitted by the firm is lower than the 2002 sales figure noted in D&B's Million Dollar Database.
Areas of Expertise. Architecture and planning services, design/build, electrical design, energy management, fire protection and life safety, information technology, mechanical and plumbing, operations and maintenance, procurement, project/construction management, and utilities planning
Web site. www.benham.com
- ELLERBE BECKETT
Headquarters. Minneapolis
Branch Offices. Ellerbe Beckett has branch offices in Washington, D.C.; Kansas City, Mo.; Greenville, S.C.; San Francisco; and Dubai, UAE.
2003 Sales. $75 million
% Sales for Electrical Design. 8%
Behind the Numbers. The firm reports a slight decrease in sales from 2002 due to a decline in professional sports and corporate/developer projects.
Areas of Expertise. Architecture and planning services, design/assist, design/build, electrical design, information technology, and project/construction management
Web site. www.ellerbebeckett.com
- SYSKA HENNESSY GROUP
Headquarters. New York City
Branch Offices. Syska Hennessy has branch offices in Los Angeles; Washington, D.C.; San Diego; Cambridge, Mass.; San Francisco; Seattle; Princeton, N.J.; Chicago; Jacksonville, Fla.; Dallas; Richmond, Va.; Charlotte, N.C.; and Atlanta.
2003 Sales. $73.6 million
% Sales for Electrical Design. 54%
Behind the Numbers. The firm reports 2003 sales are about the same as 2002. On last year's survey, Syska reported that its total revenue was $102.6 million, its nonconstruction revenue was $78.8 million, and its electrical design revenue was $22 million.
Areas of Expertise. Design/assist, design/build, electrical design, energy management, fire protection and life safety, information technology, mechanical and plumbing, operations and maintenance, procurement, project/construction management, utilities planning, architectural lighting design, and vertical transportation
Web site. www.syska.com
- POWER ENGINEERS, INC.
Headquarters. Hailey, Idaho
Branch Offices. POWER has branch offices in San Diego and Martinez, Calif.; Denver; Atlanta; Boise, Idaho; Portland, Maine; St. Louis; Billings, Mont.; Portland, Ore.; Longview, Wash.; Plover, Wis.; and Buenos Aires, Argentina
2003 Sales. $70 million
% Sales for Electrical Design. 75%
Behind the Numbers. The firm reports a decrease from 2002 sales of $88 million due to the lack of growth in the telecommunications and generation markets.
Areas of Expertise. Architecture and planning services, design/build, electrical design, energy management, information technology, mechanical and plumbing, operations and maintenance, procurement, project/construction management, and utilities planning
Web site. www.powereng.com
- AFFILIATED ENGINEERS, INC.
Headquarters. Madison, Wis.
Branch Offices. Affiliated Engineers has branch offices in Chapel, N.C.; Gainsville, Fla.; Rockville, Md.; Walnut Creek, Calif.; and Seattle.
2003 Sales. $53 million
% Sales for Electrical Design. 20%
Behind the Numbers. The firm reports 2003 sales were the same as in 2002. Last year, the firm reported sales of $53.18 million.
Areas of Expertise. Electrical design, energy management, fire protection and life safety, information technology, mechanical and plumbing, project/construction management, utilities planning, sustainable design, architectural lighting, controls, commissioning, and cost estimating
Web site. www.aeieng.com
- FLACK + KURTZ, INC.
Headquarters. New York City
Branch Offices. Flack + Kurtz has branch offices in San Francisco; Seattle; Washington, D.C.; London; Paris; and Hong Kong.
2003 Sales. $42.6 million
% Sales for Electrical Design. 35%
Behind the Numbers. The firm reports a decrease in sales from 2002 due to various market factors.
Areas of Expertise. Planning, design, and construction engineering services, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, commissioning, information technology, and lighting
Web site. www.flackandkurtz.com
- THE SEAR-BROWN GROUP, INC.
Headquarters. Rochester, N.Y.
Branch Offices. Stantec acquired the Sear-Brown Group in April 2004 and plans to integrate new offices in Rochester, Albany, Binghamton, Buffalo, Melville, and Syracuse, N.Y.; Fort Collins, Colo.; Cleveland; State College, Penn.; and Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. Sear-Brown's Denver employees will join with Stantec's existing Denver location while the Hillsborough, Ore., office was sold back to the Sear-Brown employees.
2003 Sales. According to Stantec's corporate news release, the acquired Sear-Brown Group generated $42 million in 2003.
% Sales for Electrical Design. This firm did not provide a breakdown of revenues for electrical design.
Behind the Numbers. Sales decreased as compared to the figure noted in D&B's Million Dollar Database.
Areas of Expertise. Architecture and planning services, engineering, and construction services
Web site. www.stantec.com
- VANDERWEIL ENGINEERS
Headquarters. Boston
Branch Offices. Vanderweil has branch offices in Princeton, N.J.; Alexandria, Va.; Baltimore; and Philadelphia.
2003 Sales. $41.3 million
% Sales for Electrical Design. 23%
Behind the Numbers. The firm reports a 13.5% decrease in sales from 2002 due to the general decline in the market and projects that were put on hold.
Areas of Expertise. Electrical design, energy management, fire protection and life safety, mechanical and plumbing, and utilities planning
Web site. www.vanderweil.com
- SMITH SECKMAN REID, INC.
Headquarters. Nashville, Tenn.
Branch Offices. Smith Seckman Reid has branch offices in Nashville, Tenn.; Dallas, Houston and Memphis, Texas; Phoenix; New Orleans; Sarasota and Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
2003 Sales. $38 million
% Sales for Electrical Design. 26%
Behind the Numbers. This firm did not provide a percentage increase or decrease in 2003 sales as compared to 2002 sales.
Areas of Expertise. Electrical design, energy management, fire protection and life safety, information technology, mechanical and plumbing, and utilities planning
Web site. www.ssr-inc.com
- TLC ENGINEERING FOR ARCHITECTURE
Headquarters. Orlando, Fla.
Branch Offices. TLC has branch offices in Tallahassee, Ft. Myers, Cocoa, Ft. Lauderdale, Coral Gables, Tampa, and Jacksonville, Fla.; and Nashville, Tenn.
2003 Sales. $34 million
% Sales for Electrical Design. This firm did not provide a breakdown of revenues for electrical design.
Behind the Numbers. The firm reports a 5.8% increase in sales from 2002 due to increased capabilities and geographic range of existing offices and more work in the health-care market.
Areas of Expertise. Electrical design, fire protection and life safety, mechanical and plumbing, structural, communications, and technology systems design
Web site. www.tlc-engineers.com
- ARCADIS
Headquarters. Highlands Ranch, Colo.
Branch Offices. ARCADIS has branch offices in Southfield/Detroit, Mich.; Greenville, S.C.; Raleigh/Durham, N.C.; Atlanta; Toledo, Cleveland/Akron, Ohio; Baltimore; Houston; Chattanooga, Tenn.; and Philadelphia.
2003 Sales. $30 million
% Sales for Electrical Design. 20%
Behind the Numbers. The firm reports a decrease in sales due to a decline in the automotive manufacturing industry.
Areas of Expertise. Architecture and planning services, design/assist, design/build, electrical design, energy management, fire protection and life safety, mechanical and plumbing, operations and maintenance, project/construction management, and utilities planning
Web site. www.arcadis-us.com
- EYP MISSION CRITICAL FACILITIES, INC.
Headquarters. New York City
Branch Offices. EYP MCF has branch offices in Albany, White Plains, and Middletown, N.Y.; San Francisco; Los Angeles; Atlanta; Chicago; Washington, D.C.; and London.
2003 Sales. $25 million
% Sales for Electrical Design. This firm did not provide a breakdown of revenues for electrical design.
Behind the Numbers. The firm reports a 15% increase in sales from 2002 due to the shift away from Internet and dot-com companies and toward other sectors like government and education.
Areas of Expertise. Electrical design, fire protection and life safety, information technology, operations and maintenance, and commissioning and diagnostics
Web site. www.eypmcf.com
- HENDERSON ENGINEERS
Headquarters. Lenexa, Kan.
Branch Offices. Henderson has branch offices in Bentonville, Ark. and Houston.
2003 Sales. $24 million
% Sales for Electrical Design. 40%
Behind the Numbers. The firm reports an increase in sales from $19.5 million in 2002 to $24 million in 2003.
Areas of Expertise. Electrical design, fire protection and life safety, information technology, mechanical and plumbing, civil engineering, and specialty lighting
Web site. www.hendersonengineers.com
- KJWW ENGINEERING CONSULTANTS
Headquarters. Rock Island, Ill.
Branch Offices. KJWW has branch offices in Naperville, Ill.; Des Moines, Iowa; St. Louis; and Madison, Wis.
2003 Sales. $19.5 million
% Sales for Electrical Design. 35%
Behind the Numbers. The firm reports a slight decrease in sales from $23 million in 2002 due to a drop in the number of available projects in the region, lower associated fees for the available projects, and slower decision-making from owners as to when projects would be released for design and construction.
Areas of Expertise. Design/build, electrical design, energy management, fire protection and life safety, information technology, mechanical and plumbing, and utilities planning
Web site. www.kjww.com
- GLUMAC INTERNATIONAL
Headquarters. San Francisco
Branch Offices. Glumac has branch offices in Portland, Ore.; Sacramento and Irvine, Calif.; and Seattle
2003 Sales. $15.5 million
% Sales for Electrical Design. 47%
Behind the Numbers. The firm reports a slight decrease in 2003 sales from 2002 due to the general downturn in the economy.
Areas of Expertise. Design/build, electrical design, energy management, fire protection and life safety, information technology, mechanical and plumbing, commissioning, and sustainable design
Web site. www.gisac.com
