And how did it become the largest architecture firm in the world in the course of only a decade?
If you have never heard of AECOM, or if you have only just recently become aware of the name but aren’t certain what exactly it is or does, you are not alone. Up until last year, AECOM was little more than a holding company, a fairly abstract entity that held together a loose consortium of design, engineering, and project management firms operating in their own sectors and under their own names. Its genesis dates to the late 1980s, when Kentucky-based Ashland Oil, looking to diversify its business, purchased five large architecture and engineering companies, creating a design firm called Ashland. The oilmen, however, soon lost interest in this line and allowed the companies to buy themselves back. In 1990, those five firms, including architecture giants DMJM and Frederic R. Harris, established the AECOM name, which stands for architecture, engineering, construction, operations, and management. From that moment forth, the growth did not cease as more and more firms were acquired and more and more disciplines were incorporated. In 2007, AECOM became a publicly traded company, and today it is one of America’s biggest firms with more than $6 billion in annual revenue.
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scary....also has anyone heard of Stantec. they're another growing firm-gobbler.
I found this piece from earlier this year where Pierre Belanger interviewed Joe Brown with Joe Brown, chief executive of planning, design, and development at AECOM, for ASLA's The Dirt, a stimulating read as well.
woops typo but link works
Aecom + Tishman
Los Angeles-based Aecom Technology Corp.—already one of the largest engineering and design firms in the world—has acquired Tishman Construction Corp. in a deal worth $245 million. Peter Lattman And Anton Troianovski report "Both Aecom and Tishman have weathered the downturn, benefiting from increased government spending on infrastructure world-wide, even as private-sector construction has sputtered." Publicly traded Aecom has 45,000 employees worldwide and $6 billion in annual revenues. Its growth has been boosted by the acquisition of 36 companies around the world over the past five years, including architecture, engineering, and environmental companies. The Tishman acquisition will add to its construction management capabilities.
and they keep growing and growing and growing....
I've worked with them on several projects....very aggressive and tend to want to take over control of the projects, even if they are a consultant....
same experience i had with them. very spotty in terms of competency as well.
I worked with the local office of Stantec in AZ, have to say it was the opposite experience....great.
I've got to agree with ^^. I worked with the London office and they were friendly and professional.
AECOM = corporate crime
https://www.nola.com/news/cour...
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