Engineering Inc. - July/August 2008 - (Page 14)

T PB of its business stemming from projects in the Middle East, compared with just 10 percent from the United States. The scope of the firm’s business is enormous. It is involved in the design and development of container terminals, liquefied natural gas facilities, dams and hydropower facilities, highways, tunnels, bridges, airports and other infrastructure projects. In the past 10 years, Halcrow has evolved from a primarily British consultancy anchored in government projects to one that accommodates the public and private sectors the world over. One such project is the Jebel Ali Port expansion in Dubai. In an effort to accommodate marine traffic by the year 2030, engineers designed and did the reclamation of a harbor with 2,800 hectares of marine terminals and 40 kilometers of quaywall—features that will enable massive Super-Post-Panamax container vessels to berth. Halcrow, under contract with DP World (formerly Dubai Ports Authority), is charged with juggling a variety of engineering tasks related to the project, including the acquisition of existing data, field data collection programs, the establishment and calibration of models for existing conditions, an analysis of dredging and reclamation impacts, preparation of cost estimates and additional environmental impact issues. American firms have a competitive edge in this large-scale program management, says Richard Fox, president of CDM, a 4,000-person firm with 18 offices overseas. “The U.S. has had a long history of large program jobs,” he says. “Only recently have developing countries combined both the need and the money to undertake large-scale programs, and they’re turning to U.S. expertise to manage them.” Keith J. hAwKSworth he opportunities in the global arena are enormous. A major company cannot afford to be on the sidelines. But it’s not just U.S. firms that benefit. British Halcrow has worked hard to develop the international presence required to land such megaprojects. Worldwide offices—often staffed with top local talent—allow the firm to serve as a “local service provider,” says Michael Della Rocca, president and regional managing director for the firm’s North American operations. To do that, he says, the firm often joins with local partners and forges strategic relationships—including joint ventures and public/private partnerships—with other global services companies. Emerging as an “A” player on the international engineering stage requires more than a desire to land lucrative contracts and provide a sophisticated array of services. With brainpower and talent scattered across several continents, “it’s important to leverage smart people wherever they are located,” says Oltmann. “Today, a global company must be truly multinational—in terms of its workforce and its overall business approach.” New Borders and Boundaries Engineering firms that thrive globally develop specialties that propel them to the forefront of the industry. Halcrow, which performs projects in a range of engineering disciplines, currently derives 6 percent of its business from maritime projects; PB focuses on transportation; CDM’s core competency is in the water sector; and Stanley Consultants—a Muscatine, Iowa–based firm that has worked in 98 countries—has established a presence creating military air bases, particularly in the Middle East. “We have historically used the international market to counterbalance the domestic market,” says Gregs Thomopulos, CEO of Stanley Consultants. “While the United States works its way through the current economic downturn, the international market is very robust.” Over the past fiscal year, Stanley’s revenues from its international operations climbed 70 percent while its overall revenues grew by just 15 percent. “With the high revenue from oil, many countries in the Middle East have ambitious infrastructure and other development projects. And the weak U.S. dollar has made U.S. firms very competitive compared with the European firms that have traditionally dominated overseas markets.” The Louis Berger Group has taken full advantage of the vibrancy of the global market. International operations accounted for 78 per- CDM has provided a range of engineering services for the design and upkeep of Singapore’s innovative Marina Bridge dating back to the early 1980s. PUB SiNGAPore Halcrow currently is working on the massive Jebel Ali Port expansion project in Dubai. 14 ENGINEERING INC. JULY / AUGUST 2008 SAM yeh/AFP/Getty iMAGeS

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Engineering Inc. - July/August 2008 Table of Contents From ACEC to You News & Notes Market Watch Legislative Action Congressman Kendrick Meek Going Global 2008 Professional Liability Insurance Survey Bridging the Gap 2008 Convention Wrap Up 2008-2009 Executive Committee 2008 Fall Conference Primer Business Insights Members in the News One on One

Engineering Inc. - July/August 2008

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