Engineering Inc. - July/August 2008 - (Page 12)
Globa GoinG By Samuel Greengard Firms finding profitable prospects outside I n an increasingly global world, Keith J. Hawksworth knows the distance between two riverbanks often is greater than the space between two nations. Over the past decade, technology has shattered barriers to international business and helped companies build bridges to projects that would have been unimaginable only a few short years ago. “Today, the opportunities in the global arena are enormous,” says Hawksworth, CEO of New York–based PB, formerly known as Parsons Brinckerhoff. “A major company cannot afford to be on the sidelines.” These days, PB, with more than 70 offices and 10,000 employees throughout the world, is building plenty of bridges—as well as tunnels, airports, power facilities, roadways and subway systems. PB’s portfolio of global projects includes the Chao Phraya River Bridge in Bangkok, the Sydney (Australia) Transit System, the Delhi airport, the East London Underground extension and the new Taiwan High Speed Rail project. In fact, half the firm’s business now is derived from international projects. PB is not alone. Many U.S. engineering firms now see the prospects of international business as a golden opportunity. Such deals, executives say, can cushion downturns in the domestic economy; boost revenues; tap into valuable human skills, knowledge and brainpower; and support a more efficient working environment, including the ability to follow the sun and conduct business 24 hours a day, seven days a week. “The forces contributing to globalization are accelerating. There is growing pressure on firms to compete internationally,” says Jeff Oltmann, principal consultant at Synergy Professional Services, a Portland, Ore.–based consulting firm. But success is no guarantee. A global presence requires wellconceived business processes; first-rate information technology (IT) tools; knowledgeable employees who understand how to work NASA
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Engineering Inc. - July/August 2008
Engineering Inc. - July/August 2008
2009 EEA Call for Entries
Table of Contents
From ACEC to You
News & Notes
Market Watch
Legislative Action
Congressman Kendrick Meek
Going Global
2008 Professional Liability Insurance Survey
Institute for Business Management 2008 Fall Course Catalog
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
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc_spring2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc_winter2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc1119
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0919
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0719
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0519
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0319
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0119
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc1118
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0918
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0718
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0518
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0318
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0118
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc1117
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0917
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0717
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0517
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0317
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0117
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc1116
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0916
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0716
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0516
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0316
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0116
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc1115
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0915
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0715
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0515
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0315
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0115
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc1114
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0914
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0714
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0514
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0314
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0114
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc1113
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0913
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0713
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0513
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0313
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0113
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc1112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0912
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0712
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0512
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0312
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc1111
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0911
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0711
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0511
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0311
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0111
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc1110
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringincSeptOct
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0710
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0510
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0310
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0110
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc1109
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0909
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0709
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0309
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0109_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0109
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc1108
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0908
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0508
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0308
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0108
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc1107
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0907
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0707
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0507
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0307
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0107
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0505
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0305
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc1105
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0306
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0105
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc1103
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0906
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0903
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0703
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0106
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0503
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0303
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0904
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc1104
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0704
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0504
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0905
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0705
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0104
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc1106
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0706
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com