Halcrow Acquisition – 2011

Sir William Halcrow

Halcrow acquisition brings deep engineering and design expertise to global market.

In November CH2M HILL acquired Halcrow, a prestigious UK-based engineering, planning, design, and management services firm, for approximately $272.6 million or about £124 million.  The combination of the two firms helps CH2M HILL advance its leadership in water, environmental, transportation, and other markets. With the addition of Halcrow’s operations in Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific, and South America, CH2M HILL more than doubled its international presence to almost 30,000 employees globally, including more than 11,000 outside of the U.S.  Halcrow reported revenues of £465 million ($1,022.2 million) in 2010.

Halcrow was established in 1868 by Thomas Meik, who built the business as a ports, maritime, and railway specialist in Scotland and northern England. In the 1890s, he expanded his practice outside the United Kingdom. William Halcrow (later, Sir William) took the helm in the early 20th century and established the company as a pioneering force in areas such as tunneling and hydroelectric power. In 1998, the company and its various subsidiaries were branded as Halcrow, with the remit of an integrated infrastructure consultancy and engineering company with broad employee ownership.

Example signature projects, for which Halcrow served in a key engineering and construction management role, included the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (a high-speed train running under the English Channel connecting London to Paris); the Broadland Flood Alleviation Scheme (U.K.); the Yas Island, Abu Dhabi Racetrack and Marina; the Sheikh Zayed Mosque (also in Abu Dhabi); the St. Petersburg, Russia Flood Barrier; the Chongzun Expressway in China, and the Incheon Bridge in South Korea.