Halcrow Group

Halcrow Group Limited
Subsidiary
Industry Design, construction, engineering and business services
Founded 1868 by Thomas Meik
Headquarters London
United Kingdom
90 offices worldwide, of which 28 are in the UK
Key people
Tony Pryor, Chairman,
Peter Gammie, Group Chief Executive
Revenue £238 million (2011)[1]
Number of employees
3377 (2011)[1]
Parent CH2M HILL
Website www.halcrow.com

Halcrow Group Limited is a multinational engineering consultancy company, based in the United Kingdom.

Halcrow is one of the UK's largest consultancies,[2] with origins stretching back to 1868. The UK-based consultancy specialises in the provision of planning, design and management services for infrastructure development worldwide. With interests in transportation, water, maritime and property, the company is undertaking commissions in over 70 countries from a network of more than 90 offices.

History

The company was founded in 1868 by civil engineer Thomas Meik, and originally bore his name, and later those of his sons, Patrick and Charles. It worked extensively on port, maritime and railway projects in the North of England, in Wales and in Scotland, before undertaking its first commissions outside the UK in the 1890s.

During the first half of the 20th century, William Halcrow (later Sir William) established the firm in other areas, notably tunnelling and hydroelectric schemes.

The firm has had several previous names, including CS Meik and Buchanan (1920), CS Meik and Halcrow (1923), WT Halcrow and Partners (1941) and Sir William Halcrow and Partners (1944). The current name was adopted in 1998.[3]

Modern company

Halcrow offices at Burderop Park, near Swindon, in 2013

Today Halcrow's consultancy work includes water, transportation, maritime, environment, power and property projects. Its customers include government departments, public sector authorities and utilities, industrial and commercial companies, international funding agencies and financial institutions.

In 2008, the company reported a turnover of £468 million. Projects undertaken outside the UK accounted for 48% of turnover.[3] Owned and managed by its employees and staff shareholders, Halcrow remained an independent firm until 2011. On 10 November 2011 CH2M Hill announced that it had completed the acquisition of Halcrow for £124m.[4]

It was subsequently reported that Halcrow was effectively rescued by CH2M Hill, having incurred a pre-tax loss of £71m in its last year of independent trading (to 31 December 2011), on a turnover of £238m, down from £331m in 2010. Accounts lodged with Companies House showed that CH2M Hill's financial backing was crucial to Halcrow’s survival; the US firm agreed a secured loan to the company in December 2012 without which there would have been doubt regarding the firm’s ability to continue as a going concern.[1]

Notable modern projects

As designer, Halcrow Group delivered the ‘Clyde Arc’ across the River Clyde in Glasgow.[5]
Toronto Pearson International Airport: Halcrow Yolles was the structural engineer of record for the passenger terminal facility.[6]
The 1260m long Medway Viaduct carries the high-speed Channel Tunnel Rail Link across the estuary of the River Medway. The viaduct is the largest bridge on the CTRL route and it has become a symbol for the new high speed railway.[7]

Engineering & other related disciplines

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Pitt, Vern (10 April 2013). "Halcrow was £71m in the red before CH2M Hill takeover". Building. Retrieved 10 April 2013.
  2. For example, it was ranked 5th in the New Civil Engineer 2009 Consultants File listing: Top firms by number of civil and structural staff, with 6275 staff - http://www.nce.co.uk/top-firms-by-number-of-civil-and-structural-staff/1995394.article. Accessed: 27 June 2012.
  3. 1 2 "Halcrow - About us home page". Retrieved 2007-11-12.
  4. "Completion of Acquisition of Halcrow / CH2M HILL". Newsroom.ch2mhill.com. November 10, 2011. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
  5. 1 2 "Halcrow - Project - Clyde Arc". Retrieved 2010-02-26.
  6. 1 2 "Halcrow - Project - Toronto Pearson Airport - Terminal 1". Retrieved 2010-02-26.
  7. "Halcrow - Projects - Medway Viaduct". Retrieved 2010-02-26.
  8. "Halcrow - Project - Second Severn Crossing". Retrieved 2010-03-02.
  9. "Halcrow - Project - One King West". Retrieved 2010-02-26.
  10. "Halcrow - Project - Grand Mosque Abu Dhabi". Retrieved 2010-03-02.
  11. "Halcrow - Projects - High Speed 1 page". Archived from the original on October 2, 2009. Retrieved 2010-02-25.
  12. "Halcrow - Project - Abu Dhabi International Airport". Retrieved 2010-03-02.
  13. "Halcrow - Project - Yas Island". Retrieved 2010-02-26.
  14. "Halcrow - Project - Busan Geoje fixed Link". Retrieved 2010-03-02.

External links


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