Halcrow Group

Last updated
Halcrow Group Limited
Company type Subsidiary
IndustryDesign, construction, engineering and business services
Founded1868 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 (acquired by Jacobs in 2017)
Website www.halcrow.com

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

Contents

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

In 2011, the company was acquired by US firm CH2M Hill, and in 2013 it was announced that the Halcrow brand would eventually be discontinued. [3] The parent subsequently (2015) rebranded the whole group to CH2M. Two years later, in December 2017, CH2M was acquired by Jacobs Engineering Group. [4]

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.

20th century

During the first half of the 20th century, William Halcrow (later Sir William) established the firm in other areas, notably tunnelling and hydroelectric schemes. Their war time work included the design and supervision of the construction of tunnels under London and the Mulberry Harbours used in the D-Day landings.

After the war, Halcrow's attention once again turned to Scotland. For the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board, a new generation of hydroelectric schemes to generate power for public consumption was developed. The Glen Affric scheme, started in 1947, was the biggest, but there were similar projects in neighbouring catchments such as Glen Garry and Glen Moriston – the latter including one of the first underground power stations in the UK – and Strathfarrar and Kilmorack.

In Wales, Halcrow's attention turned to water supply projects. The Claerwen dam opened in 1952 and, later, the Clywedog dam, helped create reservoirs to supply the towns and cities of the English West Midlands. Halcrow also designed railway tunnels at Potters Bar (1955) and the earlier Woodhead Tunnel (1954) and starting work on the new Victoria line underground line beneath central London. Overseas work ranged from roads, bridges and harbours in Ghana, Libya and Mozambique to dams in Venezuela and a power station in Buenos Aires. [5]

The firm had several names during the 20th century, including CS Meik and Buchanan (1920), CS Meik and Halcrow (1923), WT Halcrow and Partners (1941), Sir William Halcrow and Partners (1944), and, finally, Halcrow Group (1998). [6]

21st century

Halcrow offices at Burderop Park, near Swindon, in 2013 Burderop Park offices, west.JPG
Halcrow offices at Burderop Park, near Swindon, in 2013

Halcrow's consultancy work included water, transportation, maritime, environment, power and property projects. Its customers included 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. [6] Owned and managed by its employees and staff shareholders, Halcrow remained an independent firm until late 2011.

CH2M

In September CH2M Hill announced it was set to acquire the company, [7] and on 10 November 2011 CH2M Hill announced that it had completed the acquisition of Halcrow for £124m. [8]

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]

Jacobs Engineering Group

On 2 August 2017 CH2M agreed to be purchased by Jacobs Engineering Group in a US$2.85 billion cash and stock deal. Shareholders approved the deal in December 2017, [9] and the completion of the acquisition was announced on 18 December. [10]

Notable modern projects

As designer, Halcrow Group delivered the 'Clyde Arc' across the River Clyde in Glasgow. ClydeArc.jpg
As designer, Halcrow Group delivered the ‘Clyde Arc’ across the River Clyde in Glasgow.
Toronto Pearson International Airport: Halcrow Yolles was the structural engineer of record for the passenger terminal facility. Toronto Pearson Airport-Terminal 1.JPG
Toronto Pearson International Airport: Halcrow Yolles was the structural engineer of record for the passenger terminal facility.
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. NashendenValley5501.JPG
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.

See also

Related Research Articles

Charles Scott Meik was an English civil and mechanical engineer, and part of a minor engineering dynasty. His father Thomas Meik was also a civil engineer, as was Charles' brother Patrick Meik; collectively, they established a company which became one of the UK's major engineering consultancies.

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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. Pitt, Vern (18 April 2013). "Interview: Jacque Hinman". Building. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  4. "Jacobs to Acquire CH2M to Create Premier $15 Billion Global Solutions Provider". www.businesswire.com. 2017-08-02. Retrieved 2020-12-11.
  5. "The new Buenos Aires power station", Proceeedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers, 29 September 1964, Copyright ICE Publishing
  6. 1 2 "Halcrow - About us home page". Archived from the original on 2010-03-04. Retrieved 2007-11-12.
  7. "CH2M Hill to take over Halcrow". The Construction Index. 26 September 2011. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  8. "Completion of Acquisition of Halcrow / CH2M HILL". Newsroom.ch2mhill.com. November 10, 2011. Archived from the original on November 11, 2011. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
  9. "CH2M shareholders back merger with Jacobs". The Construction Index. 15 December 2017. Retrieved 18 December 2017.
  10. "Jacobs completes acquisition of CH2M". The Construction Index. 18 December 2017. Retrieved 18 December 2017.
  11. 1 2 "Halcrow - Project - Clyde Arc". Archived from the original on 2010-08-23. Retrieved 2010-02-26.
  12. 1 2 "Halcrow - Project - Toronto Pearson Airport - Terminal 1". Archived from the original on 2010-03-14. Retrieved 2010-02-26.
  13. "Halcrow - Projects - Medway Viaduct" . Retrieved 2010-02-26.[ permanent dead link ]
  14. "Halcrow - Project - Second Severn Crossing". Archived from the original on 2010-03-10. Retrieved 2010-03-02.
  15. "Halcrow - Project - One King West". Archived from the original on 2010-11-25. Retrieved 2010-02-26.
  16. "Halcrow - Project - Grand Mosque Abu Dhabi". Archived from the original on 2010-03-06. Retrieved 2010-03-02.
  17. "Halcrow - Projects - High Speed 1 page". Archived from the original on October 2, 2009. Retrieved 2010-02-25.
  18. "Halcrow - Project - Abu Dhabi International Airport". Archived from the original on March 6, 2010. Retrieved 2010-03-02.
  19. "Halcrow - Project - Yas Island". Archived from the original on 2013-01-25. Retrieved 2010-02-26.
  20. "Halcrow - Project - Busan Geoje fixed Link". Archived from the original on 2010-03-10. Retrieved 2010-03-02.