Orange County’s top engineering firms reported a 6.2% rise in OC billings to $1.6 billion.
“From our perspective, we see steady growth opportunities, not only in private development but also in the infrastructure opportunities with transportation and utilities,” said Michael Tylman, west region practice lead for Michael Baker International, No. 7 on the Business Journal’s annual ranking. The firm opened a new office in the Hutton Center in Santa Ana in June. “Our workload is fairly steady.”
The 41 largest firms with headquarters or significant operations here combined reported that companywide billings were flat at $67.5 billion in the year ended June 30.
The list ranks OC’s largest firms by local billings. It also provides companywide revenues, the number of licensed engineers and local employees, none of which affect the rankings.
The firms combined to employ 1,412 licensed engineers in OC, a 2.4% increase. Total local employment was flat at 4,991.
The majority of firms, 24, said their billings were up. Only four said OC billings were down, compared with nine that indicated so a year ago. The Business Journal estimated billings for 13. One firm, Commercial Development Resources in Newport Beach, debuts on the list this year at No. 41.
• Perhaps the most notable change came at Dallas-based Jacobs Engineering Group Inc., where local billings more than doubled to $38.1 million. The firm, which has an Irvine office, climbed from No. 18 to No. 9 on the list; however, it reported its engineer and total employment count declined in OC.
Jacobs is certain to climb higher on next year’s list, as it said in August that it will buy Englewood, Colo.-based CH2M Cos., ranked No. 1 on this year’s list with an estimated $496 million in OC billings.
Big Gainers
• Arcadis U.S. Inc. jumped from 10th to sixth place, reporting OC billings increased 83% to $52 million. The firm, which has an Irvine office and maintains its U.S. headquarters in Colorado, said its OC employee count was flat.
Arcadis is working on projects that include the shipping terminals at the Long Beach and Los Angeles ports and the California high-speed rail.
“With more than 100 employees based in Irvine, we’ve enjoyed success in Orange County and the surrounding area as we focused on infrastructure, environment, buildings and water projects over the last year,” said Craig Halvorson, senior vice president of Infrastructure. “It’s been a busy year for us.”
• AECOM’s Orange office said OC billings increased 38% to $102 million. It hired nine engineers for a total of 115, and its OC employee count climbed 6.4% to 548.
• Burns & McDonnell reported billings rose 21% to $57 million. It hired four engineers for a total of 38. Its OC employee count increased 5.4% to 176.
Other Notable Changes
• The two biggest engineering firms on the list changed their top executives. Judy Johnson replaced Pete Woodfill at CH2M Hill, and Jennifer Foelske took over for Joe Brennan as general manager of Southern California operations at No. 2, Fluor Corp.
• 4 S.T.E.L. Engineering Inc. in Mission Viejo reported revenue doubled to $4.8 million. It added two engineers for a total of five and boosted employee count from 19 to 26. It jumped from No. 38 to No. 33.
• SPEC Services Inc. in Fountain Valley fell the furthest on the list, from seventh to 13th place as local billings declined 56% to $21.2 million and companywide billings fell 6.7% to $44.6 million. It reduced its local headcount by two to 36 and its companywide employment by 16% to 190.
