Parsons Brinckerhoff name to disappear 13 Jan 2017

Parsons Brinckerhoff, one of the most recognised names in the world of civil engineering in the USA and internationally, is to disappear as part of a rebranding move by its current owner WSP.

Since being acquired by WSP in October 2014, the two companies have operated as WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff . Come May 2017, the name Parsons Brinckerhoff will be dropped and the activities of the combined firm rebranded under the one name WSP.

“We are adopting a single brand as the next step in the unification of the company,” said Gregory Kelly, President and Chief Executive officer of the US and Latin America region of WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff. “It will leverage the rich heritage, reputation and combined portfolios to strengthen our position in the marketplace.”

The firm will continue operating as WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff until May 2017. The US and Latin America region of the firm comprises approximately 8,000 employees in more than 100 offices working on hundreds of projects. “We look forward to continuing to serve our clients and making a major impact on the communities where we work through our contributions to transportation, buildings, energy and environmental projects,” said Kelly in the announcement.

Parsons Brincherhoff was established by William Barclay Parsons and Henry M Brinckerhoff in 1885. From its foundation, the firm has been headquartered in New York City with its current head office in One Penn Plaza, Manhattan, for several decades.

In October 2009, just as it was celebrating its 125 anniversary of being in business, Parsons Brinckerhoff was acquired by UK contracting company Balfour Beatty. It operated as a wholly owned subsidiary of the company until October 2014 when the firm was sold again by Balfour Beatty to WSP, the Canadian-based professional engineering services firm.

WSP started as a as a its a multidisciplinary consultancy based in UK. In 2012 Genivar of Canada acquired WSP. In January 2014 , the company reorganized as WSP Global Inc and adopted WSP as the brand name.

In combination, WSP and Parsons Brinckerhoff have a 130-year history, with roots in companies founded in the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada. With absorption of Parsons Brinckerhoff into the WSP Global brand, the engineering professional services firm will be employing approximately 36,700 people in more than 500 offices across 40 countries worldwide. Professional employees include engineers, technicians, scientists, planners, surveyors, program and construction management professionals, as well as various environmental experts, work for this dynamic

As one of the most recognised names in the international tunnel engineering industry, Parsons Brinckerhoff is associated with many significant tunnelling projects of the world. More recently these have included the Eurasia undersea TBM highway tunnel crossing of the Bosphorus Strait in Istanbul, Turkey, and Midtown immersed tube highway tunnel crossing of the Elizabeth River in the USA, and the parallel Thimble Shoals tunnel for the Chesapeake Bay highway crossing also in the USA. Historically, the firm was involved in major projects including delivery of the first subway lines in New York City, the BART metro system in San Francisco; the start of the Los Angeles Metro, and management with Bechtel of the Big Dig Central Artery viaduct replacement underground in Boston, USA.

Disappearance of the name Parsons Brinckerhoff in May 2017 and its confinement to historic record, will the ending of a particular era in the world of civil and tunnel engineering.