WSP Global

WSP Global Inc.
Public company
Traded as TSX: WSP
Industry Design, Engineering consulting, Environment consulting, Planning, Professional services
Predecessor
Founded 1959
Headquarters Montreal, Canada
Key people
Alexandre L'Heureux, (President and Chief Executive Officer)
Revenue $6.1 billion (2015)[1]
Number of employees
36,500 (2016)[2]
Website www.wsp-pb.com
WSP office in Markham

WSP Global Inc. is a Canadian-based business providing management and consultancy services to the built and natural environment. It is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange. After the purchase of New York-headquartered professional services firm Parsons Brinckerhoff in October 2014, WSP Global effectively became one of the largest professional services firm in the world, with approximately 36,500[3] employees in 500 offices serving in 40 countries.

History

Engineering Services firms, G.B.G.M. Ltd and Les Consultants Dupuis, Côté Inc., began operating in Quebec City in 1959.

In 1969 in England, WSP was established by Chris Cole and three other partners trading as the William Sale Partnership.[4] In 1976, it was a founder member of the Building Services Research and Information Association (BSRIA). It was first listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1987.[4]

After acquiring three firms and geographical expansion in 1993, the name was changed to GENIVAR.[5]

In the 1990s the company expanded at home and overseas forming WSP Asia in 1995, incorporating T P O'Sullivan and Partners in 1997, acquiring US practices Cantor Seinuk and Flack + Kurtz in 2000, as well as buying Jacobson & Widmark (J&W) in Sweden in 2001, LT Consultants Oyj and EMP Projects Oyj in Finland in 2003 and, PHB Group in the UAE in 2005.[4]

On 7 June 2012, Genivar Inc. announced that it made a friendly takeover cash offer of £278 million (C$442 million) for WSP Group plc, headquartered in London. The offer was backed by WSP's board of directors as well as investors holding 37% of the company's shares and the take over was completed on 1 August 2012.[6][7][8] This merger created a professional services firm with approximately 15,000 employees, working in over 300 offices worldwide.[9]

The company reorganised its corporate structure on 1 January 2014, to create a parent company named WSP Global Inc. and adopted the common brand of WSP.

On 31 October 2014, WSP Global announced that it had completed the purchase of New York-headquartered professional services firm Parsons Brinckerhoff from Balfour Beatty plc for USD$1.24 billion.[10] The company has a network of approximately 170 offices and nearly 13,500 employees on five continents[11] and became a wholly owned independent subsidiary.[12] Together, WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff is one the largest professional services firms in the world with approximately 32,000 employees in 500 offices serving 39 countries.

In early 2015, WSP Global announced the engineering consultancy firm's plans to expand to 45,000 employees by 2020.[13]

In October 2016, WSP purchased Mouchel Consulting from Kier for approximately £75 million.[14]

Operations

The company is organised into the following main service areas: Buildings, Energy, Environment, Industry, Mining, and Transport and Infrastructure.[15]

Notable projects

Notable projects in progress

Notable completed projects

References

  1. http://www.marketwired.com/press-release/wsp-reports-solid-q4-and-fiscal-2015-results-tsx-wsp-2105921.htm
  2. "Quick Facts". WSP Group. Retrieved 09 November 2016. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  3. "Who we are". WSP Group. Retrieved 2016-11-09.
  4. 1 2 3 "Building Magazine, The Long Haul". Retrieved 3 April 2008.
  5. "History". WSP. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  6. Van Praet, Nicolas (2012-06-07). "Genivar bids for WSP Group as Quebec firms continue Europe takeover binge". Financial Post. Retrieved 9 June 2012.
  7. "Genivar's $442 million WSP Group PLC takeover, no job cuts". The Gazette. 2012-06-08. Retrieved 9 June 2012.
  8. "GENIVAR and WSP Group join forces to become a global professional services firm with world-class expertise". GENIVAR Inc. (GNV). TMX Group. 2012-06-07. Retrieved 9 June 2012.
  9. "GENIVAR Inc Completes Acquisition Of WSP Group PLC". Reuters. Retrieved 1 August 2012.
  10. http://online.wsj.com/articles/balfour-beatty-to-sell-parsons-brinckerhoff-to-wsp-global-1409778904
  11. http://www.wspgroup.com/en/WSP-UK/Who-we-are/Newsroom/News-releases1/20141/WSP-to-Acquire-Parsons-Brinckerhoff-a-Leading-Global-Professional-Services-Firm-With-a-Deep-Expertise-in-Infrastructure-/. Retrieved 23 September 2014. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  12. Press release WSP Global
  13. Nicolas Van Praet (2015-01-20). "Engineering consultancy firm WSP Global soars to new heights". The Globe And Mail. Retrieved 23 February 2016.
  14. Rhiannon Bury (2016-10-12). "Kier Banks £40m as it offloads consultancy business to WSP". The Telegraph. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
  15. "WSP Services". Retrieved 24 September 2014.
  16. https://oneworldobservatory.com/
  17. "KLCC - Petronas Towers". Retrieved 2011-09-25.
General

Design Management of Buildings

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