BE&K: Difference between revisions

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The next year it won its first major contract in the energy sector, building an oil and gas processing plant in Louisiana for [[Sonat]]. Other diversification efforts led to a partnership with Finland's Jaakkro Poyry Group, acquisition of Brazos Construction, and a major contract from Media General to install cable television equipment. They also acquired Danco Construction and transformed it into a plant-shutdown specialist and entered the real estate development business with another Finnish partner, Polar Construction.
The next year it won its first major contract in the energy sector, building an oil and gas processing plant in Louisiana for [[Sonat]]. Other diversification efforts led to a partnership with Finland's Jaakkro Poyry Group, acquisition of Brazos Construction, and a major contract from Media General to install cable television equipment. They also acquired Danco Construction and transformed it into a plant-shutdown specialist and entered the real estate development business with another Finnish partner, Polar Construction.


During the late 1980s these efforts paid off and revenues climbed from $650 million in 1986 to $1.3 billion in 1988. In 1989 BE&K's reputation as a non-union "open shop" contractor became controversial. Union leaders alleged that BE&K's construction arm was marketing itself as a "union buster". BE&K was brought in to replace striking workers at an International Paper plan in Maine in 1987. Also that yea, union organizers caused significant delays to a BE&K project to construct a USS-POSCO steel mill in Pittsburg, California. BE&K sued the unions for unfair labor practices and the next decade brought innumerable filings and court actions which restricted BE&K's growth. The construction of a $535 million paper mill expansion in International Falls, Minnesota was threatened by wildcat strikes and a riot that caused damage to a camp BE&K had set up for out-of-state workers. Kennedy, who had also become president of the open-shop organization Associated Builders and Contractors, found himself at the focus of labor activism.
During the late 1980s these efforts paid off and revenues climbed from $650 million in 1986 to $1.3 billion in 1988. In 1989 BE&K's reputation as a non-union "open shop" contractor became controversial. Union leaders alleged that BE&K's construction arm was marketing itself as a "union buster". BE&K was brought in to replace striking workers at an International Paper plan in Maine in 1987. Also that year, union organizers caused significant delays to a BE&K project to construct a USS-POSCO steel mill in Pittsburg, California. BE&K sued the unions for unfair labor practices and the next decade brought innumerable filings and court actions which restricted BE&K's growth. The construction of a $535 million paper mill expansion in International Falls, Minnesota was threatened by wildcat strikes and a riot that caused damage to a camp BE&K had set up for out-of-state workers. Kennedy, who had also become president of the open-shop organization Associated Builders and Contractors, found himself at the focus of labor activism.


In 1992, Kennedy stunned an audience of contractors with a call to significantly upgrade worker compensation and benefits. Over the next several years he led a series of improvements that resulted in BE&K's recognition as a model employer. He said that "over the years, [I've] learned that you have to have faith that investing in people yields better work." Revenue reached a peak in 2000 at $1.8 billion.
In 1992, Kennedy stunned an audience of contractors with a call to significantly upgrade worker compensation and benefits. Over the next several years he led a series of improvements that resulted in BE&K's recognition as a model employer. He said that "over the years, [I've] learned that you have to have faith that investing in people yields better work." Revenue reached a peak in 2000 at $1.8 billion.

Revision as of 06:40, 30 August 2006

Be&k logo.jpg

BE&K, Inc. is an international engineering firm with its headquarters in Birmingham. In 2001 it became the largest private company in the Birmingham area and one of the 250 largest privately-held companies in the United States, according to Forbes 2003 rankings. BE&K designs, builds and maintains industrial facilities and sports stadiums in addition to providing engineering services to other firms.

The company has 10,000 employees in officies and divisions across the United States, Europe, Asia, South America and Australia. 2004 revenues were approximately $1 billion. The current CEO is Mike Goodrich. The company's headquarters are in International Park at I-459 and Acton Road.

History

BE&K was founded in April 1972 by former Rust Engineering employees Peter Bolvig, William Edmonds and Ted C. Kennedy, along with "silent partner" Henry Goodrich. Kennedy was the first CEO while Edmonds was chairman. The company's first major clients were pulp and paper mills. Through the 1970s they made a name for themselves by installing major paper processing equipment efficently for a variety of clients across the south. They built the region's first recycled newsprint mill for Southeast Paper Manufacturing in 1976.

The next year it won its first major contract in the energy sector, building an oil and gas processing plant in Louisiana for Sonat. Other diversification efforts led to a partnership with Finland's Jaakkro Poyry Group, acquisition of Brazos Construction, and a major contract from Media General to install cable television equipment. They also acquired Danco Construction and transformed it into a plant-shutdown specialist and entered the real estate development business with another Finnish partner, Polar Construction.

During the late 1980s these efforts paid off and revenues climbed from $650 million in 1986 to $1.3 billion in 1988. In 1989 BE&K's reputation as a non-union "open shop" contractor became controversial. Union leaders alleged that BE&K's construction arm was marketing itself as a "union buster". BE&K was brought in to replace striking workers at an International Paper plan in Maine in 1987. Also that year, union organizers caused significant delays to a BE&K project to construct a USS-POSCO steel mill in Pittsburg, California. BE&K sued the unions for unfair labor practices and the next decade brought innumerable filings and court actions which restricted BE&K's growth. The construction of a $535 million paper mill expansion in International Falls, Minnesota was threatened by wildcat strikes and a riot that caused damage to a camp BE&K had set up for out-of-state workers. Kennedy, who had also become president of the open-shop organization Associated Builders and Contractors, found himself at the focus of labor activism.

In 1992, Kennedy stunned an audience of contractors with a call to significantly upgrade worker compensation and benefits. Over the next several years he led a series of improvements that resulted in BE&K's recognition as a model employer. He said that "over the years, [I've] learned that you have to have faith that investing in people yields better work." Revenue reached a peak in 2000 at $1.8 billion.

BE&K was the designer of the Honda factory in Lincoln.

Divisions

BE&K heads a family of companies providing specialized services:

  • Allstates Technical Services, Inc. - outsourcing, staffing and employment management for engineering and IT.
  • As-Built Services - surveying, photography, structural analysis, CAD modeling, photogrammetrt and laser scanning
  • BE&K Building Group - commercial, healthcare, industrial and institutional construction services
  • MEI Consultants, Inc. - engineering services to the hydrocarbon and petrochemical industries (Acquired in 2000, headquartered in Houston, Texas)
  • NorthStar Communications Group, Inc. - wireline and wireless telecommunications and enterprise services
  • QBEK - quality assurance services
  • Rintekno Group - industrial and service facility design and construction. (Headquartered in Espoo, Finland)
  • BE&K's Saginaw Warehouse - small tools, consumables and equipment for construction
  • SW&B Construction - heavy industrial contracting specializing in pulp & paper mills. (Offices in Auburn, Maine and Daphne, Alabama)
  • Terranext, LLC - environmental consulting and engineering (Acquired in 1997, headquartered in Denver, Colorado)
  • Suitt Construction - construction and design-build services. (Headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina)
  • F. N. Thompson Company - general contracting, purchased in 1979 (Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina)

External link

References

  • Dinger, Ed (no date) "BE&K, Inc." Reference for Business [1] - accessed May 13, 2006
  • Bearden, Sandra. (Spring 2005) "Success by Design: Innovative Minds Build Solid Infrastructure." Venture. UAB School of Business. Vol. 8, No. 1.
  • Baker, Sharon M. (December 18, 1998) "Telecom Engineering Firm Acquired for $6M," Puget Sound Business Journal
  • Korman, Richard (September 6, 1990) "The Town Where Unions Tangle with BE&K," Engineering News-Record
  • Krizan, William G. (April 13, 1989) "News Unions, BE&K Square Off," Engineering News-Record
  • Park, Jennifer (October 25, 1999) "Diversification Key to BE&K's Growth," Birmingham Business Journal.
  • Stewart, Virginia (November 2, 2001) "BE&K widens its markets, remains employee-focused". Birmingham Business Journal.
  • Powers, Mary Buckner, (November 22, 1993) " 'We Take Care of Our Own,' " Engineering News-Record.
  • Shellenbarger, Sue, (December 26, 2001) "A Long Career Gives Business Leader Lesson in How to Value Labor". Wall Street Journal.
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