Company: Bechtel Corporation

Founder: Warren Bechtel

Industry: Construction

History:

Bechtel Corporation is one of the biggest engineering companies in the United States. Recognized as the 5th largest private-owned company in the United States, the Bechtel Group’s headquarters is located in San Francisco’s Financial District. In 2009, the group reportedly had more or less 4,000 employees in almost 50 countries.

In the past, the Bechtel Group was part of several construction companies involved in the construction of Hoover Dam. The company was also affiliated with countless impressive construction projects such as the Channel Tunnel, the undersea railway connecting United Kingdom and Northern France. Bechtel Corporation has also constructed refineries, nuclear power plants and other power projects.

Below is a list of other projects that were pursued by the company:

-BART
-Hong Kong International Airport
-the Big Dig,
-the USAID funded reconstruction of the civil infrastructure of Iraq
-the installation of over 35,000 mobile homes for victims of the Hurricane Katrina
disaster in 2005

Bechtel founder Warren A. Bechtel began working in the US railroad industry as an employee in 1898. Twenty years later, Bechtel organized a large contracting business specializing in railroad and highway construction. In 1919, Warren and Arthur Bechtel, and several partners constructed the Klamath Highway in California. Later on, Warren’s sons became involved with the family business until the company grew larger, thus becoming one of the world’s finest and earning revenue of $31.4 billion in 2008.

Leadership: Riley P. Bechtel, CEO