Answering a Desperate Need for Infrastructure Development, Burns & McDonnell Makes a Bold Step to Expand Its Footprint Internationally

KANSAS CITY, MO--(Marketwired - Sep 29, 2014) - After traveling to 40 countries and working in six continents, Mike Brown has witnessed how the power of engineering can transform a community and enhance the lives of those that call it home. In a newly created role as President of Burns & McDonnell International, Brown will leverage his unique perspective to develop a strategic plan that will propel the global engineering, architectural, construction and environmental consulting firm further outside of the U.S. borders and potentially triple Burns & McDonnell's international workforce within the next five years. 

"Our goal is to replicate what we have done domestically and bring that overseas," says Mike Brown, President, Burns & McDonnell International, who has been a senior leader at Burns & McDonnell for more than a decade in various legal and business development roles. "From water and aviation to energy and construction, we'll provide robust and diverse expertise from every global practice which translates into extreme value for our clients."

"This is a tremendous milestone for Burns & McDonnell and I can't think of a better man to lead this effort than Mike Brown," says Greg Graves, Chairman and CEO, Burns & McDonnell. "Mike's expertise in law makes him a master of detail, and his background in business development allows him to see opportunity everywhere. His unique background makes him the ideal person to provide a unified strategic vision to our international operations."

Burns & McDonnell's first international experience was when founders Clinton Burns and Robert McDonnell landed a project in 1908 with hydroelectric development for El Tigre Mining Company in Mexico.

Today, the firm has projects in more than 60 countries, with the U.S. Federal Government being one of its biggest clients, providing substantial support of aviation and military facilities. With growing offices in Doha, Qatar; Mumbai, India; and Calgary, Alberta, Canada, opening another international office is at the top of Brown's 'to do' list.

"While our international work history is impressive, we have never made the strategic decision to pursue work on a global scale on a consistent basis ... until now," says Graves. "I expect to double our revenue from international projects in the next five years, and then double it again five years after that."

"We're in the process of reviewing market data and business opportunities to determine the location of our next office," says Brown, who will identify where Burns & McDonnell can bring the greatest value and find the fewest barriers to entry. "Globally, there's been a huge growth within the middle class and the need for infrastructure is everywhere."

Being part of a team that is stepping forward to provide vital necessities to international neighbors such as roads, energy and fresh water is a true labor of love for Brown. He is also committed to deliver the domestically-known Burns & McDonnell culture to both clients and employees. 

"We are proud to have earned numerous awards naming us a best place to work throughout the U.S.," says Brown. "We know being a great place to work helps us to recruit and retain top talent which translates into higher productivity and greater client success. We plan to deliver that culture within every team and office across the globe."

About Burns & McDonnell

Burns & McDonnell provides engineering, architecture, construction, environmental and consulting services to clients throughout North America and abroad. Nearly 5,000 engineers, architects, scientists, planners, estimators, economists, technicians and other professionals work in more than 20 regional, national and international offices. Founded in 1898, Burns & McDonnell is 100 percent employee-owned and is currently ranked Number 18 on the Engineering News-Record Top 500 Design Firms. For more information about Burns & McDonnell, visit www.burnsmcd.com.