Though the Midwest is seeing better economic conditions and corresponding increases in construction activity, particularly in the commercial, industrial and multi-family sectors, 2014 was in many ways a retread of the year before.
Large, multi-disciplined design firms continued to see increasing work, despite a somewhat spotty recovery in the region. Mid-size firms once again experienced their share of ups and downs, but many so minute that, on balance, it amounted to a relatively static year for them.
Economists foresee improving conditions in the region, particularly in the areas of manufacturing and energy distribution. Look for Indiana and Ohio, respectively, to benefit from activity in those segments.
Also on tap are lingering and emerging problems. Neither Illinois nor Chicago has their fiscal houses in order, nor is there consensus on how to resolve the issue, which centers on billions upon billions of debt and unfunded pensions. Inhospitable conditions have sent some manufacturers packing, particularly in central and southern Illinois.
The region also is confronting the mounting issue of unfunded highway and bridge projects – again, with no consensus from state to state about to how the address the problem.
What follows is an alphabetical listing of the region's Top 75 design firms, as determined by 2014 revenues. Firms will be listed by rank and revenue in the May 25 edition of ENR Midwest.
AECOM
Albert Kahn Family of Cos.
Affiliated Engineers Inc.
Alfred Benesch & Co.
Ambitech Engineering Corp.
American Structurepoint Inc.
ARCADIS US/RTKL/Callison
Ayres Associates
Beam, Longest and Neff
Burns & McDonnell
CannonDesign
Cardno
Collins Engineers Inc.
Commonwealth Associates Inc.
Crawford, Murphy, & Tilly Inc.
DLR Group
DLZ Corp.
Donohue & Associates Inc.
ESD (Environmental Systems Design Inc.)
Excel Engineering Inc.
Fanning/Howey Associates Inc.
Farnsworth Group Inc.
FGM Architects Inc.
Fishbeck, Thompson, Carr & Huber Inc.
GAI Consultants Inc.
GEI Consultants Inc.
Gensler
Ghafari Associates
GPD Group
GRAEF
Greeley and Hansen
Hanson Professional Services Inc.
Harley Ellis Devereaux
Heapy Engineering
HNTB Corp.
HOK
H.W. Lochner Inc.
KJWW Engineering Consultants
Lawrence Group
Legat Architects Inc.
Lochmueller Group Inc.
Manhard Consulting
McMahon Associates Inc.
Mead & Hunt Inc
Michael Baker International
MWH Global
Patrick Engineering Inc.
PCI Skanska
Perkins+Will
Primera Engineers
Process Plus
RATIO Architects Inc.
Resource International Inc.
Shive-Hattery Inc.
Short Elliott Hendrickson Inc.
SME
SmithGroupJJR
Solomon Cordwell Buenz
Stanley Consultants
Stantec
Strand Associates Inc.
STV
Superior Engineering
Surveying And Mapping
Terracon Consultants Inc.
Thornton Tomasetti Inc.
United Consulting
V3 Cos.
VOA Associates Inc.
Westlake Reed Leskosky
Wight & Co.
Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates Inc.
Woolpert Inc.
WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff
Zimmerman Architectural Studios Inc.
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