ENR Texas & Louisiana has named electrical subcontractor Walker Engineering as its 2017 Specialty Contractor of the Year.

The firm recorded about a $65 million increase in regional revenue in 2016 over 2015, which CEO Scott Walker attributes to an excellent economy in Texas as well as an aggressive procurement strategy.

Walker Engineering has been very active in the recruitment of new talent to meet the project needs of its customers, with significant growth coming from the Dallas-Fort Worth area thanks to large corporate campus developments and data center projects. Strong growth in various markets throughout Houston, Austin and San Antonio are also feeding the firm’s portfolio.

Availability of manpower and qualified project managers and superintendents has been a limiting factor for many electrical subcontractors, so Walker is working hard to develop talented individuals within the company and attract talented employees. The firm has seen the number of its field employees double in the past four years.

In 2013, Scott and Brent Walker took on the roles of CEO and President, respectively, and are the second generation of Walkers to run the business. They have taken a much more aggressive stance in growing the business statewide than their predecessors. Charlie Walker started the business in 1981 and in the past four years, Scott and Brent have spent a lot of time making several management changes that are proving to be beneficial today. The growth at Walker has been due to a cultural shift aimed at getting back to the roots upon which Charlie founded the company.

The company’s many notable projects over the past year include the Houston Methodist Hospital North Campus Expansion, which is one of the largest active healthcare projects in Texas with overall construction totaling $500 million. Walker is performing an $80M electrical/low voltage contract on the 875,000-sq-ft, 20-level hospital expansion.  Peak manpower for Walker reached 350 electricians/technicians and the project will be wrapping up in April 2018.

Other major projects include the Houston Marriot Marquis Hotel, a 1001 room high-end hotel with a total electrical, lighting and AV contract of $23 million that was completed late last year, and CyrusOne San Antonio, a 300,000-sq-ft multiphase datacenter with a $25 million electrical contract.

Look for more on Walker Engineering in the Dec. 11/18 issue of ENR Texas & Louisiana.