Montgomery Watson, Inc. and Harza Engineering Company have signed a memorandum of understanding to join forces, creating one of the world's largest infrastructure consulting organizations with more than 5,000 employees in 30 countries around the globe.
The merger of two companies will produce an international organization with more than $680 million in annual billings, and with 231 years of combined experience. Montgomery Watson Harza, as the new company is to be called, combines Montgomery Watson’s leadership in water and wastewater with Harza’s expertise in the energy and water markets.
Montgomery Watson, one of the 500 largest privately held companies in the United States according to Forbes and number 18 on Engineering News Record’s annual list of top 500 design firms, specializes in water, wastewater and environmental infrastructure design, construction, finance, operations and maintenance. Privately held Harza Engineering Company, with over 1,000 employees and ranked 61st on the Engineering News Record list, commands significant global market share in hydroelectricity and infrastructure design, as well as highly competitive engineering practices in several environmental and energy-related sectors of the industry.
When finalized, newly-named Montgomery Watson Harza will maintain corporate headquarters in Pasadena, California, with major business divisions headquartered in Denver, Chicago, London, and Singapore.
"Montgomery Watson’s merger with Harza Engineering Company expands the size and scope of our combined companies’ operating capabilities around the globe, brings together two highly talented international staffs to serve our clients on a global basis with broadly different areas of expertise, and significantly adds to the financial strength and stability of the resulting organization," said Murli Tolaney, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Montgomery Watson.
"The growth achieved through this merger brings a wealth of opportunities for our clients and employees alike," notes Refaat Abdel-Malek, Harza’s President and CEO. "Expanded services and expertise benefit everyone, and our staff will have increased room to grow over the coming years. We’re very pleased that this is becoming a reality."
Operationally, both companies share long histories of excellence, similar corporate cultures that honor individual expertise and encourage teamwork, innovation and initiative, and a common view of the industry’s future. That view suggests that breadth of knowledge and expertise, comprehensive project capabilities, international reach, and financial size and strength will all play important roles in successful infrastructure firms of the future.
