Black & Veatch
| Company type | Employee-owned corporation |
|---|---|
| Industry | Engineering, procurement, consulting, construction |
| Founded | January 1, 1915 in Kansas City, Missouri, United States |
| Founder | Ernest Bateman Black, Nathan Thomas Veatch |
| Headquarters | Overland Park , United States |
Area served | Worldwide (over 100 countries on six continents) |
Key people | Mario Azar (Chairman & CEO) |
| Products | Infrastructure projects in energy, liquefied natural gas, water resources, renewable energy (solar power), telecommunications, government services, mining, data centers, cybersecurity, advisory services, electrified transportation systems, smart cities |
Number of employees | Approximately 11,000+ (600 added in 2023 acquisition) |
| Website | www |
Black & Veatch (BV) is an international firm specializing in engineering, procurement, consulting, and construction, with its main office located in Overland Park, Kansas. The company was established in 1915 in Kansas City, Missouri. Its expertise spans infrastructure projects in sectors such as energy, liquefied natural gas, water resources, renewable energy including solar power, private telecommunications, government services, mining operations, data centers, cybersecurity solutions, advisory roles, electrified transportation systems, and smart city development.
In 2023, BV was recognized as the 10th largest fully employee-owned enterprise in the United States, generating $4.735 billion in revenue. For 2024 design services, ENR ranked BV as the 13th-largest design firm nationwide by revenue. Additionally, ENR positioned BV as the 4th largest design firm within the Power sector and 8th in the Water sector.
Operating from more than 100 locations globally, Black & Veatch has delivered projects across over 100 countries on six continents.
History
Black & Veatch originated in 1915 when Ernest Bateman (E.B.) Black and Nathan Thomas Veatch, who met at the University of Kansas, founded the company.
Company timeline
- 1915 Black & Veatch is founded with an initial team of 12 employees.
- 1940 The War Department commissions Black & Veatch to reconstruct Camp Robinson in Little Rock, Arkansas, along with other military facilities.
- 1948 Begins collaboration with the Atomic Energy Commission at Los Alamos, New Mexico.
- 1950 N.T. Veatch is appointed by President Truman to serve on the President's Water Pollution Control Advisory Board.
- 1963 Establishes Black & Veatch International.
- 1964 Opens its first regional office in Denver to design a significant water treatment plant for Denver Water Board.
- 1967 Wins contract to build a 60-megawatt power unit for Thailand's Electricity Generating Authority.
- 1976 Moves into a new headquarters building in Overland Park, Kansas.
- 1985 Acquires Pritchard Corporation.
- 1988 Launches POWRTRAK, a computer-aided engineering and project management platform designed to improve operational efficiency and business development.
- 1993 Forms a partnership in the UK with Tarmac following Tarmac’s acquisition of PSA Projects; this entity later becomes Tarmac Professional Services and integrates into Carillion.
- 1995 Merges with UK-based Binnie & Partners to strengthen water sector expertise.
- 1996 Purchases UK water treatment contractor Paterson Candy Ltd. and expands corporate headquarters.
- 1999 Converts from a general partnership into an employee-owned corporation.
- 2005 Acquires RJ Rudden Associates, Lukens Energy Group, and Fortegra, effectively doubling its management consulting capabilities.
- 2006 Expands UK water operations substantially by acquiring MJ Gleeson’s water business.
- 2008 Selected by Eskom to provide engineering and project management services for a 4,800 MW power station in South Africa.
- 2009 Reacquires its Overland Park headquarters building to serve as the global corporate headquarters.
- 2010 Acquires Enspiria Solutions Inc., enhancing its smart-grid service portfolio.
- 2013 Steve Edwards is named Chairman, President, and CEO.
- 2015 Celebrates its 100th anniversary milestone.
- 2017 Launches Diode Ventures, LLC to manage infrastructure assets with CTO Brad Hardin appointed as president.
- 2018 Partners with the University of Missouri to produce the Missouri Hyperloop feasibility report.
- 2020 Announces withdrawal from new coal-related design and construction projects to concentrate on renewable energy initiatives.
- 2021 Divests European and Asian water businesses to RSK Group; these operations are rebranded as Binnies.
- 2022 Mario Azar succeeds Steve Edwards as Chairman & CEO.
- 2023 Acquires Bird Electric Enterprises, a Texas-based electrical contractor adding roughly 600 employees to the workforce.
- 2024 Establishes a global Operational Technology (OT) cybersecurity division focused on safeguarding critical infrastructure against cyber threats.
Ukraine division: BTRIC
In 2008, the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) granted Black & Veatch (BV) the inaugural Biological Threat Reduction Integrating Contract (BTRIC), a five-year IDIQ agreement with a total ceiling of $4 billion shared among five contractors. BV was designated as the Integrating Contractor for Ukraine, playing a vital role within DTRA's Cooperative Threat Reduction and Biological Threat Reduction initiatives. Key Implementing Agents included the Ukraine Ministry of Health, the Academy of Agrarian Sciences, and the State Committee for Veterinary Medicine.
By 2010, BV had established Ukraine's first Bio-Safety Level 3 (BSL-3) laboratory under DTRA’s guidance, transforming an obsolete facility into a cutting-edge diagnostic center integral to Ukraine’s biosurveillance infrastructure. Over a period of three years, Ukrainian staff received comprehensive training in molecular diagnostics, biosafety protocols, operational procedures, and laboratory management to ensure the long-term functionality of the BSL-3 lab and the broader biosurveillance network.
Despite these accomplishments, Black & Veatch has been subject to baseless allegations on social media connecting it to conspiracy theories related to the conflict in Ukraine and the origins of COVID-19, stemming from its involvement in biosurveillance projects. Official clarifications confirm that although BV entered into a biological threat reduction agreement in late 2019 for work in Ukraine, subsequent COVID-19 response tasks were assigned to a different company, Labyrinth Gold Health. The original contract date remained fixed even as project descriptions were updated.