HNTB
| Company type | Employee-owned corporation |
|---|---|
| Industry | Infrastructure design, architecture, engineering, construction management |
| Predecessor | Waddell & Harrington; Harrington, Howard & Ash; Howard, Needles, Tammen & Bergendoff |
| Founded | January 1, 1914 in Kansas City, Missouri, United States |
| Founder | Ernest Emmanuel Howard (with roots from Waddell & Harrington) |
| Headquarters | Kansas City , United States |
Area served | United States and internationally |
Key people | Ted Zoli (national chief engineer for bridge projects) |
| Products | Architecture, aviation design, transportation infrastructure, intelligent transportation systems, toll projects, transit and rail, tunnel projects |
Number of employees | 7,200 (2023) |
| Website | www |
HNTB Corporation is a U.S.-based firm specializing in infrastructure design. Established in 1914 in Kansas City, Missouri, the company traces its roots to a collaboration between Ernest Emmanuel Howard and the 1907-founded firm Waddell & Harrington.
Ranked among the most reliable American design firms, HNTB reported $3 billion in revenue for 2023, securing the second position among architectural firms in the United States. The firm’s expertise extends to sports venues, including projects like Levi's Stadium—which was ranked third on the World's Top 10 Most Innovative Companies list in 2015—and Allegiant Stadium. Their portfolio also encompasses transportation infrastructure such as airports, bridges, tunnels, highways, and rail systems, with significant contributions at Los Angeles International Airport and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. Moreover, HNTB provides services to academic institutions like the College of William & Mary, University of Southern California, and University of Michigan.
Employing roughly 7,200 professionals across 79 offices, HNTB delivers comprehensive architectural services throughout the United States and internationally.
History
Founded in 1907 by John Alexander Low Waddell and John Lyle Harrington in Kansas City, Missouri, Waddell & Harrington also maintained offices in Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, British Columbia. The firm was responsible for designing over 30 vertical-lift bridges serving highway and railroad systems. With Ernest Howard’s addition, the company became Harrington, Howard & Ash. In 1941, after incorporating partners Enoch Needles, Henry Tammen, and Ruben Bergendoff, it adopted the name Howard, Needles, Tammen & Bergendoff. The merger with Kivett and Myers in 1975 enhanced its capabilities in sports architecture. Expanding into rail services occurred in 1982 through acquiring Thomas K. Dyer's firm, adding expertise in track design, signaling, communications, and traction power. The organization rebranded as HNTB Corporation in 1993 and transitioned to employee ownership by 2000.
Architecture
HNTB’s architectural achievements include notable projects such as San Francisco’s Levi's Stadium (2014), home to the San Francisco 49ers; the terminal at Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower Airport (2015); expansion work on Kroger Field at the University of Kentucky; the 2014 renovation of Camping World Stadium in Orlando; and the Ballroom Expansion completed in 2007 at Bartle Hall Convention Center.
Aviation
In recognition of emerging aviation leaders within its team, HNTB saw James Long PE and Jennie Santoro named among Airport Business Magazine’s "Top 40 Under 40" in 2014; Clint Laaser, RA, LEED AP received similar honors in 2015. These awards commend professional excellence alongside community involvement.
The company’s aviation portfolio features distinguished projects such as the conceptual design of San Francisco International Airport’s 221-foot air traffic control tower, which was honored with a 2016 Grand Conceptor Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies. HNTB also led architecture, planning, and engineering efforts for the expansion of San Diego International Terminal 2—a project recognized as a 2014 Best of the Best by Engineering News-Record.
Currently acting as architect of record for Orlando International Airport’s $1.8 billion south terminal project—recipient of a 2017 American Architecture Award—HNTB actively promotes mentorship programs aimed at nurturing emerging talent within aviation.
Ted Zoli serves as HNTB’s national chief engineer for bridge projects.
In 2016, multiple HNTB bridge projects earned commendations from the National Steel Bridge Alliance. These included Seattle’s South Park Bascule Bridge; Portsmouth Memorial Bridge spanning New Hampshire and Maine; St. Louis’s Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge; and Wichita Falls Flyover Ramp.
HNTB functions as owner’s engineer for the New York State Thruway Authority on the New NY Bridge initiative—a replacement for the Hudson River’s Tappan Zee Bridge—now named the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge.
The firm provided project oversight for Jacksonville’s Sisters Creek Bridge replacement on behalf of the Florida Department of Transportation; this endeavor won a 2017 National Award of Merit from the Design-Build Institute of America.
HNTB led final design efforts for Boston’s Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge and received accolades for restoring the John E. Mathews Bridge following significant ship collision damage in 2013.
Departments of Transportation (DOTs)
HNTB has provided construction engineering, inspection, and program management services to numerous state departments of transportation across the country. Significant undertakings include the I-595 Express Corridor Improvements for Florida DOT, the Johnson County Gateway Interchange for Kansas DOT, and the reconstruction of the U.S. 290 Corridor for Texas DOT.
The company has also played a role in major infrastructure efforts such as Michigan DOT’s I-94 rebuilding, Wisconsin DOT’s Milwaukee Zoo Interchange project, and Missouri DOT’s Poplar Street Bridge upgrades.
Intelligent Transportation Systems
Within its intelligent transportation systems expertise, HNTB offers design, maintenance, and operational support for projects like Michigan’s smart truck parking initiative and the Tampa Bay SunGuide Center.
The firm further enhances smart transportation by assisting with the Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority’s Connected Vehicle Pilot and Florida DOT’s Truck Parking Availability System, underscoring its prominence in advanced mobility solutions.
Toll Projects
HNTB contributed to the Florida Department of Transportation’s I-595 Corridor Roadway Improvements in Broward County, Florida, which achieved substantial completion in 2014.
Transit and Rail
HNTB provides comprehensive services encompassing transit stations, commuter rail systems, Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), Positive Train Control (PTC), streetcar projects, and related infrastructure. The firm is actively engaged in supporting high-speed rail developments.
Noteworthy assignments include the Chicago Transit Authority’s Red Line Wilson Station Reconstruction, delivering expertise in train control, communications, mechanical systems, architectural design, environmental mitigation, and structural engineering; this project was finalized in 2017. Additionally, HNTB acted as lead designer within a joint venture for Dallas Area Rapid Transit’s South Oak Cliff Extension 3, completed in 2016.
In recognition of its work on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s Fitchburg Commuter Rail Improvement Program, HNTB received the Bronze Engineering Excellence Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies of Massachusetts in 2017.
Tunnel Projects
HNTB directed design efforts for Seattle’s SR99 Tunnel Project (Alaskan Way Viaduct replacement), completed in 2017 and opened to traffic in 2019. The firm also functioned as independent design verifier for Istanbul’s Eurasia Tunnel—a transcontinental crossing beneath the Bosphorus connecting Europe and Asia—which commenced operations in 2016. This project earned the 2016 Global Best Project award from Engineering News-Record in the Bridge/Tunnel category.
Awards
The Milwaukee office of HNTB was honored as the top workplace in Milwaukee by Milwaukee's Business Journal for three consecutive years: 2020, 2021, and 2022.
Ashley Booth, serving as national leader for streetcar practice, was recognized in Mass Transit Magazine’s Top 40 Under 40 list in 2017.
Tim Faerber, PE, senior vice president and former president of HNTB’s Great Lakes Division, was presented with ENR Midwest's Legacy Award in 2017.
Diana Mendes, who leads the transit/rail market sector and presides over the Mid-Atlantic Division, received the National Transit Institute’s Training Professional of the Year award in 2017.
In 2006, HNTB was acknowledged as the primary consultant on the High Five Interchange project. This initiative earned the American Public Works Association's "Public Works Project of the Year" distinction due to its innovative design and expedited construction process, alongside partners Texas Department of Transportation and Zachry Construction Corporation.
External links
- Articles with short description
- Architecture firms located in Missouri
- Businesses headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri
- Construction and civil engineering enterprises in the United States
- Engineering firms in the United States
- Engineering consultancy companies in the United States
- Engineering consulting firms of the United States