Terracon Consultants Inc., which grew from a single office in Cedar Rapids six decades ago into 175 locations nationwide, has been named as the 2024 Design Firm of the Year by ENR Midwest.
The industry publication announced the top ranking for the Olathe, Kansas-based Terracon earlier this spring, and featured Terracon in its May edition.
Firms are chosen by a vote of the regional editors of Engineering News-Record from a select group of finalists. Factors including in the judge’s decisions include regional revenues, new initiatives, current projects, community and industry contributions and more.
The honor comes as Terracon is about to celebrate its 60th anniversary as well as a steady direction of growth.
Founded in 1965 in Cedar Rapids, Terracon has grown into a $1 billion company employing more than 6,000 nationwide.
According to Terracon, its growth and recent accolades are due, in large part, to the solid performance of its dozens of Midwest offices. Of Terracon’s 65,000 completed projects in 2023, nearly 14,000 of them were in the Midwest.
In a news release, Terracon attributed its journey to “a combination of employee-ownership, organic growth, strategic acquisitions, specialized expertise, innovative services and a steady stream of important projects all play a role. But the most important part of the mix is the company’s emphasis on having the best people.”
“When employees are happy, clients are happy,” said Linda Yang, senior principal, vice president and regional manager of one of Terracon’s Chicago area offices.
The 100% employee-owned engineering company provides consulting in various aspects of engineering including environmental, facilities, geotechnical and materials services. Its 175 locations collectively serve clients in all 50 U.S. states.
According to ENR’s story on the Design Firm of the Year, one of Terracon’s largest Midwest projects is replacement of the $284 million Chester Bridge crossing the Mississippi River and connecting Chester, Illinois, and Perryville, Missouri. Other projects of note include: a $100 million foundry for A.Y. McDonald Manufacturing Co. in Dickeyville, Wisconsin; the $350 million American Royal Complex in Kansas City, Kansas; and construction of the $732 million Lock and Dam 25 improvement project in Winfield, Missouri.
The ENR Midwest report also noted that some of Terracon’s growth has come from a series of recent acquisitions. Since 2017, Terracon has completed 20 deals nationwide, with three recent additions in the Midwest: St. John-Mittelhauser & Associates Inc in 2018; Wange Engineering Inc. in 2022 and Pivvot in 2021.
Terracon has offices at 2640 12th St. SW in Cedar Rapids.
