Carter & Burgess engineering new plan for itself

Founded more than 60 years ago, Fort Worth-based engineering and architecture firm Carter & Burgess has grown into one of the largest full-service, multidiscipline firms in the country – and has plans to grow even larger. On July 5, the firm made a move toward further growth when it announced the acquisition of Atlanta-based transportation planning and engineering firm Day Wilburn Associates (DWA) to extend its reach in the Atlanta marketplace. “The acquisition of DWA falls directly in line with our growth strategy in that it expands our capabilities into the Atlanta market,” said Ben Watts, Carter & Burgess’ president and CEO. “The southeastern sector of the United States is a high-performing market sector with growth opportunities that mirror our ‘One Source, One Firm’ suite of services.” DWA’s clients include state departments of transportation, regional planning agencies, county and municipal governments, business development groups, private enterprises, civic organizations and public institutions. Over the years, Carter & Burgess has expanded on its traditional offerings of engineering and architectural services to include strategic planning, construction and project management, and surveying. The firm has grown to more than 25 locations nationwide with 3,000 employees.Carter & Burgess serves several industry sectors, including transportation, retail, distribution, land development, urban design and planning, and environmental. Customers include major corporations such as FedEx and Wal-Mart, business development groups, private enterprises and civic organizations, as well as local municipalities, such as the city of Fort Worth, and educational institutions, such as Tarrant County College and the University of Texas at Arlington. Now, Carter & Burgess has added some marketing punch as well, courtesy of Laurin McCracken, who joined the company in March in the newly created post of chief marketing officer. McCracken brought industry veteran Michelle Jones in to be the company’s marketing director. Jones comes with extensive experience in corporate brand development, an area that McCracken admits Carter & Burgess paid little heed to in the past. One of McCracken’s first duties was to develop and market the company’s operating philosophy: One Source, One Firm. That phrase emphasizes not only the firm’s complete suite of services, but also its close strategic partnership with clients over the lifecycle of their projects, according to Watts. “We knew if Carter & Burgess is going to reach its full potential, we had to make our One Source, One Firm operating philosophy a priority,” said Watts. For instance, the company recently held a conference for some of its major clients in the higher-education field, one of Carter Burgess’ fastest growing markets. “We thought it was very innovative of Carter & Burgess to bring us all together to discuss issues we face on a daily basis,” said Jack K. Colby, president of the Association of Higher Education Facilities’ Officers (APPA) and assistant vice chancellor for facilities operations at North Carolina State University. “It was a chance for us to hear from others around the country and it was also a chance to tell Carter & Burgess what our needs are now and what they’re going to be in the future,” he said. Carter & Burgess’ own growth mirrors that of Fort Worth. Two childhood Fort Worth friends, Eugene Hudson Carter and John Jarvis Burgess, founded Carter & Burgess in 1939. Prior to founding Carter & Burgess, Carter had helped design and develop the Fort Worth Botanic Garden, a Depression-era Works Progress Administration (WPA) project.In the early days of the firm, Gene Carter and John Burgess started out planning neighborhoods and schools in Fort Worth. The firm has since designed communities, airports, highways, mass transit systems, schools, hospitals, offices, retail centers and distribution facilities from coast to coast and around the world.Contact Francis at rfrancis@bizpress.net.