CH2M HILL Voted 2007 Best Place to Work in Los Angeles

The Los Angeles Business Journal recently named CH2M HILL the Best Place to Work in Los Angeles for 2007 in the medium-size company category. Companies competing for this honor are judged by workplace policies, practices, philosophy, systems and demographics that carry 25% of the weight for the final score. The employee experience is surveyed and accounts for the remaining 75% of the score. A medium-size company for this contest is defined as having 25-249 employees, but don't let that fool you.

Fortune magazine recognized CH2M HILL in March 2007, as one of America's Most Admired Companies for the fifth consecutive year. Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, CH2M HILL has 23,000 employees worldwide with annual revenue of more than $5 billion. In 2003, CH2M HILL purchased Lockwood Greene, one of the nation's oldest engineering firms that was founded in 1832. In August 2007, Lockwood Greene donated its archives of 50,000 linen drawings dating from 1880 - 1960 to the Smithsonian Museum. (Spartanburg Herald-Journal)

So, Who is CH2M HILL?

CH2M HILL is a global leader in engineering, construction and operations. While that sounds like the same corporate capability many other companies pitch, it is remarkable to see exactly what CH2M HILL does.

CH2M HILL Holds the Gold on Olympic Venues

CH2M HILL won a contract with two other companies to manage the construction of venues and infrastructure for the 2012 London Olympic games. CH2M HILL will also work on the games in Beijing 2008 and Vancouver 2010. In prior years, CH2M HILL has had contracts for Olympic games held in Turin 2006, Athens 2004, Salt Lake City 2002, Sydney 2000 and Atlanta 1996. (Rocky Mountain News)

CH2M HILL is the Program Manager for the Expansion of the Panama Canal

In August 2007, the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) named CH2M HILL as Program Manager for the $5.25 billion Panama Canal Expansion Program. On September 3, 2007, over 30,000 world leaders, business leaders, and local people witnessed the ceremonial groundbreaking event for the Panama Canal Expansion Program. The expansion of the Panama Canal will significantly impact world commerce during the next century. Massive new locks will be placed on both the Atlantic and Pacific sides of the canal that calls for extensive excavation and dredging. After the expansion is complete, the Panama Canal will double its capacity allowing goods to get to market faster. The scheduled completion date for the Panama Canal Expansion project is the year 2014, which marks the 100-year anniversary of the building of the original Panama Canal.

CH2M HILL Starts New Cities and Then Operates Them

Fulton County, Georgia wanted some new cities and hired CH2M HILL to start them. On December 1, 2007, Chattahoochee Hill Country, Georgia will be born. Fulton County leaders were so pleased with the way CH2M HILL started and is operating their other three new cities, Sandy, Milton, and Johns Creek, that they asked for a fourth city. CH2M HILL is able to provide administration, public works and community development services through a public-private partnership model that saves citizens money. CH2M HILL also has expertise in environmental preservation and can balance the building of a new city while keeping the flavor of its natural surroundings.

Rick Hirsekorn, Vice President of Municipal Services for CH2M HILL says in a separate press release, "This community has a strong focus on preserving its wetlands, forestlands, open spaces and other natural resources while also wishing to improve services for all residents, which aligns with our own corporate values. We believe Chattahoochee Hill Country will prove to be another great example how public entities and private companies can work together to enhance and advance quality of life."

Why Are CH2M HILL Employees So Satisfied?

According to CH2M Hill spokesman John Corsi in a statement to the Denver Post, "Employee ownership is a key part of our culture. Every single employee shares in the firm's success. We think it is good for recruiting." CH2M HILL is not publicly traded and employees can buy shares of CH2M HILL stock on an internal market where the value is based on profits of the company. This business model allows company executives to have a more flexible long-term vision and share the company's success with its employees.

A standard piece of advice company executives give all employees: Don't ever do anything that you wouldn't want to read about in the newspaper.

What Else Does CH2M HILL Offer?

CH2M HILL offers services in transportation, water, energy, industrial facilities, and environmental engineering. CH2M HILL was selected to provide civil engineer and cadet support services to the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. CH2M HILL was awarded contracts for several projects in the reconstruction of New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina, including removal of thousands of abandoned vehicles and the restoration of historical buildings. Together with the city of San Francisco, CH2M HILL developed the first solar energy web mapping portal that estimates the solar energy potential for commercial and residential buildings in San Francisco. CH2M HILL is involved in the facilities construction projects for major semiconductor manufacturing plants, including the Intel and Micron joint venture operation, IM Flash Technologies in Lehi, Utah. (click here to read about IM Flash Technologies)

For more information about CH2M HILL, click here.

Sources:

CH2M HILL Recognized as a Best Place to Work in LA by the Los Angeles Business Journal
http://www.ch2m.com/corporate/news_room/news_story.asp?story_id=316

CH2M HILL Team Selected Program Manager for Expansion of Panama Canal
http://www.ch2m.com/corporate/news_room/news_story.asp?story_id=303

Panama Canal Expansion Breaks Ground
http://www.pancanal.com/eng/pr/press-releases/2007/09/03/pr243.html