KANSAS CITY, Missouri — Continued service diversification and growth in major service specialties have culminated in a strong standing among the nation's leading design and construction firms for Burns & McDonnell. The firm secured the No. 9 spot on the 2020 annual survey of Top 500 Design firms by Engineering News-Record (ENR) magazine. This year’s ranking is the third top-10 distinction in the firm’s history.

In response to the growing need to fortify the nation’s critical infrastructure, Burns & McDonnell continues to design and build the systems and structures that will keep the U.S. moving forward. Across the nation, the firm is currently working on nearly 13,000 projects that touch the 16 critical infrastructure categories identified by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

“We have always stayed very diversified in our service offerings, so we can quickly pivot to develop unique solutions as our clients’ challenges evolve,” says Ray Kowalik, chairman and CEO of Burns & McDonnell. “During this tumultuous time, we are making decisions that best protect our families, employees and communities, and we carry that same commitment with our clients. Make our clients successful: These four words have served as the guiding mission of Burns & McDonnell for 122 years. And today, these words seem to have more meaning than ever before. 

“We have been in the trenches with our clients for disruptions in the past. We are ready to navigate these challenges together in the coming months — whether that means reprioritizing work, expediting critical projects or helping to devise contingency plans.”

Heightened demand for electrical transmission, distribution and generation services propelled Burns & McDonnell to a No. 1 ranking in the Power category for the fifth consecutive year. 

“The need for reliable, resilient power and communications systems has never been more critical,” says John Olander, COO and president of the firm’s Transmission & Distribution Group. “Many industries including ours have shifted to remote operations during this pandemic and such work arrangements are sure to influence workforces in the future. The ability to stay powered, online, healthy and productive is vital to stay connected globally.”

Along with its No. 1 ranking in Power, Burns & McDonnell ranks among the top 20 firms in five categories, including:

• No. 14 in Manufacturing
• No. 15 in Sewer & Solid Waste
• No. 7 in Industrial Process/Petroleum
• No. 18 in Hazardous Waste
• No. 5 in Telecommunications

About Burns & McDonnell

Burns & McDonnell is a family of companies bringing together an unmatched team of 7,600 engineers, construction professionals, architects, planners, technologists and scientists to design and build our critical infrastructure. With an integrated construction and design mindset, we offer full-service capabilities with more than 55 offices, globally. Founded in 1898, Burns & McDonnell is a 100% employee-owned company and proud to be on Fortune’s 2020 list of 100 Best Companies to Work For. Learn how we are on call through it all.