25-07-2019

Burns & McDonnell announces Houston expansion

Lingerfelt CommonWealth Partners, LLC, a Richmond, Virginia-based commercial real estate investment firm, today announced that Burns & McDonnell, a 100% employee-owned engineering, architecture and construction firm, has extended and expanded a lease at 1700 West Loop South in Houston, TX. The transaction grows the company's square footage from 158,000 to 218,000 and increases the floors occupied from eight to 11, enabling the company to hire 300 employees by 2021. Lingerfelt CommonWealth acquired this building on June 30, 2017 and was represented by JLL in this transaction.

"With our expansion, we'll continue to look for top-notch talent to deliver world-class solutions and expand our broad one-stop shop capabilities in environmental, engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) delivery," said Leslie Duke, president and general manager for Burns & McDonnell in Houston.

Burns & McDonnell's Houston operation is backed by a global team of 7,000 employees with more than 50 offices around the world, including regional offices in Houston, Austin, Dallas and Fort Worth. The No. 1 ranked firm in Power by Engineering News-Record established its presence in Houston in 1994 and has enjoyed steady growth each year. Currently employing more than 700, the firm plans to continue hiring for environmental, project management, engineering, design, construction and project support positions to support oil, gas and chemical, energy and municipal clients. 
 
"Since acquiring the building approximately two years ago, it has been a pleasure working with Burns & McDonnell. They are a valued tenant and we are thrilled to grow our relationship with them long term," said Jay Kraft, senior vice president of Lingerfelt CommonWealth. "We look forward to watching their business expand and will work closely with them to meet their future growth needs. This significant deal only adds to our confidence in the Houston market and we're looking forward pursing additional acquisition opportunities."

"We're proud to live and work in Houston, delivering multidisciplinary environmental, engineering, architecture and construction solutions to our clients," Duke said. "From modernizing oil and gas plants to developing energy solutions powering our communities to leading environmental permitting, our growth can be attributed to our clients and employees. As an employee-owned firm, we have a stake in the company and have a vested interest in the success of our clients."

Burns & McDonnell plans to increase its footprint in 1700 West Loop South over the next two years and will occupy approximately 85% of the building once buildout construction is complete in late 2021. Lingerfelt CommonWealth plans to relocate and modernize the building's fitness center as part of the transaction.

Since 2012, Burns & McDonnell has doubled its annual revenue and employee headcount. Ongoing buildout of midstream processing, transportation and storage infrastructure as well as growth in chemicals and petrochemicals are currently key factors driving the firm's growth. In addition, the team is growing as a result of expansions in other industries, such as the revitalization and enhancement of power generation in renewables, transmission, distribution and communication networks across the U.S. and the need to optimize the use and management of water in both industrial and municipal systems. As a multidisciplined firm, Burns & McDonnell is also experiencing growth from its environmental and construction services.