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  2. Who We Are
  3. Our Story

MORE THAN 150 YEARS IN AOTEAROA

Since 1870 we have had the privilege of shaping the future of Aotearoa through the creation of critical infrastructure and environments for our communities: From the earliest rail, ports and hydro plants, to transport modes of the future, infrastructure that will connect and support us for generations to come, spaces that remove loneliness and environments that are net positive.

For a long time, our people have lived in the communities in which we serve. We continue to do so today and are eternally invested in ensuring we take the knowledge gained from 150 years and combine it with our global network to continuously look at what Aotearoa needs now and in the future. This ensures that as a country, Aotearoa continues to thrive.

For our clients we bring unprecedented knowledge of Aotearoa - the challenges and the opportunities surrounding us - always looking at how we can help them to see the future more clearly and design for it today.

Every client, employee and project over the last 150 years holds an important place in our history - we thank you and look forward to shaping the future of Aotearoa together for another 150 years.

Our Story

From our local beginnings in New Zealand more than 150 years ago to our vast international presence today, WSP has enjoyed continuous growth and enrichment of its service offering. Every milestone reached has enabled us to better fulfill our commitment to preparing our communities and environment for the future.

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WSP Today

WSP is one of the world’s leading professional services firms. Our global network of 60,000+ experts spans across 550 offices in 44 countries. We plan and design human-centred solutions that harness the power of new technology so that together we can create a better tomorrow.

 
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Over this next strategic cycle, we will nurture and deepen this relationship by bringing the best of WSP to our clients to epitomize the gold standard of client experience in our industry.  
WSP 2019-2021  Strategic Plan Vision 

Our History in New Zealand

In 1870, we were just beginning.

Our rich history dates back to colonial New Zealand, when the Public Works Department was opening up the country’s notoriously difficult terrain through the combination of national road and rail networks.

Over the years we have worked under several monikers. In 1988 the Ministry of Works and Development became a state owned enterprise, Works and Development Services Corporation NZ Limited, and we were its consultancy division. In 1996 Works Consultancy Services was sold to Kinta Kellas of Malaysia, and the following year the company rebranded to Opus International Consultants Limited (Opus). Most recently Opus was rebranded to WSP Opus following the acquisition by WSP, and ultimately rebranded to WSP in 2019.

Today, we are a trusted partner in the creation of sustainable communities, facilities and environments through world leading social and fixed infrastructure. We are proud to be part of the communities we work within and we care about the quality of the work we deliver.

History in the United States, Central and South America

In the United States, the firm’s origins date back to 1885, when William Barclay Parsons founded the company that would become Parsons Brinckerhoff in New York City. Early projects included the design of the original New York City subway system and the Cape Cod Canal. Chas H. Sells, Inc. was founded in New York in 1925 and was acquired by WSP in 2007, becoming WSP’s transport and infrastructure engineering group in the United States.

WSP entered the US market in 2000 through the acquisitions of Cantor Seinuk, a structural engineering firm established in 1953 and of Flack + Kurtz, a mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering business founded in 1969. Environment & Energy, an environmental and energy consulting business established in 1986, became part of the company in 2006.

International expansion of GENIVAR began with the opening of a Caribbean office in Trinidad and Tobago in 2004 as well an office in Colombia in 2011. In 2012, WSP strengthened its presence in Colombia through the acquisition of Consultores Regionales Asociados CRA S.A.S. In 2014, the Corporation acquired Dessau CEI S.A.S., also in Colombia. 





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History in Europe, Middle East, India and Africa (EMEIA)

Parsons Brinckerhoff in the UK traces its roots back over 125 years through three consulting engineering practices: MRM Partnership, Kennedy & Donkin and Merz and McLellan.

MRM Partnership, a multidisciplinary consultancy first established in 1887, was acquired by WMX Technologies Inc. in the US in 1993, and in 1994 became Rust Consulting Limited. Kennedy & Donkin, originally focused on power generation and distribution projects, was founded in 1889. In 1994, Kennedy & Donkin was also sold to WMX Technologies Inc. and became Rust, Kennedy & Donkin.

In 1995, Parsons Brinckerhoff acquired Merz and McLellan, another century-old power engineering consultancy, based in Newcastle, UK. In 1997, Rust, Kennedy & Donkin and Rust Consulting integrated their expertise, and the company was purchased by Parsons Brinckerhoff in 1998.  

The Williams Sale Partnership Limited was established in 1969 as a building services consultancy in the UK. The company was floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1987 as WSP. Between 1990 and 1995, UK-based acquisitions added structural and civil engineering capability to WSP’s skills portfolio. From 1996 to 1999, acquisitions were completed in the UK and South Africa, and then in 2001 WSP acquired Jacobson & Widmark in Sweden and two smaller Finnish consultancies. In 2003, further acquisitions in Finland increased our presence in the Nordics.

Parsons Brinckerhoff has been active in the Middle East since the 1940s. From 2005 to 2006, WSP gained a meaningful presence in the Middle East with two acquisitions in the region. In 2007, further acquisitions in Germany and the Middle East reinforced WSP’s profile as a global consultant. In 2014, the acquisition of Technip TPS, specialising in building and infrastructure engineering, enhanced our presence in the French market. In 2015, Faveo Group was acquired in Scandinavia.

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History in Asia-Pacific (APAC)

In 1970, Parsons Brinckerhoff established offices in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne and in 1978, Parsons Brinckerhoff’s Hong Kong office was the first location established in Asia. However, prior to 1978 Parsons Brinckerhoff provided an alternative design for the first Cross Harbor Tunnel project in Hong Kong, which was adopted and the tunnel opened in 1972. During the 1970s and 1980s Parsons Brinckerhoff’s experts were instrumental in the development of the mass transit systems in Hong Kong, Singapore and later Taipei.

In 1995, overseas expansion of WSP began with the formation of WSP Asia and in 2000, WSP increased its presence in Asia. In 2007, WSP completed a further acquisition in Australia. In 2014, the acquisition of WINWARD Group, a specialist structural engineering consultancy, strengthened WSP’s presence in Australia prior to the Parsons Brinckerhoff transaction.

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Key Dates

2022

WSP acquires Capita REI and GL Hearn, adding 1,000 UK-Based employees and expanding its strategic advisory offering.

2022

WSP aquires WOOD’S E&I BUSINESS, ADDING 6,000 PROFESSIONALS WITH STRONG EXPERTISE ACROSS THE ENVIRONMENTAL SPECTRUM, INCLUDING WATER.

2022

WSP RANKED #1 IN ENGINEERING NEWS-RECORD (ENR) MAGAZINE’S 2022 LIST OF TOP 225 INTERNATIONAL DESIGN FIRMS FOR THE SECOND CONSECUTIVE YEAR.

2022

WSP UNVEILS ITS 2022-2024 GLOBAL STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN, WHICH WILL GUIDE THE NEXT PHASE OF ITS EVOLUTION.

2021

WSP COMPLETES THE ACQUISITION OF GOLDER, INCREASING ITS WORKFORCE BY APPROXIMATELY 7,000 PEOPLE AND CREATING A LEADING GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTING FIRM.

2021

WSP ANNOUNCES AMBITIOUS CLIMATE ACTION THROUGH A COMMITMENT TO ACHIEVE NET ZERO EMISSIONS ACROSS ITS VALUE CHAIN BY 2040, SUPPORTED BY SCIENCE-BASED GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSION REDUCTION TARGETS.

2021

WSP ACHIEVES THE TOP SPOT IN ENGINEERING NEWS-RECORD MAGAZINE’S TOP 25 INTERNATIONAL DESIGN FIRMS WHILE KEEPING ITS #1 POSITION IN THE BUILDING AND TRANSPORTATION SECTOR RANKINGS.

2019

WSP acquires Orbicon, a Danish environmental consulting firm, enhancing our activities in the Nordics region.

2019

WSP acquires lievense, a netherlands-based multidisciplinary consulting firm, establishing a foothold in the dutch market.

2019

WSP acquires US-based environmental consulting firm Ecology & Environment, expanding our geographic presence in the United States.

2019

FOR THE SECOND TIME, WSP IS RANKED FIRST IN THE TRANSPORTATION SECTOR IN ENGINEERING NEWS-RECORD’S ANNUAL LIST OF THE TOP 225 INTERNATIONAL DESIGN FIRMS.

2018

WSP acquires Louis Berger, a US-headquartered international professional services firm with approximately 5,000 employees.

2018

WSP is ranked first in the transportation sector in engineering news-record's top 225 International Design Firms.

2017

WSP unites under one name, one brand and one vision across all geographies, cultures, specialties and backgrounds, anchored by its guiding principles and manifesto.

2017

WSP acquires Poch, providing the company with a leadership position in the Chilean market, while also strengthening WSP’s presence in Colombia, Peru and Mexico.

2017

WSP acquires New Zealand based OPUS and completes its 100th acquisition since the IPO. The acquisition enables WSP to enhance its activities in the Australia/New Zealand region and strengthen its expertise in the water-related infrastructure sector and asset management.

2017

WSP acquires Concol, providing a leadership position in the Colombian market in a wide array of services and sectors, while solidifying the company’s presence in Chile, Peru and Mexico.

2016

WSP acquires Mouchel Consulting, a leading UK firm recognized for its broad expertise in the public transportation and infrastructure sectors.

2016

Alexandre L'Heureux is appointed President and CEO, to lead WSP in the next phase of its evolution.

2015

WSP acquires leading Nordic project management firm Faveo Group, providing a strong entry-point in the Norwegian market, while strengthening the company’s position in Sweden.

2015

WSP acquires Canadian-based MMM group recognized for its expertise in transportation, and leadership position in public-private partnerships.

2014

WSP acquires US-based Parsons Brinckerhoff, a premier infrastructure consultancy, and becomes one of the largest global pure-play professional services firms.

2014

WSP acquires Focus, a Canadian-based Engineering and Geomatics firm, expanding the company’s platform in oil & gas engineering services, and strengthening its presence in western Canada.

2014

GENIVAR and WSP reorganize as WSP Global Inc., and adopt WSP as the corporate brand

2012

GENIVAR acquires UK-based consultancy WSP, creating a world-class global professional services firm, with expertise in Building, Transport & Infrastructure and Industrial, Energy & Environment segments.

2006

GENIVAR is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange as an income fund

1993

Three Montreal firms are acquired by Groupe-Conseil Solivar Inc. and the company’s name is changed to GENIVAR

1987

G.B.G.M. Ltd and Les Consultants Dupuis, Côté Inc. merge to become Groupe-Conseil Solivar Inc., based in Quebec

1969

Williams Sale Partnership Limited is established in Surrey, UK

1959

G.B.G.M. LTD AND LES CONSULTANTS DUPUIS, CÔTÉ INC., BEGIN OPERATING IN QUEBEC CITY, CANADA.

1885

Parsons Brinckerhoff founded In New York City, USA.