That also plays into the company's dedication to project safety. "We have a very robust safety program and among the lowest recordable injury rates in the country," Clark says. "We're very proud of that, and we take safety very seriously."

The firm's entry space has a floor-to-ceiling poster that features a collage of employees' families with the slogan, 'Safety matters because they matter,' he says. "It's a neat reminder of why safety is important." Every project at Burns & McDonnell operates with the safety philosophy that zero recordable incidents can be accomplished with proper planning, resources and follow-through. In 2013, the firm recorded a total recordable incident rate of 0.22, the same as in 2012.

Workload and Service

Some of the company's current projects include the master plan implementation project for Thermal Energy Corp. on the central plant at Houston's Texas Medical Center; the 138-kV transmission grid improvement upgrade for utility TXU in Fort Worth; a steam plant for Enwave USA in New Orleans; and a section of the Chisolm Trail Parkway for the North Texas Tollway Authority in Tarrant County.

Another ongoing project is a $90-million design-build cooling and heating plant at the new medical school on the University of Texas, Austin campus. It is being built on an accelerated schedule, with construction set to begin in December and end by June 2016.

"What I like about working with Burns & McDonnell is that the staff is very knowledgeable, so we have a lot of confidence in their skill," says Juan Ontiveros, executive director of utilities and energy management at the University of Texas, Austin. "They listen to us. That's very comforting, especially when you're in such a crunch to get something done."

Burns & McDonnell also gives back to the community every year through links to selected charities— Wounded Warriors in 2013 and Ronald McDonald House this year. The firm's Houston office partnered with the city's Toyota Center arena to benefit Wounded Warriors, says Duke, "and we have had a wonderful partnership with the [NBA's Houston] Rockets, where we're honoring a veteran at every halftime.."

The firm also had a major effort for employees in support of Habitat for Humanity and participates in Bike Around the Bay. "We also worked with Toys for Tots, the Salvation Army, Neighbors Helping Neighbors and Habitat for Humanity," Clark adds.

Onward

The future looks bright in Texas and Louisiana for Burns & McDonnell. "Our numbers continue to go up overall, and we're seeing some bigger construction projects start to come back," says Clark. "We just signed an $85-million construction project that had been on hold for four years."

Clients are also bundling projects more than before, looking to partner on multiple jobs instead of just one at a time, Duke adds. "The pace of it is faster and the efficiencies are better gained in working projects in parallel, and with the aggressive oil and gas market, it's almost a requirement," she says.

As long as the energy markets remain strong, work in the region will be plentiful. "The robust oil and gas business spawns business in everything that we do— roads, infrastructure, water, rail, airports, commercial facilities," Duke says. "It's a good time if you're looking for a place to invest—this is it. The Texas-Louisiana market is going to be strong for a long time."