Jacobs Rehires Former Exec as Industrial Unit President
Robert V. Pragada has returned to Jacobs Engineering Group as president of its industrial business unit. Since 2014, he was president and CEO of The Brock Group, Houston, one of the largest U.S. industrial services subcontractors. Pragada, now based in Conshohocken, Pa., worked for Jacobs before as senior vice president, global sales. He replaces Andrew Kremer, who becomes a Jacobs executive advisor. In a results announcement on Feb. 3 for its 2016 first quarter that ended on Jan. 1, Jacobs reported that whlie earnings met Wall Street expectations, revenue of $2.85 billion declined 10.6% year over year and “backlog expectations were tempered,” said Jamie Cook, Credit Suisse head construction sector analyst. Jacobs “continues to reinvest for the longer term ... while streamlining the organization,” she said.
American Engineering Testing, St. Paul, has elevated President Daniel Larson to succeed Terry Swor, also the design firm’s founder, as CEO. Larson was president since 2011. Named to succeed Larson is Senior Vice President David Rettner. Swor remains chairman of the firm, founded in 1989, which has 400 employees.
Marvinetta Hartwig has joined Stanley Consultants as transportation group manager, following its Feb. 2 announced purchase of Denver-based Hartwig & Associates, of which she was founder and president. Stanley CEO Gayle Roberts says the deal adds 30 employees to its 1,100-person global workforce.
Greg Huston is now the president of Slayden Constructors Inc., a new firm formed by the combination of his previous company Slayden Construction Group Inc. and MWH Constructors Inc. through acquisition by MWH Global.
Rockford Construction, Grand Rapids, Mich. has elevated Tom McGovern to chief operating officer and Shane Napper, former executive vice president, to succeed him as president of construction.
Structure Tone, the New York City interiors contractor, has elevated John White Jr. to executive vice president from senior regional vice president. It also named Joe Cribbin president of the firm’s Dallas-based Southwest unit and promoted Eugene White to senior vice president in New York.
Mary Clayton has joined consultant Gresham, Smith & Partners as a senior vice president in its new Charlotte, N.C., office. She had been a vice president and area manager for Parsons Brinckerhoff. Clayton also is a former president of Women’s Transportation Seminar, and founder of Women of Power, a 45-member womens’ business networking group.
Freese and Nichols, Fort Worth, has elevated Brian Coltharp to be president and CEO, as of Jan. 1, 2017. Currently chief operating officer, he will succeed Bob Pence, who has been in the role since 2002. Coltharp also most recently served as the firm's water practice leader.
The firm also said that James Nichols, former company president and chairman, died on Feb. 11 at age 92. He oversaw the design of Richland-Chambers reservoir, the largest lake in the system that supplies water to Tarrant County, Texas, and played key roles in the firm's work in construction of Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport in the 1970s.
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