“2022 was a year of incredible growth and performance—including in safety, revenue and community impact,” says Matt Ralston, senior vice president for Burns & McDonnell. “Our sales and revenue grew by nearly 50% in 2022. We also supported 19,000 projects and hired 2,400 people.”

That’s not to say there weren’t hurdles. Scott Wittkop, president and COO for McCarthy Holdings Inc., says his company is striving to address uncertainties caused by the labor shortage, supply chain challenges and inflation.

“We are working even more closely with our clients and design and trade partners to help navigate and plan for potential impacts,” Wittkop says. “We believe greater integration can improve efficiency, lower costs and drive more certainty, even in these uncertain times.”

Burns & McDonnell is gaining efficiencies and predictability in various ways, including through the use of prefabrication and modularization and early procurement strategies, early constructibility in design, new integrated jobsite technologies and enhanced training.

As this year’s ranking shows, manufacturing, health care and transportation infrastructure were among the most active sectors. Projects on the list include the LG Electric Battery Manufacturing Plant and Ascension St. Vincent Women’s and Infant’s Hospital.

Ralston says as infrastructure needs continue to evolve, his firm is seeing strong growth in engineer-procure-construct projects.

Wittkop says McCarthy sees owners continuing to build in various sectors, including science and technology, health care, water/wastewater, renewable energy and public works, including higher education and aviation.

Despite challenges, Wittkop believes the future looks bright. “Despite the economic uncertainty, the construction market across the U.S. remains busy and owners continue to plan for new building projects,” he says. “We expect activity to remain healthy over the next 24 to 36 months as construction companies continue to work through their backlogs.”