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Stantec has acquired VI Engineering, a Houston-based electrical engineering firm. The acquisition closed on July 10. VI’s existing leadership will remain intact, and the 30-person firm will remain located at its current Houston office. However, VI will eventually transition its brand and name to Stantec, says Matt McBurnett, principal at VI.VI Engineering was founded in 2004 and operates across Texas and the Gulf Coast region, as well as the Northeast. The company also has a national list of clients that includes Southern California Edison, MidAmerican Energy, Pacific Gas and Electric, Bayer and Valero Energy Corp.“The utility transmission and distribution marketplace

A robust transportation sector in Texas as well as continued vitality from energy, infrastructure, education and hospital projects in Texas and Louisiana helped deliver a high-performance 2014 for design firms based or working in the Gulf Coast. Related Links: ENR Texas & Louisiana Top Project Starts of 2014 ENR Texas & Louisiana Top Design Firms 2014 The top 75 firms in ENR Texas & Louisiana's annual ranking of the region's largest designers reported combined revenue of $5.1 billion last year, compared with $4.1 billion in 2013—a nearly 25% increase that extends a three-year growth spurt in the region.The top three

Hunt-Zachry, A Joint Venture, is surging past the half-way mark in constructing a $325-million, 800,000-sq-ft addition to San Antonio's bustling Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center. The joint venture team is a partnership between Hunt Construction Group, An AECOM Company, and Zachry Construction Corp. Image Courtesy of Hunt Construction Group San Antonio hopes that sleek architecture and multiple amenities will help make Gonzalez one of top convention centers in the U.S. Photo Courtesy of Hunt Construction Group An 800,000-sq-ft addition will nearly double the size of the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio. Related Links: Digging Deeper: School Charts

EVERETTBrad Everett has been named president and chief operating officer with Austin, Texas-based civil contractor J.D. Abrams. Everett, who has been with Abrams for more than 30 years, managed its Austin and El Paso, Texas, markets prior to assuming his new role. He succeeds Jon F. Abrams, who remains CEO and chairman of the board. Related Links: ENR Texas and Louisiana People Showcase ENR People Steve DeRouen has been named vice president with the Lake Charles, La., office of ISC Constructors, a contractor serving chemical processing, petrochemical, refining, power and pulp and paper industries. DeRouen has more than 25 years

All politics is local, or so the saying goes. The same could be said of the complex, potentially contentious nature of transportation construction, which may involve any number of unique, location-specific issues and interests. It is because of transportation's inherent intricacies that agencies in Texas and Louisiana are casting a wider net to develop viable alternatives for getting projects and programs up and running as efficiently as possible while also meeting the demands of a mobile marketplace. Related Links: Owner of the Year http://texas.construction.com/texas_construction_firms/2014/0609-robust-development-at-burns-mac.asp Design Firm of the Year 2014 The ability to meet those requirements is a key reason

Construction is brisk in Texas and Louisiana. The region posted big increases for project starts in all sectors, particularly in energy, transportation and water infrastructure. The top 25 projects of 2014 totaled $28.9 billion, more than double the previous year's $12.5 billion. Related Links: ENR Texas & Louisiana Top Starts 2013 ENR Texas & Louisiana Top Starts 2012 "The market is robust, and there are a lot of opportunities in all segments, including mixed-use," says Jack Baxley, president and CEO of Dallas-Fort Worth-based TEXO, a commercial trade association of 1,400 general contractors, specialty contractors and suppliers in northern and eastern

One of New Orleans' most prominent developers is putting the finishing touches on the $100-million conversion of an abandoned 30-story office building into a 188-room hotel, 192 luxury apartments and a 365-space parking facility. The 53-year-old property, named 225 Baronne, is sited in the city's central business district. It is among several historic structures HRI Properties has converted to mixed-use developments. The intent is to "unlock their value," says Eddie Boettner, the firm's chief administrative officer. The project, he says, "saves 30 stories from the landfill." Related Links: Digging Deeper: $1B Project Legacy Rises in Tight Quarters Digging Deeper: Five-Part

A charter school system in Waxahachie, Texas, is constructing a state-of-the-art campus to meet the needs of its growing student body. The district broke ground in April 2014 on its seventh location, the Life School in south Dallas, which will serve 1,000 students. The new school will become a model for future projects in the rapidly growing district. Related Links: Digging Deeper: $1B Project Legacy Rises in Tight Quarters Digging Deeper: Five-Part Project to Ease New Orleans Flooding Staff and administrators were directly involved in the design and planning process to create a campus that exemplifies their teaching methods and

Kathy Berek has joined engineer-architect Burns & McDonnell as regional practice manager for a newly created water division in the firm's Houston office. Berek, who has more than 30 years of experience in industrial and municipal water fields, previously led programs for one of the state's largest water districts. She also is a member of the Austin-based Texas Water Conservation Association, chairs the ethics committee for the Construction Management Association of America and is a member of the diversity committee at the American Water Works Association. Related Links: ENR People ENR Top 25 Newsmakers Mike Mehno has joined the Dallas