Stantec booked $281.4 million in regional revenue in 2020, fourth in our list of Top Design Firms, an increase from an equally staggering $276 million in 2019 and, above all, they’ve done it by being the design firm that takes on the challenges other firms won't.

Whether those challenges are historic buildings, roads and bridges that cross borders, big public transit projects or even the rarely-seen conversion of a water-control dam to a hydroelectric one, does not matter to planners, engineers, architects and scientists of the Edmonton, Alberta-based architecture, engineering and consulting giant that has 22,000 employees spread over 350 locations worldwide.

Stantec had work distributed across all 11 states of our region with Illinois, Ohio, Wisconsin and Kentucky having the strongest 2020 numbers among them. Its regional headquarters in Minneapolis oversees Midwest operations, including projects such as such as the team of urban planners, landscape architects, engineers, and scientists working with the City of Wausau,Wis., to implement a public improvements along 2,200 ft of Wisconsin River shoreline.

Stantec's water projects, alone, would have qualified it for this distinction and those include the Red Rock Dam in Pella, Iowa, as well as preliminary design of the City of Joliet, Ill.'s Alternative Water Source Program. The program will provide drinking water to Joliet where, by 2030, current supply will no longer meet maximum demand. The $600-$800 million system will convey water purchased from the Chicago to Joliet through a new water transmission system.

We'll publish an in-depth profile of the engineer/architect/consultant in our May 2021 issue. Our Top Design Firms survey has now closed but e-mail me if your firm would still like to be recognized among the Midwest's best.