Our past

AMEC's long history spans more than 160 years, from its inception as a UK-based construction company. The AMEC of today is very different, supplying high-value consultancy, engineering, and project management services to the world's natural resources, nuclear, clean energy, water and environmental sectors in around 40 countries around the globe.

The company was first formed in 1848, when Matthew Hall opened a lead-work business in the UK. This later became the Matthew Hall Group of Companies. Separately, in 1883 Leonard Fairclough started a stone business in the UK, which expanded into construction at the turn of the century.

In 1982 Fairclough Construction merged with William Press (founded in 1913) to form AMEC plc. Six years later the Matthew Hall Group of Companies was incorporated into the AMEC Group.

In Canada, AMEC's roots date back to more than 100 years ago. In 1907 the Montreal Engineering Company was incorporated, and was in business for over 85 years before being acquired by AGRA in 1992. AMEC then bought this business in 2000. Watch our 100 years video for more information on our Canadian history.

In 2002, we published our very first sustainability report and have since been recognised by the Dow Jones Sustainability Index as one of the world’s top five companies for sustainability in the oil equipment and services sector. In 2009, AMEC was also added to the United Nations register of Global Compact participants.

Our major accomplishments include :

• Working on the world’s first oil sands mine in the 1960s
• Working on the restart of reactors one and two at Bruce A Power Station in Ontario, the largest nuclear project in North America
• Thirty five years of successful working in the North Sea, providing asset support and maintenance on more than half of the UK North Sea’s producing fields
• Engineering, procurement and construction management of Canada’s first diamond mine, Ekati
• Numerous retrofits and expansions of the world’s largest lead-zinc mine, 120 km north of the Arctic Circle in Alaska, US
• Installing the first automated phone system in South America
• Construction of the Beauharnois Hydroelectric Station, with the largest number of generators of any hydro station in the world.

2010

January: AMEC signs up to 10:10 carbon cutting campaign, AMEC acquires Currie & Brown Australia Limited

March: AMEC acquires Entec Holdings Limited

2009

• December: AMEC revealed its Vision 2015
• November: AMEC acquired GRD Limited (GRD), a world class engineering and project delivery business specialising in the design, procurement and construction of mineral projects
• September: the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) 2009/10 ranks AMEC as the sector leader for sustainability in the oil equipment and services sector
• August: Record Trading Performance; 2009 group EBITA margin guidance approaching 8%
• July: AMEC ranked Top International Design Firm in Canada by Engineering News Record
• July: AMEC announces agreement to acquire leading Australian resources engineering and project development company GRD Limited, an ASX listed engineering company based in Perth, Australia, which employs 850 people globally.
• June: Acquisition of Journeaux, Bédard & Assoc. Inc. (JBA), a 20-person geotechnical, mining and environmental engineering consultancy located in Montreal, Quebec
• May: AMEC to support BP’s deepwater Tubular Bells and Kodiak discoveries in the Gulf of Mexico; the first deepwater work to be executed under the global agreement with BP
• April: A joint venture agreement signed by AMEC, the Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO), the Korea Gas Corporation (KOGAS) and the Korea Development Bank (KDB) to develop energy-related business opportunities and projects in South Korea and internationally
• March: AMEC purchased Canadian engineering consultancy, Philips Engineering Ltd.
• March: Sale of GeoMelt business assets to Impact Services, Inc. completed
• January: AMEC selected by Imperial Oil Limited as engineering, procurement and construction management contractor for phase 1 facilities of their Kearl Oil Sands project in northern Alberta, Canada
• January: Simon Thompson and Neil Bruce appointed to the board
• January: Acquistion of UK-based asset optimisation consultancy services company Performance Improvements Group (PI) Limited that specializes in delivering operational excellence in the North Sea
• January: An AMEC consortium awarded one of two major contracts to support the delivery of National Grid’s long-term US transmission US$1.7 billion capital investment programme in New York and New England

2008

• November: AMEC acquired OEST Associates Inc (US), engineering and architecture services business
• October: Divestment of UK wind developments business; framework agreement signed to support Vattenfall in the UK renewables market
• September: the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) 2008/9 ranks AMEC as one of the world's top five companies for sustainability in the oil equipment and services sector
• July: AMEC alliance announced preferred bidder for the Sellafield competition July, we acquired Slovak specialist nuclear services company AllDeco, s.r.o. (AllDeco), a leading player in nuclear decommissioning and reactor services
• June: AMEC and BP enter strategic global projects agreement
• June: Acquisition of Geomatrix Consultants, Inc. headquartered in Oakland, California, offering specialist environmental, geotechnical and water resources services
• May: Acquisition of Bower Damberger Rolseth Engineering Limited (BDR), a specialist in-situ oil sands business in Canada
• April: Acquisition of Smith Williams Consultants, Inc. (SWC), a mining consultancy in Plymouth Meeting, USA and Rider Hunt International Limited (RHI) a leading project services company to the oil, gas, chemical, energy and process industries
• January: Two acquisitions bolster AMEC’s environmental expertise in U.S. Pacific Northwest, Steward and Associates and Marine & Environmental Testing, Inc

2007

• December: Reclassified into Oil and Equipment Services; including in FTSE 100 for the first time
• November: Sale of Project Investments completed. Reclassification into Oil and Equipment Services; included in FTSE 100 for first time
• September: Acquisition of CADE-IDEPE, the largest independent Chilean engineering services company. Sale of AMEC’s Building and Facilities Services business to SPIE completed
• July: Acquisition of 60 per cent interest in Batys Kazakhstan Kuat Service Limited (‘BKKS’), a Kazakh oilfield services company. Sale of Design & Project Services and Developments to Morgan Sindall and sale of Midwest Pipelines to Willbros Group Ltd
• May: Sale of AMEC SPIE Capag to Entrepose Contracting SA
• April: AMEC celebrates 100 years in Canada. Sale of Dynamic Structures to Empire Industries and Buchan Concrete Solutions to the Roger Bullivant Group of Companies
• February: Sale of AMEC SPIE Rail to The Colas Group

2006

• October: Sir Peter Mason retires and Samir Brikho becomes new Chief Executive
• July: Sale of AMEC SPIE Regional Services

2000 - 2005

• 2005 - Acquisition of NNC Holdings Limited, the UK’s leading private sector nuclear service business
• 2005 - Acquisition of Paragon Engineering Services, Inc. based in Houston, Texas
• 2004 - AMEC reclassified into Support Services sector on London Stock Exchange
• 2003 - Acquisition of remainder of shares in SPIE
• 2003 - Lauren Kamtech's US operations acquired
• 2002 - Publication of AMEC's first sustainability report
• 2000 - Acquisition of AGRA, North American environmental, engineering and construction services company

1950 - 1999

• 1997- Acquisition of 41.65 per cent holding in SPIE, French electrical contracting and construction business
• 1988 - Acquisition of Matthew Hall Group of companies
• 1982 - William Press and Fairclough construction groups merge to form AMEC plc
• 1950 - Matthew Hall & Co begins work at BP Grangemouth refinery – contracts have continued to present day

1848 - 1949

• 1913 - William Press & Son founded in London
• 1907 - AGRA Monenco founded
• 1883 - Leonard Fairclough starts stone business in UK
• 1848 - Matthew Hall opens for business – later becomes the Matthew Hall Group of companies