AECOM operates as a leading global provider of professional infrastructure consulting and advisory services for governments, businesses and organizations throughout the world. The company provides advisory, planning, consulting, architectural and engineering design, construction and program management services, and investment and development services to public and private clients worldwide in major end markets, such as transportation, facilities, water, environmental, and energy.
The company’s...
AECOM operates as a leading global provider of professional infrastructure consulting and advisory services for governments, businesses and organizations throughout the world. The company provides advisory, planning, consulting, architectural and engineering design, construction and program management services, and investment and development services to public and private clients worldwide in major end markets, such as transportation, facilities, water, environmental, and energy.
The company’s global network of technical experts, combined with its ability to advise, consult, design, and deliver program management services creates a competitive advantage. The company’s scale also creates the capacity for investment in digital capabilities that further enhance its delivery capabilities and value proposition. The company’s business focuses primarily on providing fee-based knowledge-based services.
Segments
The company operates through three segments: Americas, International, and AECOM Capital (ACAP).
Americas: This segment engages in planning, advisory, consulting, architectural and engineering design, construction management and program management services to public and private clients in the United States, Canada, and Latin America in major end markets, such as transportation, water, government, facilities, environmental, and energy.
International: This segment engages in planning, advisory, consulting, architectural and engineering design services and program management to public and private clients in Europe, the Middle East, India, Africa, and the Asia-Australia-Pacific regions in major end markets, such as transportation, water, government, facilities, environmental, and energy.
AECOM Capital (ACAP): This segment primarily invests in and develops real estate projects.
Americas and International segments
Americas and International segments are comprised of a broad array of services, generally provided on a fee-for-service basis. These services include advisory, planning, consulting, architectural and engineering design, program management and construction management for public and private clients worldwide. For each of these services, the company’s technical expertise includes civil engineering, structural engineering, digital, process engineering, mechanical engineering, geotechnical systems and electrical engineering, architectural, landscape and interior design, urban and regional planning, project economics, cost consulting and environmental, health and safety work.
With its design and technical consulting, advisory and program management expertise, the company is able to provide its clients a broad spectrum of services across the life cycle of their assets. For example, within its water service offerings, the company provides water, wastewater, water supply and water resource services, which are necessary in response to climate adaptation and resilience, drought mitigation and other environmental and social impact factors as part of major capital/infrastructure projects.
The company’s services may be sequenced over multiple phases or multiple projects in the form of a program. For example, in the area of program management and construction management services, the company works for a client may begin with a small consulting or planning contract, and may later develop into a broader advisory, design or overall management role for the project or a series of projects, which it refers to as a program. Program and construction management contracts may employ small or large project teams and, in many cases, operate with the company’s staff located at the project site.
The company provides the services in these segments both directly and through joint ventures or similar arrangements to the following end markets or business sectors:
Transportation.
Transit and Rail: Light rail, heavy rail (including highspeed, commuter and freight) and multimodal transit projects.
Marine, Ports and Harbors: Wharf facilities and container port facilities for private and public port operators.
Highways, Bridges and Tunnels: Interstate, primary and secondary urban and rural highway systems and bridge projects.
Aviation: Landside terminal and airside facilities, runways, and taxiways.
Facilities.
Energy Efficient Facilities: Designs for new build construction or refurbishment projects, such as office buildings, data centers and other facilities with high energy demands.
Government: Emergency response services for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency and engineering and program management services for agencies of the Department of Defense and Department of Energy.
Industrial: Industrial facilities for a variety of niche end markets, such as manufacturing, distribution, aviation, aerospace, communications, media, pharmaceuticals, renewable energy, chemical, and food and beverage facilities.
Urban Master Planning/Design: Strategic planning and master planning services for new cities and major mixed-use developments in locations, such as India, China, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, North Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Commercial and Leisure Facilities: Corporate headquarters, high-rise office towers, historic buildings, hotels, leisure, sports and entertainment facilities, and corporate campuses.
Educational: College and university campuses and other educational facilities.
Health Care. Private and public health facilities.
Sports: Sustainable building design for world-class sports arenas and stadiums.
Construction Management: Program and construction management services for large scale building facility construction projects primarily in the Americas, including sports arenas, modern office and residential towers, hotels, convention centers, performance venues, aviation, and other facilities.
Water
Water and Wastewater: Treatment facilities, as well as supply, distribution and collection systems, stormwater management, desalinization, and other water reuse technologies.
Water Resources: Regional-scale floodplain mapping and analysis for public agencies, along with the analysis and development of protected groundwater resources for companies in the bottled water industry.
Drought Response and Mitigation: Designing water re-use and similar systems to enhance resiliency of water supply.
Hazardous Chemicals: Treating and addressing disposal of hazardous chemicals in water supplies and surrounding environments, such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
Environment and Energy
Environmental Management: Waste handling, testing and monitoring of environmental conditions, and environmental construction management.
Remediation: Restoring and remediating natural habitats, such as in response to industrial activity related to closed or abandoned mines.
Permitting and Community Engagement: Advancing client projects through permitting processes, including implementation of innovative online engagement platforms, such as PlanEngage.
Demand Side Management: Public K-12 schools and universities, health care facilities, and courthouses and other public buildings, as well as energy conservation systems for utilities.
Transmission and Distribution: Power stations and electric transmissions and distribution and cogeneration systems.
Alternative/Renewable Energy: Production facilities, such as ethanol plants, onshore and offshore wind farms, hydroelectric power, dams, flood control systems and geothermal subsections of regional power grids.
Program Management – The company integrates the complexity of large-scale programs and projects through tailored approaches, proven methodologies, and multidisciplinary solutions to deliver transformative outcomes for its clients and the communities they serve, including megacity development; transformational transportation infrastructure, such as high-speed rail; aviation; environmental remediation programs; energy and grid infrastructure; and water supply systems.
Water and Environment Advisory – The company provides expertise driven advisory services to infrastructure clients through the development of high-value strategies blending strategic direction with real-world expertise and deep collaboration, including digital water advisory and consulting; emerging contaminants; resource management; asset management; water supply optimization; and environmental consulting.
AECOM Capital
ACAP typically partners with investors and experienced developers as co-general partners. These partnerships may, but are not required to, enter into contracts with the company’s other AECOM affiliates to provide design, owners engineer, construction management, development and operations and maintenance services for ACAP funded projects. ACAP development activity is conducted through joint ventures or subsidiaries that may be consolidated or unconsolidated for financial reporting purposes depending on the extent and nature of the company’s ownership interest. In addition, in connection with the investment activities of ACAP, AECOM or an affiliate may provide guarantees of certain financial obligations, including guarantees for the completion of projects, repayment of debt, environmental indemnity obligations, and other lender required guarantees. ACAP has focused on investing in co-general partner equity opportunities with high quality partners, primarily targeting build-to-core investments in the top U.S. markets across all property types.
The company completed a transaction that transitioned the AECOM Capital team to a new third-party platform in the third quarter of fiscal 2024. The team will continue to support AECOM Capital’s investment vehicles pursuant to certain advisory agreements in a manner consistent with their obligations.
Thinking and Acting Globally
AECOM is at its best when the company thinks and acts globally. The company’s strategy focuses on setting a new standard of excellence in the professional services industry. First, the company’s operating structure promotes greater connectivity and collaboration across its seven regions and six global business lines. The company drives growth by prioritizing its core markets, leaning into its greatest strengths and ensuring its best talent and resources are focused on nurturing client relationships. The company is transforming the way it delivers work through technology and digital platforms improving the client experience and increasing efficiency.
Clients
The company’s clients consist primarily of national, state, regional and local governments, public and private institutions and major corporations. The company’s categories of clients include the U.S. Federal Government; the U.S. State and Local Governments; Non-U.S. Governments; and Private Entities (worldwide).
Seasonality
The company experiences seasonal trends in its business. The company’s revenue is typically higher in the last half of the fiscal year. The fourth quarter of the company’s fiscal year (July 1 to September 30) is typically its strongest quarter. The company finds that the U.S. federal government tends to authorize more work during the period preceding the end of its fiscal year, September 30. In addition, many U.S. state governments with fiscal years ending on June 30 tend to accelerate spending during their first quarter, when new funding becomes available. Further, the company’s construction management revenue typically increases during the summer months when weather and daylight hours are more conducive to outdoor activities. Within the United States, as well as other parts of the world, the company’s business generally benefits from milder weather conditions in its fiscal fourth quarter. The company’s construction and project management services also typically expand during the summer months when weather and daylight hours are more conducive to outdoor activities. The first quarter of the company’s fiscal year (October 1 to December 31) is typically its lowest revenue quarter (year ended September 30, 2024). The harsher weather conditions impact the company’s ability to complete work in parts of North America and the holiday season schedule affects its productivity during this period. For these reasons, coupled with the number and significance of client contracts commenced and completed during a particular period, as well as the timing of expenses incurred for corporate initiatives, it is not unusual for the company to experience seasonal changes or fluctuations in its quarterly operating results.
Regulations
Other federal environmental, health and safety laws affecting the company include but are not limited to, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, the Clean Air Act, the Clean Air Mercury Rule, the Occupational Safety and Health Act, the Toxic Substances Control Act, and the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act, as well as other comparable national and state laws.
Some of the company's business operations are covered by Public Law 85-804, which provides for indemnification by the U.S. federal government against claims and damages arising out of unusually hazardous or nuclear activities performed at the request of the U.S. federal government.
The services it provides to the U.S. federal government are subject to Federal Acquisition Regulation, the Truth in Negotiations Act, Cost Accounting Standards, the Services Contract Act, False Claims Act, export controls rules and Department of Defense (DOD) security regulations, as well as many other laws and regulations.
The company is subject to the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and similar anti-bribery laws, which generally prohibit companies and their intermediaries from making improper payments to foreign government officials for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business.
To the extent the company exports technical services, data and products outside of the U.S., the company is subject to the U.S. and international laws and regulations governing international trade and exports, including, but not limited to, the International Traffic in Arms Regulations, the Export Administration Regulations, and trade sanctions against embargoed countries. The company provides services to the DOD and other defense-related entities that often require specialized professional qualifications and security clearances. In addition, as engineering design services professionals, the company is subject to a variety of local, state, federal, and foreign licensing and permit requirements and ethics rules.
History
AECOM was founded in 1980. The company was incorporated in 1980.