Company Profile
Bechtel Corporation
Company Overview
Corporate Overview
A global leader in engineering, construction, and project management.
Bechtel is the world's No. 1 choice for engineering, construction, and project management.
Our diverse portfolio encompasses energy, transportation, communications, mining, oil and gas, and government services. We currently have projects in dozens of locations worldwide, from Alaska to Australia. No matter how challenging a project or how remote its location, chances are Bechtel can handle it. That's because we bring an unmatched combination of knowledge, skill, experience, and customer commitment to every job.
We have had record revenues for the past five years, and Engineering News-Record (ENR) has named Bechtel the top U.S. construction contractor for nine straight years.
While we work for governments and commercial customers, our projects have helped grow local economies and improve the quality of life for communities and people around the world. Time and again our work has demonstrated that the only limits on human achievement are those that we place on ourselves.
Privately owned with headquarters in San Francisco, we have offices around the world and 42,500 employees. In 2007, we had revenues of $27 billion and booked new work valued at $34.1 billion.
What We Do
Airports and seaports
Communications networks
Defense and aerospace facilities
Environmental cleanup projects
Fossil and nuclear power plants
Mines and smelters
Oil and gas field development
Pipelines
Roads and rail systems
Refineries and petrochemical facilities
Integrity and Respect
Bechtel's culture is grounded in integrity and respect. This means holding the highest standards of ethical business culture. Our reputation for adhering to these standards is one of our most valuable assets. We stand by everything we do. More
Our Goal: Zero Accidents
Bechtel has a world-class safety program, and it pays off. Nearly 90 percent of our projects complete each year without a lost-time accident. Our philosophy is simple—every accident, and therefore every injury, is preventable. More
Company History
Corporate History
Building on a family heritage since 1898
One of the oldest and largest family-led corporations in the United States, Bechtel has been in the forefront of engineering and construction for 110 years. What began as a railroad-grading operation in the Oklahoma Territory has grown into a multinational company with hundreds of projects around the world.
Since its founding in 1898, four generations of Bechtels have steered the company through more than 22,000 projects in 140 nations. Along the way, we established a reputation for undertaking "megaprojects"-- projects too big, complex, or remote for others. Many of them have become our signature projects, including Hoover Dam, the Channel Tunnel, and the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system.
As Bechtel celebrates its 110th anniversary in 2008, we look back on a history of growth and achievement unrivaled in our industry.
Notable Accomplishments / Recognition
Signature Projects
Some of the most challenging projects in our history
Alma Aluminum Smelter
With a capacity of more than 400,000 tons per year, Alma is one of the world's largest aluminum smelters.
Ankara-Gerede Highway
Turkey’s Ankara-Gerede highway, built at a cost of $1.6 billion, is one of the largest road projects in history.
Athens Metro
The 10-year project to modernize and expand Athens' subway system was one of the most ambitious public works endeavors ever undertaken in Greece
Bay Area Rapid Transit System
San Francisco’s Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system set a new standard for commuter rail systems.
Boston Central Artery/Tunnel
Boston's "Big Dig" is the largest and most complex urban transportation project ever undertaken in the United States.
Channel Tunnel
The "Chunnel," connecting England and France beneath the English Channel, is a one-of-a-kind megaproject.
Collahuasi Copper Concentrator and Expansion
High in the mountains of Chile, Bechtel showcased its skill at handling huge projects in places too remote for most engineering and construction companies.
CSPC Nanhai Petrochemical Complex
The massive CSPC Nanhai Petrochemical project is largest Sino-foreign investment in China to date.
Fjarðaál Aluminum Smelter
At Bechtel’s first-ever project in Iceland, innovative planning helped overcome the challenges of strong winds and long winter nights.
High Speed 1
The UK's first high-speed rail line dramatically cut travel time between London and Paris.
Hong Kong International Airport
Delivered by an integrated Bechtel-government team, the Hong Kong International Airport today is a key transportation hub for Asia.
Hoover Dam
Hoover Dam represented the greatest challenge of Bechtel’s history in the early 1930s. It is the largest civil engineering project in the history of the United States.
Hurricane Relief
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Bechtel provided temporary housing for nearly 100,000 people who lost their homes in the huge storm.
Iraq Infrastructure Reconstruction Program
Working for the U.S. government, Bechtel helped reconstruct and rehabilitate infrastructure in Iraq following the conflict of 2003.
James Bay Hydro Complex
Appropriately named La Grande, the James Bay hydroelectric project in Quebec harnessed the power of three river basins.
Kuwait Reconstruction
Following the Gulf War in 1991, Bechtel orchestrated the massive effort to put out the 650 wellhead fires in Kuwait, stop the gushing flow of oil, and help resurrect the oil fields.
Olympic Games
Bechtel has provided management and other services to Olympic organizing committees for six Olympics.
Tacoma Narrows Bridge
The longest suspension bridge built in the United States in 40 years has opened near Seattle, Washington.
Benefits
Health Care Options
Bechtel offers employees a variety of medical plan options, including preferred provider plans, a health-reimbursement fund, HMOs in certain locations, and dental and vision coverage.
Flex Credits
Bechtel provides employees with tax-advantaged “flex-credits” to help purchase benefits that meet their needs. These credits may be used to purchase health care and disability benefits.
Short-Term and Long-Term Disability
These plans provide partial income replacement during medically certified periods of disability caused by illness or injury.
Voluntary Personal Accident Insurance
Coverage is available for employees and family members.
Flexible Spending Accounts
Two flexible spending account plans allow employees to pay for certain out-of-pocket expenses with tax-free dollars. The Health Care Savings Account covers health-related expenses while the Dependent Care Spending Account covers child and eldercare expenses. Both plans allow employees to contribute up to $5,000 each year to each plan.
Employee Assistance Program
Confidential, short-term outpatient counseling services are offered at no cost to help U.S.-based employees and their household members resolve personal problems such as parenting concerns, marriage and family distress, alcohol and drug abuse, emotional stress, and life crises.
Core Benefits
These core benefits are provided at no cost to employees.
Basic life insurance
Business travel accident insurance
Company paid accident insurance
Domestic Partners
Bechtel recognizes registered domestic partners for all applicable benefits.
Time Off
Holidays- Bechtel provides nine paid holidays a year in the United States. Holiday schedules vary with local practices.
Paid Time Off- U.S. employees receive 20 days (160 hours) of paid time off per year, up to 80 days. Paid time off is used for vacation, sick leave, personal time off, or religious observance.
Vacation Purchase Plan- This option allows employees to “buy” an additional 40 hours of vacation. The employee’s salary is reduced by one week’s pay, with the reduction spread over the entire year.
Retirement Plan
The Bechtel Trust & Thrift Plan is designed to help employees achieve financial security at retirement, when coupled with Social Security and personal savings. The plan allows employees to make pre-tax 401(k), after-tax Roth 401(k), regular after-tax and catch-up contributions for employees over age 50. The company makes matching contributions on the first 6 percent of pay contributed by the employee and an annual profit sharing contribution. Employees are eligible to participate immediately upon hire. Company matching and profit sharing contributions begin after one year of service. Immediate vesting entitles employees to the full value of company contributions. The Plan offers a variety of investment funds and the ability to take a loan.
Additional Benefits
Additional benefits include Bechtel University online training, tuition reimbursement for approved courses, matching gifts for colleges and universities, scholarship availability for children of full-time employees, adoption assistance, child-care and commuter discounts, service milestone awards, wellness activities, employees clubs, and more.
It all adds up to make Bechtel a great place to work.