Black & Veatch celebrates 100 years of business

Black & Veatch knows how to throw a centennial celebration.

The Overland Park-based engineering, consulting, construction and operations management firm on Wednesday celebrated its 100th birthday with programs that crossed 16 time zones. An event at the company’s world headquarters was expected to draw more than 6,000 guests.

The firm, founded in 1915 by Ernest Bateman Black and Nathan Thomas Veatch with 12 employees, has transformed into an international operation with more than 10,000 employees working on more than 6,000 projects. Black & Veatch’s work can be found in more than 100 countries.

“The opportunities for our professionals are very strong in both traditional infrastructure projects and emerging markets,” said Steve Edwards, the company’s chairman and chief executive. “As we look back at the past century, we see that technology continues to revolutionize the industries we serve.”

The Star

This story was originally published August 12, 2015 at 2:12 PM with the headline "Black & Veatch celebrates 100 years of business."