American Council of Engineering Companies
| Formation | 1905 |
|---|---|
| Type | Business Association |
| Headquarters | Washington, D.C. |
|
Membership
|
5,300 Member Firms |
|
President/CEO
|
David A. Raymond |
|
Staff
|
42 |
| Website | www |
The American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) is the oldest and largest business association of engineering companies. It is organized as a federation of 52 state and regional councils with national headquarters in Washington, D.C., comprising thousands of engineering practices throughout the country. It administers extensive lobbying and education programs.
ACEC traces its roots to the Association of Architectural Engineers, founded in New York City in 1905 to promote the business interests of consulting engineers. The organization, which was based on individual memberships, changed its name to the American Institute of Consulting Engineers (AICE) in 1909. Similar organizations soon sprung up in many states.
In 1956, representatives from 10 state associations created a national Consulting Engineers Council (CEC), representing engineering firms rather than individuals. By 1960, CEC had grown to 29 state member organizations, representing more than 1,000 firms.
In 1973, CEC and AICE merged to create the American Consulting Engineers Council (ACEC). To accommodate the individual members of AICE, the new organization created a College of Fellows membership category.
ACEC’s advocacy activities covered a broad range of issues, sometimes necessitating the creation of spin-off groups to pursue specific goals. For example, in 1986, ACEC founded the American Tort Reform Association (ATRA) to lobby for the reform of unfair liability statutes nationwide.
In 2000, ACEC changed its name to the American Council of Engineering Companies to reflect both its firm-based membership and the increasingly diversified and multi-disciplinary nature of engineering practices, including design-build practices.
In 2006, President George W. Bush gave a major mid-term address at the ACEC Annual Convention in Washington, D.C., recognizing the organization for its public policy advocacy.
In 2012, along with the American Public Works Association (APWA) and American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), ACEC founded the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI), which has developed the Envision® sustainability rating system for infrastructure works.
ACEC advocates for the business interests of its member firms before legislatures, executive agencies, courts, and in public media.
Qualifications-Based Selection (QBS). In 1972, the Council was a prime mover in the passage of the A/E Selection Procedures Act, also known as the Brooks Act, which requires that the U.S. Federal Government procure engineering and architecture services through Qualifications-Based Selection (QBS) rather than solely by price. Most states have adopted similar legislation. ACEC today seeks to bolster and expand the reach of QBS as a business “best practice” to ensure innovation, successful performance and public safety.
Contracting Out. The Council is a strong proponent of both federal and state contracting out of engineering services, asserting that such work is not “inherently a governmental” and can be best and most economically performed by the private sector.
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