WSP office in Markham
|
|
Public | |
Traded as | : WSP |
Industry | Design, Engineering consulting, Environmental consulting, Planning, Professional services |
Predecessor |
Genivar Inc. WSP Group plc |
Founded | 1959 |
Headquarters | Montreal, Canada |
Key people
|
Alexandre L'Heureux (President and CEO) |
Revenue | C$6.1 billion (2015) |
C$4.5 billion (2015) | |
Number of employees
|
36,500 (2016) |
Website | www |
WSP Global Inc. is a Canadian-based business providing management and consultancy services to the built and natural environment. It is listed on the . After the purchase of New York-headquartered professional services firm Parsons Brinckerhoff in October 2014, WSP Global effectively became one of the largest professional services firm in the world, with approximately 36,500 employees in 500 offices serving in 40 countries.
Engineering Services firms, G.B.G.M. Ltd and Les Consultants Dupuis, Côté Inc., began operating in Quebec City in 1959.
In 1969 in England, WSP was established by Chris Cole and three other partners trading as the William Sale Partnership. In 1976, it was a founder member of the Building Services Research and Information Association (BSRIA). It was first listed on the in 1987.
After acquiring three firms and geographical expansion in 1993, the name was changed to GENIVAR.
In the 1990s the company expanded at home and overseas forming WSP Asia in 1995, incorporating T P O'Sullivan and Partners in 1997, acquiring US practices Cantor Seinuk and Flack + Kurtz in 2000, as well as buying Jacobson & Widmark (J&W) in Sweden in 2001, LT Consultants Oyj and EMP Projects Oyj in Finland in 2003 and, PHB Group in the UAE in 2005.
On 7 June 2012, Genivar Inc. announced that it made a friendly takeover cash offer of £278 million (C$442 million) for WSP Group plc, headquartered in London. The offer was backed by WSP's board of directors as well as investors holding 37% of the company's shares and the take over was completed on 1 August 2012. This merger created a professional services firm with approximately 15,000 employees, working in over 300 offices worldwide.
The company reorganised its corporate structure on 1 January 2014, to create a parent company named WSP Global Inc. and adopted the common brand of WSP.