COMPANYHISTORIES
NAIC 23499

All Other Heavy Construction

How the companies in this industry began, and the forces that shaped them.

14companies1846–1997founding years10still active3no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedJarvis plc
1846
1867
TechnologyNobel patents dynamite.
FoundedSkanska AB
1887
FoundedTarmac plc
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
FoundedGreat Lakes Dredge & Dock Company
1905
FoundedNKK Corporation
1912
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
FoundedFluor Corporation
1924
FoundedKellogg Brown & Root, Inc.
1929
FoundedRMC Group p.l.c.
1930
1931
EconomyThe Empire State Building rises in just over a year.
FoundedMorrison Knudsen Corporation
1932
1937
EconomyThe Golden Gate Bridge opens as the world's longest suspension span.
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
FoundedBalfour Beatty plc
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
FoundedGrupo Ferrovial, S.A.
1952
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
FoundedBilfinger & Berger AG
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
FoundedEvergreen Marine Corporation (Taiwan) Ltd.
1987
1989
HistoryThe Berlin Wall falls; global markets open up.
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
FoundedVA TECH ELIN EBG GmbH
1997
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2010
TechnologyCloud computing goes mainstream for business.
2015
EnvironmentThe Paris Agreement sets global climate targets.
2020
EconomyThe COVID-19 pandemic upends the global economy.
2022
EconomyInflation spikes; central banks raise rates sharply.
2023
TechnologyGenerative AI reaches mainstream business use.
§ 02

The companies

Jarvis plc →
Defunct · founded 1846 · United Kingdom
CEO Paris Maoyedi has transformed Jarvis plc from a tiny, money-losing construction firm in the early 1990s to one of…
Skanska AB →
Active · founded 1887 · Sweden
After helping to build Scandinavia, Skanska AB is ready to help build the rest of the world.
Tarmac plc →
Active · founded 1903 · United Kingdom
Tarmac plc is one of the leading heavy building materials and construction services groups in Europe, with additional…
Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company →
Active · founded 1905
Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company has been in the dredging business for 115 years and has made major contributions to…
NKK Corporation →
Defunct · founded 1912 · Japan
NKK Corporation is one of the world's largest steelmakers and Japan's second largest.
Fluor Corporation →
Active · founded 1924
Mid-1980s:Fluor divests all of its oil properties, some gold operations, and all its offshore drilling facilities.
Kellogg Brown & Root, Inc. →
Active · founded 1929
Kellogg Brown & Root, Inc.
RMC Group p.l.c. →
Renamed · founded 1930 · United Kingdom
RMC Group p.l.c.
Morrison Knudsen Corporation →
Defunct · founded 1932
Morrison Knudsen Corporation (MK) has long stood as one of the world's largest engineering and construction…
Balfour Beatty plc →
Active · founded 1945 · United Kingdom
Late 19th century:Callender's Cable and Construction Co.
Grupo Ferrovial, S.A. →
Active · founded 1952 · Spain
Grupo Ferrovial, S.A.
Bilfinger & Berger AG →
Active · founded 1975 · Germany
Bilfinger Berger AG operates as the second-largest general contractor in Germany, just behind competitor HOCHTIEF AG.
Evergreen Marine Corporation (Taiwan) Ltd. →
Active · founded 1987 · Taiwan
With more than 130 owned and long-term chartered ships, Evergreen Marine Corporation (Taiwan) Ltd.
VA TECH ELIN EBG GmbH →
Active · founded 1997 · Austria
VA TECH ELIN EBG GmbH (VTEE) is the infrastructure and industrial services arm of Austria's VA Technologie AG.
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