http://cdmsmith.com/en-US/Discover-Us/Sustainability.aspx
CDM Smith Inc.
"Building Our Global Future"
"It is sometimes said that Wilbur Smith changed the way we live. His work, and that of the firm he founded, enables the traveling public in more than 120 countries to move safely and economically on all modes of transportation."
CDM Smith Merger
:Better Together
In 1947 Thomas Camp left MIT—where he’d chaired the department of sanitary engineering—to set up a consulting practice with partners Herman Dresser and Jack McKee.
Camp pioneered drinking water treatment technologies such as dual-media filters and direct filtration—still in practice today.
Dresser established the character and business practices of the firm, emphasizing teamwork, employee development, and exceptional client service.
McKee advanced approaches in water quality protection and groundwater recharge.
“Both firms share a common dedication to putting our clients first and a mission to create innovative, lasting solutions that enhance quality of life, protect the environment and support economic vitality. This provides a solid foundation for coming together. In addition, we have a steadfast commitment to employee ownership, giving us the freedom to maintain that dedication to our clients and provide superior opportunities for our employees,” said Richard D. Fox, CDM chairman and CEO.
The merger promised continued growth for both firms as CDM valued WSA’s leadership in transportation. WSA equally valued CDM's resources and ability to expand their transportation services worldwide.
At the time CDM was best-known for its work with wastewater and environmental remediation and reported revenues of $720 million. Wilbur Smith Associates best-known for its transportation work was reporting revenues of $182.4 million.
CDM Smith's Sustainable Focus
"Building Our Global Future"
- Wilbur S. Smith was born Sept. 6, 1911 in Columbia, South Carolina and received Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in engineering from the University of South Carolina, and later Honorary Doctor of Law and Doctor of Humane Letters Degrees from Harvard university.
- He worked for the highway department for 10 years out of school and became the first state traffic engineer before moving onto an academic career at Yale.
- Through his research and teaching at Yale Smith became known as a pioneer in the transportation planning and traffic engineering profession.
- Wilbur Smith & Associates was originally founded in New Haven, CT while still at Yale, but soon opened a second office in Columbia, SC, his hometown.
- In 1952 automobile ownership was booming, and suburban development had begun. Smith recognized the need for traffic engineering expertise to guide the transportation infrastructure decisions. Along with his associates, many whom at Yale with him, his firm focused on serving that need.
- The firm established a reputation for vision, innovation, and a science-based approach to addressing transportation needs, which would result in global demand for his expertise.
- In the 1960s Wilbur Smith and Associates was awarded its first major international projects: a highway and rail transportation plan for Sri Lanka and a comprehensive plan for Calcutta, India. Followed by major planning efforts in London, Paris and Hong Kong.
- Establishing him as one of the world leaders in the industry was the request by the Greek Ministry of Public Works for Wilbur to personally handle the modern transportation vision for the future of Athens, Eventually the firm expanded into Western Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and into South America and Central America, and Smith shared his expertise with developing Third World countries.
Achieving this sustainable focus requires growth, strong financial performance, and professional achievement. "Building Our Global Future", is the most highly integrated strategy the company has ever pursued.
The integration of all services now offered by the newly formed company helps to understand and respond to globalizing markets and the business challenges this brings.
The strategic plan commits to sustainability performance improvement in all aspects of the business and culture. Every facet of the organization—clients and projects, people, operations, and community.
Sustainable Projects
The sustainable strategy is defined by three specific objectives.
1. "Walk the Talk" with sustainability in operations.
2. Develop and apply models for "sustainability in practice," in essence seeking ways to enhance sustainability in how business is conducted.
3. Advance the sustainability state-of-the-art. be leaders, not followers, in sustainability. In adopting their own sustainability goals, it aligns them with clients who share the motivation to adopt more sustainable approaches.
Q&A with the CEO
- CDM Smith provides sustainable integrated solutions in water, environment, transportation, energy and facilities to public and private clients worldwide.
- Services – CDM Smith offers full services inclusive of consulting, engineering, construction, and operations enabling the ability to monitor the entire project life cycle
- Headquarters: Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Size – Almost 6,000 employees
- Ownership - Employee owned
- Organization - Strategically aligned with clients, CDM Smith provides services through the following major business groups:
•Client Services, Europe, Middle East & Africa
•Federal Services
•Industrial Services
•Public Services, North America East & Latin America
•Public Services, North America West/Central & Asia
Q. How are changing conditions reshaping the services that clients need?
Q. How is the increased focus on sustainability influencing the work and the workforce?
A. Global population is exploding. More than half of the world’s population is living in cities today, and growth is expected to continue. This presents tremendous environmental challenges, including depleted and degraded resources, limited potable water and sanitation, as well as threats from climate change. As a result, clients are looking for integrated, sustainable infrastructure solutions, including advanced technology, innovative building designs, and efficient, renewable energy solutions. This is not an approach where green features are add-ons. It's an integrated look at our clients' challenges from a comprehensive, holistic perspective and a way to identify solutions that incorporate social, economic, and environmental strategies that are synergistic. Equally important, with resources stretched to the limit, clients are looking for a partner who can deliver the entire process-design it, build it, and start it up-sooner and for less.
Measuring Sustainability
A. Sustainability is here to stay. It won’t be long before clients, both government and private, mandate an integrated approach on all projects. But all three legs-social, economic, and environmental-have to be addressed to achieve sustainable strategies. This is a particularly exciting time at CDM Smith because sustainability and all of its goals are so closely aligned with the firm's founding mission. And, the young men and women coming into the workforce are extremely passionate in their commitment to sustainability. It's just wonderful to work with them. Their energy is contagious.
Imperative to the sustainable strategy is their performance improvement management system (SPIMS). This is a framework for continual improvement and awareness enhancement, that follows the premise that sustainability can be achieved by implementing processes synchronized with existing business processes and practices.
This allows for capitalization on existing organizational and technical strengths to collaborate with clients to develop more sustainable projects and operations. SPIMS enables stakeholders to identify new opportunities for improvement, implement initiatives based on established goals, and then monitor performance and communicate progress.
In addition to the delivery of technical services, this process of continual assessment and improvement is being applied to internal performance, helping us better conserve resources, and strengthen financial and operational performance.
Agenda
- Intro to CDM Smith Inc.
- History of Wilbur Smith & Associates
- History of Camp, Dresser and Mckee (CDM)
- The Merger: CDM Smith Inc.
- CDM Smith's Sustainable Focus
- Sustainable Projects
- Measuring Sustainability
- Q&A with the CEO: Dick Fox
Prepared by: Tristan Porter
IBUS 705
10/12/2012