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Louis Berger
Company typePrivate
Industryengineering, architecture, economic development, environmental science, transportation, international development, water supply, wastewater treatment, program management
Founded1953 (Harrisburg, PA)
FounderDr. Louis Berger
Headquarters
Area served
worldwide
Key people
Nicholas J. Masucci (president)
Servicescivil engineering, structural engineering, program management, construction management, architecture, cultural resources management, public administration
Number of employees
6,000
WebsiteLouis Berger

Louis Berger (formerly known as Berger Group Holdings) is a full-service engineering, architecture, planning, environmental, program management, construction management and economic development firm based in Morristown, NJ. Founded in 1953 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania by Dr. Louis Berger, the firm now employs nearly 6,000 employees in more than 50 countries worldwide[1].

The firm provides services to federal, state and local government clients, as well as to international multilateral institutions and to commercial industry. In 2015, Louis Berger was ranked #25 among U.S. design firms in terms of total firm revenue by Engineering News-Record[2].

Dr. Louis Berger[edit]

Louis Berger was founded in 1953 by Dr. Louis “Doc” Berger in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Born in 1914 in Lawrence, Massachusetts, Dr. Berger graduated from Tufts College in 1936 with a degree in civil engineering. He went on to earn a master’s in soils and geology from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1940[3]. In 1942, Dr. Berger joined the Coast Guard where he designed waterfront facilities along the Mississippi River and commanded a Coast Guard base in Greenland. Upon returning from active duty, he earned his PhD in soil mechanics from Northwestern University and joined the teaching faculty at the Pennsylvania State University[4]. In 1952, Dr. Berger left his position at Pennsylvania State University to form the engineering consulting firm that would later become Louis Berger.

Fredric S. Berger, son of the company's founder, Dr. Louis Berger, was involved with the company since 1972 and served as chairman of Louis Berger Group from 2007 until his passing in April 2015.[5] Mr. Berger held a bachelor's in economics from Tufts University and a master of science degree in civil engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology[6]. Mr. Berger was a founding member of the American University of Afghanistan and served on the university's board from 2004 to 2015[7]. In 2013, Mr. Berger was appointed to advisory boards for the U.S. Institute of Peace and the U.S. Trade and Development Agency[8].

Early Years[edit]

The firm’s first major projects included design on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, the first turnpike in the U.S.[4], and on I-80 between Denville and Netcong, the first interstate road in the state of New Jersey[9].

The firm also designed the Herat-Islam Qala Highway in Afghanistan in 1965[10].

International Development Work[edit]

Louis Berger began its first international project in 1959 when the firm was selected by USAID and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Gulf District to design a 435-mile highway between Yangon and Mandalay in Myanmar[10][1]. The project was initially rejected by the Burmese government as proposed by the Corps of Engineers, but Louis Berger was able to design the project using more economical alternatives[10].

In 1984, Louis Berger and HPDI, formerly a design institute under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Communications and currently affiliated with the China Communications Construction Company, Ltd. (CCCC), established Chelbi Engineering Consultants (known as CHELBI). It was one of the earliest engineering consultants companies incorporated by a Chinese partner and a foreign company to be established in mainland China, and is currently one of the largest joint venture engineering consultants companies in mainland China.

In 2012, Louis Berger completed work on the Juba-Nimule Road in South Sudan under the Sudan Infrastructure Services Project[11]. The road was the first paved highway in South Sudan and links the Sudanese capital to the town of Nimule on the Ugandan border[12].

In December 2010 the Discovery Science Channel production team filmed 30-hours of footage of the works for the construction of a new bridge over the Sava River in Belgrade, Serbia.[13][14]

Past Controversies[edit]

In November 2010, Louis Berger agreed to pay $69.3 million to settle charges of improper billing on U.S. government overhead accounts brought under the False Claims Act. The case, filed by a whistleblower, alleged that the company billed the government for internal costs unrelated to its rebuilding contracts in Afghanistan. In 2010, Louis Berger self-reported that executives had been paying bribes amounting to $3.9 million between 1998 and 2010 to government officials in India, Indonesia, Vietnam and Kuwait in violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.[15] [16] A settlement agreement between the company and the US Department of Justice was announced in July 2015, in which the company agreed to a three-year deferred prosecution and a penalty of $17.1 million. [15] In February 2015, the World Bank announced the debarment of the firm for engaging in "corrupt practices" based on the company's self-reported pre-2010 era misconduct in Vietnam. [17]

Organization[edit]

Louis Berger is comprised of three operating companies which include a United States unit (formerly known as Louis Berger Group), an international unit, and a services unit[18] that provides base logistics and operations support, global operations and maintenance, turnkey power solutions and fueling and facility services. Headquartered in Morristown, New Jersey, Louis Berger manages its regional operations out of offices in Washington D.C., France, United Arab Emirates, India and Panama.[19]

Key Projects[edit]

Ohmi-Ohdori Bridge
Ohmi-Ohdori Bridge, Japan
Suvarnabhumi Airport
Suvarnabhumi Airport
Ada Bridge
Ada Bridge

Roads and Bridges[edit]

Aviation[edit]

Rail[edit]

Maritime[edit]

Other Projects[edit]

Industry Rankings[edit]

Louis Berger was ranked #25 among U.S. design firms in 2015 based on total firm revenue by Engineering News-Record[22] and #10 among Program Management firms[23].

The firm also ranked #37 among Environmental firms in 2014[24].

Awards and Recognition[edit]


References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Berger sees Sandy as a chance to redevelop Shore the right way". NJBIZ. 2013-03-27. Retrieved 2013-06-13.
  2. ^ "The Top 500 Design Firms | ENR: Engineering News Record | McGraw-Hill Construction". Enr.construction.com. 2015-01-14. Retrieved 2015-06-26.
  3. ^ "Louis Berger - The Tech". Tech.mit.edu. Retrieved 2013-06-13.
  4. ^ a b By CLAUDIA H. DEUTSCHPublished: August 19, 1996 (1996-08-19). "Louis Berger, 82, Who Built Engineering Concern - New York Times". Nytimes.com. Retrieved 2013-06-13.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  5. ^ Rubin, Debra K. "Fred Berger, Louis Berger Chairman and Global Sector Activist, Dies at 67". Engineering News Record. Dodge Data & Analytics. Retrieved 26 June 2015.
  6. ^ Fred Berger | Tuftsgloballeadership
  7. ^ "AUAF mourns the loss of Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Fredric Berger".
  8. ^ "Louis Berger Chairman Appointed to Two Global Advisory Boards".
  9. ^ Louis Berger: Leadership and Management in Engineering: (ASCE)
  10. ^ a b c http://www.history.army.mil/html/books/bricks_sand_and_marble/CMH_45-2-1.pdf
  11. ^ USAID and South Sudan launch $225 million tarmacing of Juba-Nimule Road - Sudan Tribune: Plural news and views on Sudan
  12. ^ Work to progress on the 67 km Juba-Nimule Road - Sudan Tribune: Plural news and views on Sudan
  13. ^ Sava River Bridge, Discovery.com
  14. ^ Bridge Over the River Sava in the City of Belgrade Project
  15. ^ a b "Louis Berger to Pay $17.1 Million to Settle Bribery Charges". Wall Street Journal. July 17, 2015.
  16. ^ http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/louis-berger-international-resolves-foreign-bribery-charges. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  17. ^ "World Bank Group Debars Louis Berger Group". World Bank.
  18. ^ http://www.louisberger.com/about/organization. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  19. ^ http://www.louisberger.com/about/offices. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  20. ^ [1]
  21. ^ "News & Events | IRF". Irfnews.org. 2008-08-19. Retrieved 2013-06-13.
  22. ^ The Top 500 Design Firms | ENR: Engineering News Record | McGraw-Hill Construction
  23. ^ [2]
  24. ^ The Top 200 Environmental Firms | ENR: Engineering News Record | McGraw-Hill Construction
  25. ^ [3]
  26. ^ "ARTBA Globe Award winners announced | Roads & Bridges". Roadsbridges.com. 2010-05-26. Retrieved 2013-06-13.
  27. ^ "News & Events | IRF". Irfnews.org. 2008-08-19. Retrieved 2013-06-13.
  28. ^ "News Release" (PDF). Consulting Engineers Council. Retrieved 26 June 2015.

Category:Construction and civil engineering companies Category:Construction and civil engineering companies of the United States Category:Engineering consulting firms Category:Civil engineering contractors Category:Companies established in 1953 Category:Privately held companies based in New Jersey Category:Engineering companies Category:Engineering companies of the United States Category:Multinational companies headquartered in the United States