R. W. Beck, Inc.

Infobox Company
company_name = R. W. Beck, Inc.
company_
type = Private, employee-shareholder owned
foundation = Columbus, Nebraska (1942)
location = Seattle, Washington (Corporate Office)
industry = Technically based business consultants to the energy, financial, solid waste and water/wastewater industries
revenue = profitUS$102M (2007)
num_employees = 650 (2008)
homepage = [http://www.rwbeck.com/ www.rwbeck.com]

R. W. Beck, Inc. is a group of technically based business consultants providing engineering, economic, management, and planning solutions to public and private infrastructure organizations. [ [http://www.rwbeck.com/ R. W. Beck] ] The company, though founded in Nebraska, is now based in Seattle. It also has offices in several US states and in Singapore. [ [http://www.rwbeck.com/contactus/officelocations.htm/ R. W. Beck, Office Locations]

History

The company was founded in 1942 by Robert W. Beck in Columbus, Nebraska. He earned the reputation of being a pioneer in public electric utilities and was a founding member of the American Public Power Association (APPA). [http://www.lib.washington.edu/specialcoll/findaids/docs/papersrecords/BeckRobertW0981.xml/ University of Washington Libraries] ]

In 1954 the firm became a partnership, R. W. Beck & Associates, diversifying into new private markets with into hydroelectric projects and electrical design and construction management. During 1957, R. W. Beck & Associates helped form the nation’s first Joint Action Agency, Washington Public Power Supply System (now Energy Northwest). Water and wastewater management services were added in the 1960s and solid waste services in the 1970s. During the 1980s, services were expanded globally. The firm incorporated in 1996 becoming R. W. Beck, Inc., a privately held corporation. In 2004, R. W. Beck’s Singapore office was established. [ [http://www.rwbeck.com/ R. W. Beck] ]

Plexus Research, Inc. a Boxborough, Massachusetts-based technology and management consulting firm. was acquired in 2007. Plexus provides utility industry consulting services in the technologies, applications and economics of advanced energy systems. Plexus specializes in the areas of Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI), Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) applications. [ Plexus Research]

In 2007, R. W. Beck merged with Barnes & Click, Inc., a Plano, Texas-based firm delivering consulting services to the hydrocarbon processing industries. Barnes & Click’s history is in the petroleum refining, gas midstream and petrochemical sectors. [Barnes & Click, Inc.]

Major recent projects

Advanced transportation fuels

R. W. Beck Inc. has been awarded up to a $6.2 million contract by the Department of Energy to provide reviews of advanced transportation fuel projects. The DOE Golden Field Office, on behalf of the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy's Office of the Biomass Program, retained the company to provide the DOE with independent engineering analysis, oversight and review of commercial and demonstration scale biorefinery projects. [" [http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=1698746/ Business Week] "]

Plastics recycling

R. W. Beck was part of a $2.5 million initiative to enhance Ontario’s recycling on behalf of Stewardship Ontario, an industry funding organization that collects and distributes fees to Ontario municipalities for residential recycling programs; its analysis and recommendations produced a strategy that was funded by industry to substantially increase plastics packaging recycling in the Province. [ [http://www.stewardshipontario.ca/corporate/pdf/media_archive/2006/BPStudyAnnounced_Dec2006.pdf/ Stewardship Ontario] ]

Wastewater

The Waco Metropolitan area Regional Sewer System (WMARSS). has embarked on a program to add over seven million gallons per day of wastewater collection and treatment capacity. R. W. Beck managed multiple projects for it, including construction of new facilities and expansions of existing plant. The company delivered large infrastructure improvements to enable the synchronization of the program components for WMARSSS to meet current demands and prepare for growth. [ [http://www.wmarss.com/Forms/WMARSS%20Bull%20Hide%20Landowner%20Meeting%20Presentation1.pdf/ WMARSS] ]

Greenhouse gas regulation

In California, legislation now requires reducing l greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. The Northern California Power Agency (NCPA) used R. W. Beck’s expertise to determine the methods and cost of meeting these aggressive goals, and help NCPA understand how a cap-and-trade program works. With the firm's analysis, the NCPA recommended changes in carbon reduction rulemaking to present to State regulatory agencies. [ [http://www.rwbeck.com/aboutus/RWBeck_Annual_Report_2007.pdf/ R. W. Beck Annual Report] ]

Industry recognition

* #110, Top 500 Design Firms, "Engineering News-Record" (April 2008)"Engineering News-Record"]
* #9, Top Engineering Firms, "Nashville Business Journal" (January 2008) [" [http://www.bizjournals.com/bookoflists/nashville/ Nashville Business Journal] "]
* #14,Top Denver-Area Engineering Firms, "Denver Business Journal" (May 2008) [" [http://www.bizjournals.com/bookoflists/denver/ Denver Business Journal] "]
* #14, Boston’s Largest Engineering Firms, "Boston Business Journal" (April 2008) [" [http://www.bizjournal.com/bookoflists/boston/ Boston Business Journal] "]
* #19, Top Engineering Firms, "Puget Sound Business Journal" (June 2008) ["Puget Sound Business Journal"]
* #21, Top 25 in Power, "Engineering News-Record" (June 2008)
* #33, Top 40 Program-Management Firms, "Engineering News-Record" (June 2008)

References

External links

* [http://www.rwbeck.com/ R. W. Beck - Official R. W. Beck Website]
* [http://plexusresearch.com/ Plexus Research, Inc. Website]
* [http://www.engineers1.com/ Barnes & Click, Inc. Website]