1947

Joseph J. Jacobs went into business as Jacobs Engineering Co., operating as both an engineering consultant and a manufacturers' representative for process equipment.

1956

With 20 people on staff, we completed our first substantial chemical project: engineering of a caustic chlorine plant for Kaiser Aluminum in Louisiana.

1960

Awarded our first design-construct project: a potash flotation plant for Southwest Potash Co. By project's end, our staff had expanded to 150 people.

1963

Southwest Potash Co. received the American Institute of Chemical Engineers' Kirkpatrick Merit Award for their Vicksburg plant's potassium nitrate process technology, which we helped develop.

1964

Began feasibility studies on our largest project to date: the $500 million Dead Sea Project for Arab Potash Company in Jordan.

1966

Designed our first diatomaceous earth (DE) facility. Went on to design virtually all the DE plants built in the United States over the next decade.

1967

Began work with U.S. Borax at its plant in Boron, California, the world's largest borax-producing facility. This launched our long-term relationship with U.S. Borax, providing design-construct services at its facility.

1967

Now over 300 employees strong, we opened our first satellite office in New Jersey to establish proximity to a client.

1970

Became a publicly owned company and saw our stock listed on the American Stock Exchange in 1971.

1974

Opened our Dublin, Ireland office as a project office.

1974

Expanded our geographic coverage to the Gulf Coast with our entry into the hydrocarbons market.

1974

Started our first major chemical project abroad: E&C management of a $25 million pharmaceutical plant for Syntex in Ireland.

1976

Began an EPC project to expand Pennwalt Corp.'s alkyl mercaptans facility, increasing world production by 50 percent.

1978

Completed a decade in which we designed/constructed more than one-third of the uranium projects in the United States. Jacobs now had over 1,600 employees.

1982

Began our first major program for the federal government: a contract to help the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) remediate 24 low-level radioactive sites in 10 states, at a cost of nearly $1 billion.

1986

Awarded our first biotechnology research and production facility assignment by Genetics Institute.

1986

Concluded 20 years of sustained effort on the $500 million, 1.2 million-ton-per-year Arab Potash Project in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

1986

Received our second Exxon Corporate Safety Award, for completing 2 million accident-free workhours.

1989

Moved our stock to the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE:JEC), gaining better exposure in a more prestigious, less volatile market environment.

1990

Received the first of many Business Roundtable Construction Industry Safety Excellence awards.

1991

Passed the $1 billion mark in annual revenues.

1992

Awarded our first international pulp & paper project: Fabrica De Papel De Maracay, Maracay, Venezuela.

1993

Expanded our international presence in the United Kingdom and India. Staff now numbered over 5,300.

1993

Awarded construction engineering services on the $700 million Foothill Transportation Corridor, California's first modern toll road, for the Transportation Corridor Agencies (TCA)--the first of many.

1995

Awarded engineering and design services for the development of Genentech's Vacaville, California grassroots bulk biopharmaceutical manufacturing complex for genetically engineered drugs. This 300,000-square-foot complex was the largest of its kind in the world.

1995

Broadened our international network to include offices in France, Spain, and Italy.

1996

Completed services for Advanced Micro Devices' fast-track Fab 25 project in Austin, Texas. One of the most advanced wafer fabs and the largest cleanroom production facility in the world, Semiconductor International magazine named this "Fab of the Year."

1996

Listed in Fortune Magazine's "Top 1,000 Companies." Ranked the third largest construction design-build firm by Engineering News-Record magazine.

1997

Expanded our presence in Mexico. Our staff (including affiliates) numbered over 15,000 people.

1997

Awarded engineering and technical services by Oswal Chemicals and Fertilizers for three 2,000-metric-ton-per-day (MTPD) Diammonium Phosphate/NPK Plants and a 2,650 MTPD Phosphoric Acid Plant--the world's largest--in Paradeep, India.

1998

Increased ownership in our Mumbai, India subsidiary to 70 percent.

1998

Beaumont Services Company, LLC (BSC) and William Beaumont Hospital win the Infoserver's Editor's Choice Award for Most Visionary Relationship. BSC is a limited liability company composed of the hospital, Jacobs, and Price Waterhouse.

1999

Increased our service capability to a wide range of clients, with expanded presence in public and private sector facilities, infrastructure, and technology markets.

1999

Fortune Magazine named us Most Admired E&C Company.

1999

Expanded our presence in Greater Europe and the Middle East as part of our multi-domestic global strategy.

1999

Entered into a Global Alliance Agreement with Kellogg Company to provide engineering, procurement, and construction management services for multiple capital projects in North America, Latin America, and Europe.

2000

Began managing Ford Motor Company's Dearborn Proving Ground wind tunnels and cold rooms-–the first-ever stand-alone asset management contract in the automotive industry. This contract resulted in operational responsibility for all of Ford's North American wind tunnels.

2000

Began program and construction management under a joint venture for the City of Detroit's Wastewater Treatment Rehabilitation Project, one of the largest such facilities in the world.

2001

Gained presence in Canada and strengthened our upstream oil and gas capabilities.

2003

Once again named Fortune Magazine's Most Admired E&C Company.

2004

Expanded our global presence in the infrastructure market by acquiring Babtie Group Ltd. and enhanced our refinery capabilities by acquiring a portion of Fortum's Neste Engineering Oy.

2004

Acquired Leigh Fisher Associates, a leading international airport consulting firm based near San Francisco, California. In addition to enhancing Jacobs’ capabilities in the airport and aviation sector, the acquisition provided synergies with the company’s transport consultancy capabilities in road, rail, shipping, and airline operations.

2004

Jacobs’ Board elected Noel Watson as Chairman of the Board.

2006

Jacobs named Craig Martin as CEO--Noel Watson is Executive Chairman.

2006

Fortune Magazine named Jacobs the Most Admired Company in the E&C Industry.

2006

Jacobs acquired Techna-West Engineering Limited, Canada. Founded in 1977, Techna-West emerged as an industrial service supplier for clients such as Suncor, Syncrude, and Petro-Canada, and evolved to offer full-service capabilities in all engineering disciplines.

2006

Jacobs acquired W.H. Linder Company, based in Metairie, Louisiana; and Houston, Texas. Specializing in upstream/offshore engineering.

2007

Jacobs two-for-one stock split (March 2007)

2007

Jacobs acquired Edwards and Kelcey, Inc. Founded in 1946, Edwards and Kelcey is a nationally recognized engineering, design, planning, and construction management firm serving public and private clients in the fields of transportation, planning/environmental, communications technology, buildings/facilities, and land development.

2007

Jacobs won the U.S. Air Force Mentor-Protégé Nunn-Perry Award.

2007

Jacobs Consultancy acquired John F. Brown Company. Founded in 1973, JFB is a nationally recognized airport management consulting firm specializing in financial planning and business advisory services for clients in the United States.

2007

Jacobs acquired Carter & Burgess. Carter & Burgess is a nationally recognized engineering, design, planning, and construction management firm serving public and private clients in the fields of transportation, planning/environmental, communications technology, buildings/facilities, and land development.