inducted 2010

When Clinton S. Burns and Robert E. McDonnell, two young Stanford University engineering graduates, decided to start a consulting business together at the cusp of the 19th century, they used a decidedly analytical method of choosing its location. They mapped 200-mile circles around each of America’s 50 largest cities and counted how many potential infrastructure customers were within each circle.

Kansas City, of course, was the winner. It had twice as many cities without water, power and sewers in its surrounding environs than any other American city.

On April 1, 1898, their dream began when they opened a one-room office in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. Burns & McDonnell Engineering Co. was born.

The first years were not exactly a financial success. In its third year, Burns & McDonnell showed a net profit of $970.50. Fair to middling for the year, but it translated into a three-year net earnings record of 13 cents. They were in the black, but just barely.

Nevertheless, the firm persevered. For its first 10 years, it was essentially a two-man effort, but once secured, clients were rarely lost, and fortunes would soon improve. By the time Burns & McDonnell reached the 50-year milestone in 1948, it had completed 2,100 projects worth more than $664 million.

Over the next 60 years, the firm has evolved into much more than an engineering firm, now offering more than 300 unique services in the areas of engineering, architecture, construction, environmental and business consulting. The company remains headquartered in Kansas City, but operates offices in 20 different US locations.

The second most significant date in the firm’s history (after the founding) is Dec. 31, 1985. On that day Burns & McDonnell employees officially purchased their company and established a 100% Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). This led to a cultural rebirth and reconnection with the roots of the firm’s entrepreneurial founders.

This ownership ethos drives everything Burns & McDonnell touches. Clients are viewed as partners whose problems are the firm’s problems. Giving back to the communities it serves is an imperative. Employees are long-term investments … the company’s most important asset.

As a young engineer (only five years out of school in 1985), current Chairman and CEO Greg Graves embraced the organization’s return to a more entrepreneurial culture. Greg began as a marketer in the Energy business unit and rose to general manager by the late 1990s. Along the way, he revolutionized the business model within Energy, making it the largest of the firm’s divisions.

Greg is only the seventh person to lead Burns & McDonnell. His tenure has been marked by civic engagement and tremendous growth. He is a member of the National Society of Professional Engineers, Missouri Society of Professional Engineers, and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Greg is also a member of the Civic Council of Greater Kansas City, the Economic Club of Kansas City, and the Economic Advisory Council of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. He is on the Board of Directors of Midwest Research Institute, the Kansas City Area Development Council (Co-Chair 2005-07), the Kansas City Sports Commission, the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce (Chair 2010-2011), the Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City, Missouri, the University of Kansas Advancement Board, the University of Kansas Hospital Authority Board, United Missouri Bank, and Starlight Theatre. He is a registered professional engineer in six states. Greg Graves’ career reflects the Burns & McDonnell employee/owner culture, as he leads the firm into another entrepreneurial century, dedicated to value-driven service and community commitment.

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