This acquisition creates an industry-leading E&C company with broad global reach and enhanced ability to deliver integrated services to clients. It accelerates AECOM’s strategy of offering an integrated-delivery model by adding key capabilities and expertise in markets including construction, oil & gas, power and government services and is expected to realise $250 million in annual cost-saving synergies, nearly all of which will be achieved by the end of fiscal year 2016.
AECOM Technology Corp and URS Corp have executed of a definitive agreement under which AECOM will acquire all outstanding shares of URS for a combination of cash and stock valued at approximately $4 billion.
The combined company will be a leading, fully integrated infrastructure and federal services provider with more than 95,000 employees in 150 countries. It would have calendar year 2013 pro forma revenues of more than $19 billion and EBITDA of some $1.3 billion.
“This combination creates an industry leader with the ability to deliver more capabilities from a broad global platform to reach more clients in more industry end markets,” said Michael S. Burke, AECOM President and CEO. “Clients, employees and stockholders of both companies will benefit from the opportunities created by these expanded capabilities, broad global reach in key growth markets and economies of scale. In one step, we will dramatically accelerate our strategy of creating an integrated delivery platform with superior capabilities to design, build, finance and operate infrastructure assets around the world.”
Martin M. Koffel, Chairman and CEO of URS, stated, “This is a compelling strategic combination that we believe will benefit our clients, stockholders and employees. URS stockholders will receive significant, immediate value from the transaction and will be able to participate in the future prospects of the combined company, which we expect will be better positioned to compete for major, complex projects across a diverse range of end markets and geographic regions.”
Koffel continued, “Our two businesses are complementary, and our cultures are highly compatible. We anticipate that employees from the combined company will benefit as the organisation integrates its leadership talent and capitalizes on its greater scale to invest in its people, improve their career opportunities and advance their capacity to compete globally.”
“We will continue to maintain our balance sheet flexibility,” said Stephen M. Kadenacy, Chief Financial Officer. “We plan to use our strong free cash flow to reduce our debt level, with a goal of returning to our long-term target leverage ratio of approximately two times debt-to-EBITDA by the end of 2017.”
AECOM will become one of the largest companies by revenue in the engineering and construction industry. The combined firm will be headquartered in Los Angeles and will be the largest publicly traded company in that city. AECOM also expects to maintain a key operational presence in San Francisco, where URS is headquartered.
Michael S. Burke will be the combined company’s CEO, and the companies have designed a new operating management structure that will include proven senior leaders from both URS and AECOM. John M. Dionisio, AECOM Executive Chairman, will be Chairman of the board and, at closing, AECOM will elect two URS board members to the AECOM Board of Directors.
“Building on AECOM’s experience of adding new skill sets and delivering them across our established global platform, we anticipate a smooth and seamless integration,” said Burke. “We are developing integration plans that will enable us to bring together the best of both organizations. The process will be led by executives of both companies.”
The combined company will be a premier, fully integrated infrastructure firm, serving clients across a broad range of markets, including transportation, facilities, environmental, energy, water and government. The two companies are world leaders in the infrastructure industry.
URS adds to AECOM’s construction capabilities, deepening a core competency that AECOM expects to leverage across its global platform. URS also brings strong sector expertise in important end markets.
Burke added, “The combination of AECOM and URS creates an industry leader with unsurpassed capacity to deliver integrated solutions across AECOM’s existing markets. We will have the ability to design and deliver major civil infrastructure projects in sectors such as transportation and water. In addition, we expect to seize opportunities to more broadly leverage our direct investment vehicle, AECOM Capital.”
Ranked as a leading engineering design firm by Engineering News-Record magazine, AECOM is a premier, fully integrated infrastructure and support services firm, with a broad range of markets, including transportation, facilities, environmental, energy, water and government. With approximately 45,000 employees — including architects, engineers, designers, planners, scientists and management and construction services professionals — serving clients in more than 150 countries around the world, AECOM is a leader in all of the key markets that it serves. AECOM provides a blend of global reach, local knowledge, innovation and technical excellence in delivering solutions that create, enhance and sustain the world’s built, natural, and social environments. A Fortune 500 company, AECOM had revenue of $8.0 billion during the 12 months ended March 31, 2014.
URS is a leading provider of engineering, construction, and technical services for public agencies and private sector companies around the world. The company offers a full range of program management; planning, design and engineering; systems engineering and technical assistance; construction and construction management; operations and maintenance; management and operations; information technology; and decommissioning and closure services. URS provides services for federal, oil and gas, infrastructure, power, and industrial projects and programs.
