Building Design+Construction Names 'Best AEC Firms to Work For'.

Nine Architecture, Engineering, and Construction Firms Go the Extra Mile for Their Employees at:

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OAK BROOK, Ill. -- At a time when many architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) firms are struggling to recruit and retain top employees, nine firms have found innovative ways to attract and keep "the best and the brightest" professionals.

They have been named 2007's "Best AEC Firms to Work For" by Building Design+Construction magazine. The winners:

* Anshen+Allen, a 360-person architecture firm that specializes in healthcare and academic facilities, was cited for its dedication to the "social impact" of its work in "healing, learning, and discovery."

* Arup, an engineering/design firm with 9,000 employees worldwide, devotes 2.5% of annual salary to training and education. The firm even pays engineers for overtime work.

* Bovis Lend Lease, one of the largest construction managers and general contractors firms in the Western Hemisphere (2,800 employees), provides $2 million a year for employee training and events, one of which emulates the 1914-1916 Shackleton expedition to the Antarctic.

* Cannon Design, a leader in professional education for its 700 employees, offers an 18-month Healthcare Planning Fellowship and a Project Leadership Forum.

* Jones Lang LaSalle, an integrated real estate and investment firm of 25,500, has improved project cycle times by 30% through its Six Sigma quality program.

* Perkins+Will, a 1,200-person architecture firm, has 753 professionals accredited by the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program, more than any design firm.

* SmithGroup gives its 800-plus employees the option of taking 23 days off a year, not including vacation days.

* SSOE, Inc., an 800-person design firm, retained 94% of employees in 2006, a rate well above the industry average.

* Timothy Haahs & Associates, Inc., which specializes in parking/mixed-use structures, devotes 5% of its budget to training its 50 staff members.

The winners will be honored June 19 at the Construction Specifications Institute convention in Baltimore.

To learn more about these "Best AEC Firms," visit: http://www.BDCnetwork.com/bdcnewsMore.

About Building Design+Construction

Building Design+Construction (www.BDCnetwork.com) reaches 75,150 architects, engineers, contractors, building owners, and developers. It is published by Reed Business Information, a leading business-to-business publisher and a part of Reed Elsevier (NYSE: RUK and ENL) - a world-leading information provider in the science and medical, legal, and business-to-business sectors.