Building Design & Construction Magazine Names 2006 'Best AEC Firms To Work For'.

OAK BROOK, Ill. -- The editors of Building Design & Construction today named five firms as the "Best AEC Firms To Work For" in the $394 billion U.S. architecture/engineering/construction (AEC) industry.

The winning firms are:

--FreemanWhite, Charlotte, N.C., the 10th oldest architectural firm in the United States 

--Hnedak Bobo Group, Memphis, Tenn., an 85-person architecture/interior design firm that has built a national reputation in the hospitality, casino and entertainment market

--McCarthy Building Cos., a 142-year-old construction company based in St. Louis

--Shawmut Design and Construction, Boston, a $500 million provider of construction management services

--Walter P. Moore, Houston, a 75-year-old engineering and consulting firm with 335 employees.

"This is the first year we've given awards to the 'Best AEC Firms To Work For,' and we feel quite pleased at the quality of the winners in our inaugural competition," said Robert Cassidy, editor-in-chief of Building Design & Construction, who chaired the judging panel. "These are companies that care deeply about their employees. Everyone benefits from their positive work environments -- the employees, the firms and their clients."

The winners were chosen from among 52 applicant firms from across the $394 billion U.S. design, engineering and construction sector. The following factors were weighed in the editors' judgment:

--Innovative recruitment and retention practices

--Professional development, education and training programs

--Evidence of social, environmental and corporate responsibility

--Quality of the workplace environment

--Extraordinary compensation and benefits programs

--General business practices and public/industry perception of the firm

For more about each firm -- and why they were selected by the editors -- please visit: http://www.bdcnetwork.com/article/CA6332107.html.

About Building Design & Construction

Building Design & Construction reaches 75,870 architects, engineers, contractors, building owners and developers every month with news, trends, analysis and feature articles on the $394 billion U.S. construction industry, with particular focus on the commercial, industrial, institutional and multifamily sectors. BD&C is unique among design and construction B2B publications in that it focuses on all the members of the "Building Team." In addition to the monthly magazine, BD&C offers its audience product tabloids, electronic newsletters, educational webcasts, in-person events and continuing education programs. Building Design & Construction is a publication of Reed Business Information.