Engineering is growing its business and elevating its technology offering. In August, the 29-year-old firm acquired ArchiTube — a 3D Building Information Modeling company in Czestochowa, Poland. The move extends Dawood operations in 11 European and Asian countries and adds BIM to its suite of solutions.
Founded by entrepreneurial business leader and locally raised professional engineer Bony Dawood, the firm plans, designs and builds sustainable infrastructure for public and private clients. Dawood’s diverse portfolio includes energy, municipal, real estate, site and land development, surveying, transportation and utility projects.
BIM, combined with Dawood’s leading-edge surveying tools and Geographic Information Systems, enables the company to provide clients with powerful visual design and data analytics to improve asset management. This approach supports the digital twin concept and establishes the foundation for virtual design and construction.
“ArchiTube is one example of our growth story — expanding our reach into new geographies and the architectural, factory, logistics and retail space,” said Bony Dawood, president. “From 3D technology to economic planning, engineering, construction, operations and maintenance, our infrastructure work supports the business initiatives of a diverse client base.”
MORE THAN ENGINEERING
For four decades, the PA Chamber partner has cultivated relationships and grown into a 150-person, multi-national engineering and technology solutions provider. The company is known for quality and performance — core values that resonate with clients.
Beyond Harrisburg, Dawood Pennsylvania offices include Carlisle, King of Prussia, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Sayre — in addition to a presence in Poland, Ireland, Georgia, Illinois and Massachusetts. Home or abroad, Dawood’s turn-key solutions reach beyond engineering.
An early adopter of compressed natural gas-powered fleet survey vehicles, the firm helps plan, design and construct infrastructure needed for the wider adoption of electric vehicles. As Pennsylvanians increasingly prefer alternative energy vehicles, businesses are exploring investment opportunities in cleaner, more efficient equipment to meet sustainability goals.
Dawood works with large utilities to lead innovative fleet electrification initiatives and build electrical vehicle charging stations at maintenance facilities. This ensures that well-planned charging and refueling infrastructure is deployed throughout Pennsylvania, recognizing that alternative fuel vehicles simultaneously help the economy and the environment.
As evident with PennDOT, the Dawood team helps deliver shovel-ready energy, land development, highway and bridge projects that spur economic growth and investment. The firm’s work on the Shamokin Dam Central Susquehanna Valley Transportation Project and Philadelphia’s I-95 Reconstruction focused on improving connectivity, safety, reliability and quality of life.
DIVERSE PROBLEM SOLVERS
Strategic thinkers, Dawood’s economic development experts have assisted county government and municipalities with identifying and securing more than $80 million in state and federal funding. The firm develops multi-year strategies for Pennsylvania authorities, universities and hospitals to leverage more than $4.5 trillion in funds available as part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
The Dawood team also is adept at helping clients navigate environmental permitting procedures — a challenging and time-consuming step during pre-design. Procuring design and construction regulatory approvals before a project starts helps control unforeseen project costs and fosters better stakeholder engagement. Service diversification serves the company well when market conditions fluctuate.
As Marcellus and Utica Shale development slowed in recent years, Dawood acquired Massachusetts-based Survey Mapping & Consultants in 2018 and ArchiTube this summer to generate new surveying and technology revenue streams and solidify its workforce. These new capabilities also support the company’s continued work in natural gas, renewable energy, utilities and the public sector.
“It’s important to understand that the talent base we’ve built in Pennsylvania has enabled us to leverage and grow our U.S. and global talent,” said Jim Rodgers, chief strategy officer with Dawood. “From a technology and culture perspective, we share the same sustainability, community and diversification goals as the firms we’ve acquired.”
APPROACHING 30 WITH PURPOSE
Cultural inclusivity and life-long learning are engrained in Dawood’s DNA. An active former board member of the Eastern Minority Supplier Diversity Council, Bony Dawood supports initiatives to mentor and help diverse start-up companies gain traction and achieve economic growth in the state.
Community volunteers who advance STEM initiatives, Dawood employees are encouraged to join professional societies, where many assume Pennsylvania leadership positions in organizations such as the American Public Works Association, American Society of Highway Engineers, National Society of Professional Surveyors, Water Environment Federation and Women in Transportation Society.
An Esri® business partner, Dawood leverages the Esri and AutoDesk relationship to advance GIS and BIM initiatives and become an early adopter of Esri’s ArcGIS GeoBIM — a web-based platform for global architecture, engineering and construction team communication and collaboration.
Dawood approaches its 30th year milestone fueling the local economy in rapidly growing areas such as renewable energy and electrical vehicle charging infrastructure. The firm is equally well-positioned to expand throughout more than 15 national and international markets — including new geographies such as Asia and the Middle East.