HDR Breaks Into Top 5 of Largest Employee-Owned Firms
HDR is now the fifth-largest employee-owned company in the U.S., according to a report from the National Center for Employee Ownership (NCEO). It’s the first time the architecture-engineering design firm has been ranked this high.
The NCEO ranks the 100 largest companies in the U.S. — by employee count — that are majority owned by an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP), worker cooperative, or other broad-based employee ownership plan.
Three of the top four companies operate supermarket stores, while HDR ranks No. 1 among companies within the architecture and engineering industry. HDR employs more than 14,200 people across the organization, with workforce growth exceeding 6% through the first 10 months of the year.
The firm’s employee-driven approach continues to strengthen recruiting and retention numbers.
“There’s something special in an ownership culture where our employees know they’re receiving the benefits of their hard work,” said HDR CEO John Henderson. “It motivates us all to work harder and design smarter to deliver quality results for our clients and communities. This aligned commitment continues to fuel the growth and success of our team of teams.”
Founded more than 100 years ago, HDR has been employee-owned since 1996, when a group of employees purchased the company back from a French engineering conglomerate that had acquired the firm 13 years earlier.
“Employee ownership drives us collectively as a group of employees,” said Bill Manhart, HDR’s chief human resources officer. “Together, we treat the company like it’s our own and hold ourselves accountable to create a work environment of respect and collaboration. This allows us to bring forth our best each and every day.”
Collectively, companies on the NCEO 2025 list employ more than 655,000 people.
About HDR
HDR is a 100% employee-owned professional services firm. Founded over a century ago to bring electricity to a changing world, we are now a global company specializing in architecture, engineering, environmental and construction services. Our success in built and natural environments continues as we collaborate to solve our clients’ and communities’ most complex challenges.
