History

Legacy You Can Build On

Through decades of engineering excellence and entrepreneurial innovation, Shimmick has established itself as a trusted leader in delivering some of America’s most complex and iconic infrastructure projects.

Our journey began in the San Francisco Bay Area, where we made our mark with landmark work on transportation systems, water facilities, and energy infrastructure across the Western United States. Today, Shimmick is a nationally recognized infrastructure contractor—consistently ranked among ENR’s Top 10 in water supply, dams and reservoirs, and treatment and desalination plants.

Building on this legacy, we’re advancing solutions that shape the future. From climate-resilient water systems and high-tech transit to energy and environmental infrastructure, our teams bring deep expertise, innovative delivery, and a spirit of collaboration to every project.

Notable Achievements:

Delivered the world’s largest

water recycling facility in Orange County, producing 130 million gallons of recycled water per day.

Constructed the tallest dam

raise in U.S. history at San Vicente Dam.

Built America’s first fully

automated, driverless light-rail system in Hawaii, including the state’s deepest pile foundation.

Completed California’s largest

cable-stayed vehicular bridge at Gerald Desmond—one of the most technically complex bridge projects in the U.S.

Played a lead role in the

Olmsted Dam project, one of the largest civil works efforts ever undertaken by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Delivered foundational work

for one of the tallest buildings west of the Mississippi, Sales Force Tower.

The Shimmick Timeline

2023

Shimmick successfully completed its Initial Public Offering (IPO) on the Nasdaq Global Market, marking a significant milestone in the company's lifecycle.

2023

Shimmick completes work at the world’s largest wastewater purification system in California, delivering Orange County’s Groundwater Replenishment System Expansion.

2022

Shimmick is named the nation’s largest Dam and Reservoir builder and third largest builder of Water Supply by Engineering News Record for the first time in company history.

2020

The new Shimmick entity, comprised of legacy companies Morrison Knudsen, Washington Group Companies, and legacy Shimmick, among others, is ranked the third largest dam contractor in the U.S. by Engineering News Record. Shimmick is ranked among the top 20 contractors in transportation, highways, bridges, mass transit and rail, water supply and water treatment.

2020

Shimmick opens the Gerald Desmond Bridge, the first cable-stayed vehicular bridge in California, and wins its first build-finance project, the $260 million Gilcrease Expressway project, in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

2017

AECOM acquires Shimmick and merges it with the existing Civil Construction & Mining group, doubling the size of the civil construction division.

2015

Shimmick legacy company Rust Constructors continues work at Black Thunder Mine to build infrastructure for the largest open pit coal mine in North America. Our work at Black Thunder dates back to 1993, when Washington Group International acquired Fuller Construction.

2014

AECOM acquires Shimmick legacy company URS for $5.3 billion.

2013

Shimmick expands geographic footprint to Washington State constructing water, electrical and large light rail projects in the Seattle metro area.

2010

Shimmick wins a $140 million contract to construction the San Vicente Dam Raise, the tallest dam raise in the U.S. Shimmick continues to win additional major projects, including the $897M BART Extension to San Jose.

2007

Shimmick legacy company URS acquires Washington Group for $2.6 billion.

2000

Shimmick legacy company Washington Construction Company acquires Raytheon Engineers and Constructors, and becomes Washington Group International. Meanwhile, Shimmick adds water resources to its portfolio, building dams, water and wastewater treatment plants throughout California, in addition to highway and transit projects.