Our past

AMEC's long history spans more than 160 years, from its inception as a UK-based construction company. The AMEC of today is very different, supplying consultancy, engineering, and project management services to its customers in the world's oil and gas, minerals and metals, clean energy, environment and infrastructure markets in around 40 countries around the globe.

The company was first formed in 1848, when Matthew Hall opened a lead-work business in the UK. This later became the Matthew Hall Group of Companies. Separately, in 1883 Leonard Fairclough started a stone business in the UK, which expanded into construction at the turn of the century.

In 1982 Fairclough Construction merged with William Press (founded in 1913) to form AMEC plc. Six years later the Matthew Hall Group of Companies was incorporated into the AMEC Group.

In Canada, AMEC's roots date back to more than 100 years ago. In 1907 the Montreal Engineering Company was incorporated, and was in business for over 85 years before being acquired by AGRA in 1992. AMEC then bought this business in 2000. Watch our 100 years video for more information on our Canadian history.

In 2002, we published our very first sustainability report and have since been recognised by the Dow Jones Sustainability Index as one of the world’s top five companies for sustainability in the oil equipment and services sector. In 2009, AMEC was also added to the United Nations register of Global Compact participants.

Our major accomplishments include :

• Working on the world’s first oil sands mine in the 1960s
• Working on the restart of reactors one and two at Bruce A Power Station in Ontario, the largest nuclear project in North America
• Thirty five years of successful working in the North Sea, providing asset support and maintenance on more than half of the UK North Sea’s producing fields
• Engineering, procurement and construction management of Canada’s first diamond mine, Ekati
• Numerous retrofits and expansions of the world’s largest lead-zinc mine, 120 km north of the Arctic Circle in Alaska, US
• Installing the first automated phone system in South America
• Construction of the Beauharnois Hydroelectric Station, with the largest number of generators of any hydro station in the world.