SSH Leaps 10 Places in ENR’s Annual Ranking of International Design Firms

29/07/2019

SSH has jumped 10 places in this year’s ENR Magazine’s Top 225 International Design Firms ranking.

For the 2019 listing, SSH now comes in at rank 81 among the leading international design-oriented companies within the construction industry. This is an impressive shift from 2018, where SSH was ranked at 91.

ENR’s annual ‘Top 225’ ranks companies according to revenue for design-related services performed during 2018 on projects outside their home countries. This provides a measure of their presence in international commerce.

Mirroring the general sentiment of a sluggish market from the 2018 ranking, ENR’s editorial analysis of the industry for 2019 states that there is “growing concern that geopolitical tensions and increasing economic nationalisation are making clients nervous, leading to sagging confidence that conditions will continue to thrive”.

There is also a perception among clients that this year is a “buyer’s market”, with onerous contracts causing difficulties for major design firms. Matt Squires, CEO of SSH, was quoted in ENR’s market analysis as saying that such contracts have “resulted in the landscape becoming far more competitive to the point where risk is high” in the Middle East, with many firms choosing to reduce their footprint in the GCC as a result.

These and other factors have led to an uncertain market overall. However, despite such signs of insecurity, large international design firms are generally enjoying a steady position, if not seeing outright signs of a slow recovery.

SSH’s large climb in rank certainly reflects its increase in revenue-generating project work in such a climate and is proof of the company’s firm footing as a leading architectural and engineering consultancy across the MENA region.

Access ENR’s full market analysis here, and the full ENR 2019 Top 225 International Design Firm ranking here.