Chicago Growing, Fourth Quarter 2016

Global firm exp to move headquarters to Chicago, adding 150 jobs

Global engineering and architecture design consulting firm exp announced this month that it will move its operational headquarters from Toronto to Chicago. With the anticipation of significant growth, the firm is planning a complete renovation of its offices at 205 North Michigan Avenue, making room for an additional 150 employees that the firm plans to fill with local talent.

“With this move, exp is making a vote of confidence in Chicago’s future while gaining access to the city’s talent and transportation networks – the key ingredients for future growth,” Mayor Emanuel said. “I look forward to continuing to partner with exp as they build a brighter future right here in the city of Chicago.”

“We believe that Chicago, the heart of the Midwest, is the perfect location for our operational headquarters,” said exp Chief Operations Officer Mark Dvorak. “There is a reason why other great firms such as Boeing and ADM have moved their operational headquarters to Chicago. The strong talent pool that exists here will undoubtedly help our firm continue to grow and achieve success. In addition, having O’Hare International Airport located at our operational hub allows for easy access to the more than 100 offices we currently have throughout North America.”

The diverse company – which provides building/infrastructure engineering, planning and design capabilities, program and project management, and environmental and sustainability services to clients on a global scale – currently boasts 3,000 employees across 110 offices in North America and abroad, with more than 230 employees in Chicago alone. 

Similar to exp,  more than 90 companies expanded or relocated in Chicago in the fourth quarter of 2016, illustrated in this issue of Chicago Growing:

Refers to data (where disclosed) for new and expanding companies with a physical address in the 14-county Chicago region that meet Site Selection Magazine Conway Project Database criteria, and/or is a headquarters facility, and/or was assisted by World Business Chicago (WBC). WBC captures project information from media outlets, press releases, company websites, subscription services and WBC internal reporting; the quality of each record depends on the availability of data and resources to input and confirm information. Data is finalized in the first quarter of the following year to allow for the time lag in project reporting; year-to-date numbers are subject to revision.