The original company, WS Atkins and Partners, was established in 1938 by Sir William Atkins in London. In its early years the company specialized in civil and structural engineering design.

After the Second World War, the services WS Atkins and Partners offered to clients grew to include specialized services in planning, engineering sciences, architecture, and project management.

In the 1990s, Atkins made several significant acquisitions, including the project and cost management consultancy, Faithful+Gould.

After almost 60 years operating as a private company, Atkins was successfully floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1996. We are listed on the London Stock Exchange as WS Atkins Plc and we trade as Atkins.

In 2009, Atkins was appointed as the official engineering design services provider for the London 2012 Games.

Atkins in North America

After 50 years of being one of the most successful engineering companies in the United States, the employee shareholders of The PBSJ Corporation voted, in October 2010, to join Atkins and become Atkins’ North American operation. We became Atkins on April 1, 2011. Atkins now employs some 18,000 across Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific, and North America.

To read more about the merger of the two companies, click here.