History

AEC Engineering Inc. (AEC) was founded by John Buzek, PE, in 1980 as a structural engineering firm based upon the premise of quality services that are on budget and on time for the enhancement of our clients’ profitability.  The new company based in Minnesota specialized in the design and inspection of industrial structures such as API storage tanks, ASME pressure vessels and other plate structures. AEC quickly expanded into industrial building design and material handling systems as requested by its core group of founding clients.

Throughout the 1980’s, AEC continued to grow and began to serve clients throughout the United States such as 3M, Exxon and Weyerhaeuser.  Our Richmond, Virginia, office was opened in 1987 to serve the East coast and the South.  AEC’s expertise in industrial processes and tank systems resulted in the expansion into the municipal markets as experts in the design of AWWA water storage tanks during the construction grant era that assisted municipalities and rural water associations in providing potable drinking water to their residents.

Simultaneously, across the Atlantic, Idom had experienced growth and professional notoriety throughout Spain since it’s founding by Dr. Rafael Escola and associates in 1957.  Mr. Escola (1919 -1995), a civil engineer, was the founder and the first president of the Spanish Society of Professional Engineers. He was also a professor of engineering in Bilbao. Today the firm is still managed by engineers who continue Mr. Escola’s drive and insistence on quality engineering and quality client service.  Mr. Escola established Idom as an Association of Professionals on the basis of personal dignity and the advancement of professional development.  His management style, ethics and unique corporate organization for Idom has been studied by scholars and business schools globally.  Mr. Escola is remembered and honored by the establishment of the Rafael Escola Chair of Ethics at the University of Navarra in Spain.  This organization orchestrates activities and lectures on ethics and morality for businesses and society.

During the 1990’s both AEC and Idom continued to thrive. AEC became one of the first engineering firms in the US to obtain an ISO 9001 certification.  AEC also expanded into the booming telecommunications market and organized a full services Process Technologies group to complement the field services and specialized design capabilities of AEC.  AEC’s capabilities advanced to a full service engineering company enabling the design of projects that can consist of the feasibility study, basic design, detailed design and construction management.  Idom expanded its services not only in Spain, but internationally, establishing offices in Mexico, Portugal, Belgium, Romania, Venezuela, Morocco and Brazil.

At the turn of the new century, both AEC and Idom continued to build their respective companies. Just as Dr. Rafael Escola envisioned Idom’s growth by advancement of its own engineers, John Buzek developed a management team that continues to manage and grow AEC today. In 2006, Mr. Buzek retired as President and passed the management to Randy Lipps, PE and Tom Lorentz, PE, leaders of our US and Canada offices.

By 2006 Idom had opened additional international offices in the United Kingdom, Poland and the Canary Islands; AEC also opened an office in Calgary, Canada.  Idom’s President, Fernando Querejeta and its Managing Director, Louis Rodriguez Llopis embarked on expansion into North America.  Impressed by AEC’s mix of industrial clients, quality of service and management style; Idom proposed the acquisition of AEC.  The acquisition was openly accepted and AEC became an integral part of Idom during the third quarter of 2006.  Projects with joint collaboration from offices in the U.S. and Spain commenced almost immediately. In 2007 Idom celebrated its Golden Jubilee, 50 years of services to its clients.

Idom has over 2700 employees in 12 countries and four continents with annual revenues exceeding $ 400 million (US) and is one of the largest architecture/engineering firms in Spain. Our focus and growth in the United States and Canada is with the AEC’s market segments of Power, Renewable Energy, Petrochemical, Manufacturing, Pulp & Paper, Steel and Food and Beverage.