"Scientists dream about doing great things. Engineers do them."

--James A. Michener

Client Case StudY: Engineering

Project: Watershed management capabilities story

AMEC (LSE: AMEC) is a focused supplier of consultancy, engineering and project management services to its customers in the world's oil and gas, mining, clean energy, environment and infrastructure markets. With annual revenues of almost $8 billion, AMEC designs, delivers and maintains strategic and complex assets and employs over 29,000 people in around 40 countries worldwide.

The company wanted to promote its watershed management capabilities. Leavitt Communications engineered a story in Stormwater, a leading trade publication, that accentuated AMEC's expertise in implementing management measures (MMs) and best management practices (BMPs) to ensure the long-term protection of water quality along the La Jolla Shores (near San Diego) coastline by reducing potential pollutant discharges. MMs are intended to protect coastal waters from urban sources of nonpoint-source pollution, and BMPs are the structural and nonstructural solutions to reduce or eliminate pollutants of potential concern from storm water and urban runoff. The story further solidified AMEC's national and international reputation in this area.

Project: Community outreach program for City of San Diego, CA

Leavitt Communications collaborated with the City of San Diego, CA and Bureau Veritas on an extensive community outreach program. The City approved the construction of an aggressive $1 billion 10-year capital improvement program to address deficiencies in the municipal sewer system.

Many of the City's sewer mains are located in canyons, between property lines or under buildings. Scores of these private sewer laterals need to be rerouted from the old sewer mains to the new sewer mains. Each replumbing project requires contacting residents and property owners in older neighborhoods to schedule, coordinate and gain concurrence with the proposed replumbing routes, including landscape and hardscape replacement.

In two neighborhoods, the City, in partnership with Bureau Veritas, initiated an extensive one-on-one public outreach program to facilitate design and schedule of the sewer main relocation. To gain concurrence for the replumbs in each neighborhood, the public outreach program was crucial to project scheduling. Recognizing this, the City made the crucial decision to make the replumbs and homeowner concurrence a top priority in both neighborhoods as part of the design effort.

By launching an effective communications program, the City was able to quickly handle any concerns that residents and property owners had prior to beginning the replumb projects. Roles and responsibilities were clearly defined and a standardized replumb process was initiated which expedited scheduling and defined construction alternatives that kept the projects within the pre-established budget. The net result is that this public/private sector partnership has now enabled the City to more cost-effectively maintain and repair the sewer mains in these neighborhoods.

Project: Radio program

Bureau Veritas wanted to network more effectively with key public and private sector officials throughout Arizona in order to help foster new business development. Leavitt Communications recommended launching a monthly radio program that would be hosted by Bureau Veritas. The one-hour radio show, known as The Desert Business Hour, was broadcast statewide on 50,000-watt KFNN-AM in Phoenix. The firm's Phoenix regional manager hosted the program.

The radio program was a huge success. Guests included state legislators, mayors, city council members from municipalities throughout Arizona, municipal public works directors, community development directors, and more. Topics ranged from parking/traffic improvement issues to local development concerns to Native American land rights. The forum enabled company executives to informally meet key decision makers and resulted in significant new business for the firm. Leavitt Communications also provided ongoing media training for the regional manager and was responsible for creating each show and booking guests.

Project: Orange County, CA maintenance management story

LA Consulting, established in 1993, provides a wide variety of planning, systems and technology services applied to public agencies and municipalities with an emphasis on systems implementation and technical support for public works operations and maintenance. The firm's corporate headquarters is in Manhattan Beach, CA, about 20 miles west of Los Angeles.

LA Consulting wanted to further publicize its capabilities in helping public works departments of public agencies and municipalities implement best business practices for planning, organizing, directing and controlling infrastructure and maintenance operations. Leavitt Communications engineered a story in Water Online focusing on how Orange County, California has successfully used various maintenance and operations service providers, including a combination of in-house accounts, outsourcing, job order contacting, and incarcerated labor. The story generated additional new business opportunities for LA Consulting and further illustrated the company's expertise in this area.

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Client Case StudY: Engineering

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