The Globe and Mail

When Tony Franceschini took over the helm of Stantec Inc. in 1998, he plotted a course to take it to one of the top 10 spots among global design firms in a decade. His vision of the company's position by 2008 might seem ambitious for an engineering and architectural firm based in Edmonton, but the chief executive officer maintains it has never been a stretch. He saw the opportunity to grow by making acquisitions, taking advantage of a consolidation trend in both of the company's main lines of business. The situation was similar to one the accounting profession had experienced in the 1960s, in which a handful of giant firms emerged offering one-stop shopping for a variety of services. Stantec now ranks "somewhere in the top 35" design firms globally, compared with the top 150 in 1998, said Mr. Franceschini, who was promoted to chief executive officer that year. "There is a very large market for a full-service firm like us."