Fluor, One Hundred Years and Still Going Strong

Fluor Corporation has been a major corporation in the Greenville landscape for 78 of the company's 100 years. The company was originally founded in Southern California as a general contracting business by Swiss immigrant John Simon Fluor in 1912.  Fluor invested $100 into his humble construction company to get it off the ground. Today, the FORTUNE 200 Company is headquartered in Irving, Texas, has 30 offices on six continents, employees 45,000 people and had revenue last year of $23.4 billion.

In the 1910s Fluor expanded into the petroleum industry during the peak of the California oil boom and by 1924, the company had grown to 100 employees. In 1930, Fluor got its first major job outside of California and continued to expand internationally by taking on projects in the Middle East and opening offices in Europe and Australia. By the 1970s, Fluor became known for delivering multibillion-dollar epic projects, often in remote locations throughout the world.  The Company acquired Daniel International and American Equipment Company (AMECO) in 1977, setting deep roots in Greenville, South Carolina.

The company designs, builds and maintains many of the world's most challenging and complex projects. They built the Alaskan Pipeline, constructed Nuclear Power Plants and oil refineries all across the world and provide logistics and support for our troops in Afghanistan. They also serve clients in a wide variety of industries, including chemical and petrochemical; commercial and institutional; government services; life sciences; manufacturing; microelectronics; mining; oil and gas; and power, including renewable energy.

Fluor's "official" anniversary celebration kicked off on April 23, 2012 with the company holding a major employee celebration at locations around the globe. "Fluor's centennial celebration in 2012 marks a truly unique milestone that the majority of companies never reach," said David Seaton, Fluor's chairman and chief executive officer.  "Fluor's 100-year legacy includes partnering with many of the world's largest industrial enterprises to design and build some of the most complex and challenging capital projects that help increase quality of life and living standards."

In Greenville, Fluor employees more than 2,300 employees who work on capital projects for the Energy & Chemicals, Government, Power, Global Services, and Industrial and Infrastructure business groups.

"Fluor's Centennial Celebration is a singular opportunity to reflect on the values that have not only contributed to the success of the company, but also to the success of our community through our employees' commitment and community involvement," said Annette Allen, vice president and general manager.  "Our Greenville employees are proud to have played such an important role in Fluor's history and we appreciate the opportunity to celebrate this special milestone."

Fluor's Greenville office employees will participate in additional centennial activities throughout 2012.  Fluor has a strong policy on giving back to the community and employee volunteers will be working on Project Host and Safe Harbor Centennial Community Fund projects as well.

Fluor has created a special website for their 100th anniversary with a historic timeline and photos at www.fluor100.com.

Sherry Jackson is a freelance writer, editor and entrepreneur. Her articles have been featured in InfoWorld Magazine,Entrepreneur.com, USA Today, Blue Ridge Country, Jetsetter, Bootsnall, Gadling, Yahoo, See the South, Beckett Media, The Simpsonville Sentinel and many other print and online publications. For clips and examples of her work, please visit her website at www.dragonflyventures.com.