Fluor Combines Operations of Houston Engineering Divisions

Fluor Engineers Inc., a major subsidiary of Fluor Corp. in Irvine, announced Thursday that it is streamlining its Houston operations by merging two units into one, to be called the Houston Engineering Center. There will be no layoffs among the 1,000 employees working for the newly combined Houston and Ocean Services divisions, company officials said.

Fluor’s Houston division specializes in building refineries. The company’s Ocean Services division serves the offshore oil drilling industry.

The integration of Fluor’s Houston operations follows a Feb. 7 move to combine the domestic and international operations of Fluor’s St. Joe Minerals subsidiary in Clayton, Mo.

“Operating as a single organization in the Houston area strengthens our project management, offshore and pipeline capabilities,” said Hugh K. Coble, president of Fluor Engineers, in a statement.

In recent years, as competition for engineering jobs increased, Fluor has been shrinking its organization and diversifying from its traditional engineering and construction businesses.

In January, Fluor’s chairman and chief executive, David S. Tappan Jr., said the company would be restructured, begin selling its fixed assets such as real estate and consider selling some minerals holdings, while retaining the management contracts for the mining operations.