In an impressive milestone, Burns & McDonnell, a global engineering and construction firm, celebrated the 125th anniversary of its founding and first project with a special luncheon in Iola on Dec. 13. The event brought together representatives from Burns & McDonnell and the City of Iola to mark the longstanding partnership that began with the design of a water and light plant in 1900.
During the luncheon Ryan Scott, Project Manager at Burns & McDonnell, presented the city administration with framed restored photos of the original water plant. City Administrator Matt Rehder, Assistant City Administrator Corey Schinstock, and Iola Water Treatment Plant Superintendent Toby Ross were on-hand to receive the gift and celebrate the long-standing collaboration between the city and the firm.
Founded in 1898 by Clinton Burns and Robert McDonnell, Burns & McDonnell began its journey with a vision to address the infrastructure needs of communities in the Kansas City area. The design of Iola’s water and light plant in 1900 was the firm’s first significant project.
According to historical records from The Iola Register on June 14, 1900, McDonnell visited Iola at the time and estimated the cost of the water plant, including settling tanks and water rights, to be around $54,000. Over time, portions of the plant remained operational for an impressive 100 years. Parts of the original plant still remain today, but are no longer operational.
Reflecting on the founders’ vision, Burns & McDonnell Community Engagement Manager Jessica James stated, “They saw this area as a nexus of communities that needed infrastructure work.”
Over the years, Burns & McDonnell expanded its expertise into various sectors, including transportation, energy transmission, architecture, aviation, technology, environmental services, and more. Today, the $7 billion firm operates globally, with offices worldwide, and remains 100% employee-owned.
“Over the span of 125 years, we have worked on 66 projects with the city of Iola,” James noted. “And that spans a variety of industries, not just water.
IOLA holds a special place in the firm’s history, being not only its first client but a repeat and ongoing partner. The luncheon not only celebrated the rich history but also highlighted the current projects that Burns & McDonnell is actively involved in within the city of Iola.
Some of the ongoing projects include:
• US-54 Modernization – This project would rebuild US-54 through Iola from east of State Street to east of Kansas Drive. The project would replace pavement and storm sewer systems, improve sidewalks and add street lighting through the corridor. Burns & McDonnell is currently working to apply for grant funding to lower the project cost to the City.
• Cedarbrook Third Addition – Burns & McDonnell is supporting the bidding and construction phase of Cedarbrook, which will add new roadways to undeveloped land to support residential development.
• Riverside Park – Burns & McDonnell is supporting a drainage and water table study to evaluate the feasibility of adding artificial turf playing surfaces on the athletic fields.
• Wastewater Treatment Plant – Burns & McDonnell worked with city staff to evaluate the operations and efficiency of the current wastewater treatment plan and developed a recommendation report for improvement.
Burns & McDonnell is currently the design builder for the largest water treatment plant in Kansas. “It’s under construction right now in the city of Wichita,” said James. “It’s a $500 million project and it’s going to serve about 17% of the state’s population with clean drinking water.”
As the firm looks back on 125 years of successful collaborations, James added, “We really value the relationship with the city of Iola as our first client 125 years ago. We’re proud to say that we’ve continued to work with the city all of these years.”
