Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. (NYSE:JEC) announced today that its subsidiary, Jacobs Projects (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., has acquired a controlling interest in Suzhou Han’s Chemical Engineering Co., Ltd. (SHCE) in China. The company is now Jacobs Engineering (Suzhou) Co., Ltd.

SHCE has two specialty Class A design licenses in China’s Chemical, Petrochemical and Pharmaceutical (CPP) industry, which allow the firm to provide engineering design for all types of chemical projects in China irrespective of project size; plus procurement and project management services for various projects in China. Jacobs’ Shanghai operation currently has an industry Class B design license for the CPP industry in China, and has successfully executed a substantial number of EPCM projects for global clients investing in China.

In addition to enhancing Jacobs’ capabilities in China by bringing the Class A design licenses, the acquisition adds an engineering office in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, and brings Jacobs’ personnel count in China to more than 500. These combined resources enable Jacobs to offer customers in China a complete spectrum of services for all types of chemical and petrochemical projects.

Upon making the announcement, Jacobs Group Vice President Kevin McMahon stated, “This acquisition represents a significant milestone for Jacobs’ growth strategy in China. Since it was founded in 2006, SHCE has completed more than 200 projects with an exemplary safety record. The acquisition of SHCE greatly enhances our service offerings to clients, strengthens our ability to compete for projects, and provides more opportunities for our employees.”

SHCE Chairman Mr. James Han added, “We welcome this acquisition by Jacobs and look forward to our integration with Jacobs operations, which we expect to be completed in the coming months. SHCE has a strong track record of servicing many Chemical, Petrochemical and Pharmaceutical clients in China, and we look forward to expanding our service offering with the addition of Jacobs’ global reach and extensive experience.”

Jacobs is one of the world’s largest and most diverse providers of technical professional and construction services.

Statements made in this release that are not based on historical fact are forward-looking statements. We base these forward-looking statements on management’s current estimates and expectations as well as currently available competitive, financial and economic data. Forward-looking statements, however, are inherently uncertain. There are a variety of factors that could cause business results to differ materially from our forward-looking statements. For a description of some of the factors which may occur that could cause actual results to differ from our forward-looking statements please refer to our 2014 Form 10-K, and in particular the discussions contained under Items 1 - Business, 1A - Risk Factors, 3 - Legal Proceedings, and 7 - Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations. We do not undertake to update any forward-looking statements made herein.