Ausenco Vector, formally Vector Engineering Inc., is a company that specializes in the application of civil engineering

Civil engineering

Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings...

, hydrogeology

Hydrogeology

Hydrogeology is the area of geology that deals with the distribution and movement of groundwater in the soil and rocks of the Earth's crust, . The term geohydrology is often used interchangeably...

, geology

Geology

Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...

, and geotechnical and geological engineering to the mining

Mining

Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...

 and solid waste industries.

History

Vector was founded in Grass Valley, California in July 1986, by 4 partners including a geotechnical engineer, a geologist, a lab manager and a civil designer. It started in the garage of one of the founders and grew from there. Initially work was solely in the mining industry but quickly the partners decided to be more diversified and the business branched into environmental consulting and geotechnical engineering

Geotechnical engineering

Geotechnical engineering is the branch of civil engineering concerned with the engineering behavior of earth materials. Geotechnical engineering is important in civil engineering, but is also used by military, mining, petroleum, or any other engineering concerned with construction on or in the ground...

. The environmental work ultimately became the solid waste division, now about one-third of Vector’s work. Mining is about 60% and the balance is for energy and flood control. There are now offices located worldwide. In 2008 Vector joined the Ausenco Group of Companies. This group consists of Ausenco Minerals, Ascentis, PSI, Sandwell and Vector Eng.

Current operations

The Company is headquartered in Grass Valley, California and has about 450 employees worldwide. Key operating offices are in Grass Valley, CA; Denver, CO; Lima, Peru; Santiago, Chile; Mendoza, Argentina and Brisbane, QLD, Australia. Support and project offices are in Antofagasta, Chile; Jujuy, Argentina; Chihuahua, Mexico; Manila, Philippines and Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Made in China Brah

Awards

• ENR magazine, largest 200 US environmental firms (twice, latest in 2008)
• ENR magazine, largest 500 US engineering firms (2008)
• Fastest growing A&E firms in the US., The Zweig Letter
• One of the Best A&E firms to work for in USA & Canada, The Zweig Letter
• Inc. 500 fastest growing privately held companies in the US
• California Geotechnical Engineers Association “project of the year”
• The union's News about vector
• Vector Wins an award