Foster Wheeler
Corporate brand
UnclaimedInternational engineering, procurement, construction-management, and power-equipment company.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Foster Wheeler was an international engineering and construction conglomerate whose activities centered on engineering, procurement, and construction management, together with the supply of power-generation equipment. The business served energy and industrial customers rather than operating primarily as a consumer-facing product brand. Its work covered the design and construction of complex processing facilities, power plants, industrial infrastructure, and environmental systems. The company was created in 1927 through the combination of two earlier American engineering businesses. One predecessor developed from the American Water Works Supply Company, established by Pell and Ernest Foster in 1884 and later replaced by the Power Specialty Company. The other was Wheeler Condenser & Engineering Company, established by Frederick Merriam Wheeler in 1891. The merger brought together expertise in industrial steam, power, condensers, and related engineering systems. Foster Wheeler was initially based in New York City. It subsequently operated from Livingston, New Jersey, for almost twenty-five years before relocating to Clinton, New Jersey, in 1987. The company became a public company through a New York Stock Exchange listing in 1929. Its corporate structure later changed substantially: incorporation moved to Bermuda in 2000 and then to Switzerland in 2008. By the 2000s, the group had developed an international operating footprint and was organized around Global Engineering and Construction and Global Power business groups. It was added to the NASDAQ-100 in July 2007. The Global Engineering and Construction group worked across upstream oil and gas, LNG, gas-to-liquids, refining, chemicals and petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, healthcare, environmental projects, and power. Foster Wheeler also held or used process technologies associated with delayed coking, solvent de-asphalting, and hydrogen production. Its environmental activities included remediation and related technical, design, engineering, and regulatory services. The Global Power group supplied, developed, owned, and operated facilities including cogeneration plants, independent power projects, waste-to-energy installations, and systems serving process industries. These facilities could provide electricity, steam, and industrial feedstocks to customers and local power networks. Foster Wheeler acquired Biokinetics in February 2008. In 2014, it merged with AMEC plc to create Amec Foster Wheeler. The transaction took place during a downturn in crude-oil prices that weakened demand and pricing across parts of the energy-services sector and contributed to significant debt pressure at the combined company. Amec Foster Wheeler was subsequently acquired by Wood Group and merged into that business in October 2017. Foster Wheeler therefore no longer operates as an independent corporate group, although its engineering capabilities, projects, personnel, and intellectual property became part of successor operations.
History
Foster Wheeler's corporate history reaches back to two American engineering businesses. The earlier Foster lineage began with the American Water Works Supply Company, established by Pell and Ernest Foster in 1884. That business was later replaced by the Power Specialty Company. The second lineage came from Wheeler Condenser & Engineering Company, founded by Frederick Merriam Wheeler in 1891. Both predecessors worked in fields connected with industrial power, steam, condensers, and engineering equipment. In 1927, the Power Specialty Company and Wheeler Condenser & Engineering Company were combined to form Foster Wheeler. The new company was initially headquartered in New York City and developed into a supplier and contractor for industrial and power-related projects. Foster Wheeler became publicly listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 1929. It later established a long-term base in Livingston, New Jersey, before moving to Clinton, New Jersey, in 1987. The company's business expanded from equipment supply into broader engineering, procurement, construction management, and project development. Its work increasingly addressed large, technically complex facilities for energy, chemicals, refining, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, power generation, and environmental applications. By the later stages of its independent existence, the group was organized into Global Engineering and Construction and Global Power divisions. Global Engineering and Construction designed and built processing facilities and supporting infrastructure for upstream oil and gas, LNG, gas-to-liquids, refining, chemicals, petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, healthcare, environmental projects, and power. The business also controlled or employed technologies used in delayed coking, solvent de-asphalting, and hydrogen production. Its environmental practice provided remediation and associated engineering, technical, design, and regulatory services. Global Power worked on cogeneration, independent power production, waste-to-energy, and process-industry facilities. In addition to constructing projects, the business could own and operate facilities that supplied electricity, steam, and industrial feedstocks to customers or local grids. Foster Wheeler changed its legal domicile during its development as an international group. It moved its incorporation to Bermuda in 2000 and to Switzerland in 2008. The company also pursued acquisitions, including the purchase of Biokinetics announced on 26 February 2008. Its public-market profile rose during the 2000s, and Foster Wheeler entered the NASDAQ-100 on 12 July 2007. The final phase of the company's independent history occurred amid difficult conditions in the energy-services market. Foster Wheeler merged with AMEC plc in 2014, producing Amec Foster Wheeler. The combined company was affected by a decline in crude-oil prices, which reduced demand and pressured parts of the energy-project market while leaving the enlarged group with substantial debt. Wood Group acquired Amec Foster Wheeler in October 2017 and merged it into the Wood Group organization. Foster Wheeler consequently became a defunct standalone brand and corporate entity, with elements of its operations incorporated into successor businesses.
- 2017
Absorption into Wood Group
[1]Wood Group acquired and merged Amec Foster Wheeler into its operations in October 2017.
- 2014
Merger with AMEC
[1]Foster Wheeler merged with AMEC plc to form Amec Foster Wheeler.
- 2008
Biokinetics acquisition announced
[1]The company announced its acquisition of Biokinetics on 26 February 2008.
- 2008
Incorporation moves to Switzerland
[1]Foster Wheeler moved its incorporation from Bermuda to Switzerland.
- 2007
Added to the NASDAQ-100
[1]Foster Wheeler was added to the NASDAQ-100 on 12 July 2007.
- 2000
Incorporation moves to Bermuda
[1]Foster Wheeler changed its place of incorporation from the United States to Bermuda.
- 1987
Relocation to Clinton, New Jersey
[1]After operating from Livingston, New Jersey, for nearly a quarter century, the company relocated to Clinton, New Jersey.
- 1929
New York Stock Exchange listing
[1]Foster Wheeler became listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
- 1927
Foster Wheeler is formed
[1]The Power Specialty Company and Wheeler Condenser & Engineering Company merged to create Foster Wheeler.
- 1891
Wheeler Condenser & Engineering Company is established
[1]Frederick Merriam Wheeler established the engineering company that later formed the second major predecessor of Foster Wheeler.
Products and positioning
A global, technically oriented engineering and infrastructure contractor focused on large-scale energy, chemical, industrial, power, and environmental projects.
Engineering and construction services
Global Engineering and Construction
Foster Wheeler's Global Engineering and Construction group provided engineering, procurement, construction management, and related project services for complex industrial facilities. Its markets included upstream oil and gas, LNG, gas-to-liquids, refining, chemicals and petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, healthcare, environmental projects, and power. The group also supported proprietary or specialized process technologies and environmental remediation work.
Power equipment and infrastructure
Global Power
The Global Power group built, owned, and operated cogeneration facilities, independent power projects, waste-to-energy plants, and power systems for process industries. Its facilities could supply electricity, steam, and industrial feedstocks to customers and local grids. The group combined project development and operations with the supply of power-related equipment.
Chemical and refining process technology
Industrial process technologies
Foster Wheeler owned or supplied technology associated with delayed coking, solvent de-asphalting, and hydrogen production. These technologies supported refinery and petrochemical operations by addressing heavy-oil processing, residue upgrading, and the production of hydrogen used in industrial and refining applications.
Environmental engineering
Environmental remediation services
The company provided international environmental remediation services together with technical consulting, engineering, design, and regulatory support. These activities complemented its industrial and infrastructure work and addressed environmental obligations associated with operating sites and development projects.
Brand decisions
2017
Sale and merger into Wood GroupM&ABackground
Amec Foster Wheeler operated under financial and market pressure after the energy-sector downturn that followed the 2014 combination.
Action taken
Wood Group acquired Amec Foster Wheeler and merged it into the Wood Group business in October 2017.
Aftermath
The Foster Wheeler corporate group became defunct, with its activities incorporated into successor operations.
2014
Merger with AMECM&ABackground
Foster Wheeler sought to combine with another major engineering-services company and broaden its international platform.
Action taken
Foster Wheeler merged with AMEC plc to form Amec Foster Wheeler.
Aftermath
Foster Wheeler ceased to operate as an independent group. The combined company later faced pressure from lower crude-oil prices and substantial debt before being acquired by Wood Group.
2008
Acquisition of BiokineticsM&ABackground
Foster Wheeler pursued expansion of its technical and engineering capabilities.
Action taken
The company announced the acquisition of Biokinetics on 26 February 2008.
Aftermath
The acquisition became part of Foster Wheeler's broader international engineering-services portfolio.
2008
Change of corporate domicile to SwitzerlandStrategyBackground
Foster Wheeler continued to revise its corporate structure while operating internationally.
Action taken
The company moved its incorporation from Bermuda to Switzerland.
Aftermath
Foster Wheeler AG became the later corporate form of the group before its 2014 combination with AMEC.
2000
Change of corporate domicile to BermudaStrategyBackground
Foster Wheeler reorganized its legal structure as it developed into an internationally operated engineering group.
Action taken
The company moved its incorporation to Bermuda.
Aftermath
The Bermuda domicile remained in place until the company later moved its incorporation to Switzerland in 2008.
Sources1 sources
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