Not everyone is enthusiastic about the domestic power market. Bechtel prefers to work on larger projects and on plants where it can bring proprietary technology to bear, such as with clean coal-fired plants. Another big-ticket market that has turned around is semiconductor plants. This one is like a tsunami, taking everyone by surprise. Eberwein says that the boom includes memory chips, flash memory and microprocessors.
Pharmaceuticals remain a bright spot in the process market.
TranVec is a U.K. firm we acquired last year. On the metals side, the market has been iffy. He notes that the major aluminum producers have been enjoying great success recently, and that should translate into increased opportunities. General building is is booming, but contractors are cautious. He sees strength in a broad range of markets, including education, healthcare, residential and airports.