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About
Us

McLaren Engineering Group is a leading full-service engineering firm renowned for its trusted, high quality, and innovative approach to solving complex challenges.

With industry experts in multiple technical disciplines, our team has provided customized solutions for over 20,000 projects through consultation, design, inspection, and construction management. With over four decades of experience and 11 offices worldwide, McLaren addresses every project’s specific needs with technical excellence and creative innovation.

Origin
Story

Founder and Executive Chairman of the Board Malcolm G. McLaren, PE is an engineering pioneer. Since founding the firm in his basement in 1977, his entrepreneurial spirit quickly propelled McLaren Engineering Group to the forefront of the AEC industry.

In the early days, Mal was a driving force behind the concept of the “engineer-as-diver” profession, combining his passion for recreational diving with his skills as a professional engineer to offer underwater investigative services. Since then, his out-of-the-box thinking, passion for innovation, and technical excellence quickly launched an ever-growing engineering empire.

“I started McLaren Engineering Group when I was 25 years old with a slide rule in one hand and a shovel in the other. Four decades later, I’m proud to say that the firm has developed beyond my expectations and we continue that trajectory of growth by adding more iconic projects to our portfolio and strategically expanding our service line offerings with some of the top talent in the industry. The entrepreneurial basis for our success is the ability to recognize opportunities, and act on them.”
– Malcolm McLaren, PE

McLAREN
TIMELINE

1977

Malcolm G. McLaren launches his engineering empire from the basement of his home in Bethesda, MD. With a slide rule in one hand and a shovel in the other, he literally builds his business from the ground up.

Our Founder – Our Beginning

1978

He applies his passion for recreational diving and combines it with his skill as an engineer to offer underwater investigative services to the nation’s third-largest port city. The first NYC Dive job, Pier 99.

McLaren adds Underwater Investigation to its list of Engineering Services

1980

This architectural centerpiece of Disney’s EPCOT is a 27,000 square foot glass pyramid that features clear spans up to 90 feet with vertical heights rising to 78 feet. McLaren provided glass calculations for the design of this massive structure.

Imagination Pavilion at EPCOT – Orlando, FL

1980

This architectural centerpiece of Disney’s EPCOT, is a 27,000 square foot glass pyramid that features clear spans up to 90 feet with vertical heights rising to 78 feet. McLaren provided glass calculations for the design of this massive structure.

1983

Throughout the eighties, McLaren becomes an industry leader in the engineering of glass structures. Engineering everything from skylights to curtainwalls.

Glass + Glazing

1983

Throughout the eighties, McLaren becomes an industry leader in the engineering of glass structures. Engineering everything from skylights to curtainwalls.

1987

In a resurgence of waterborne transportation throughout New York harbor, McLaren undertakes a leadership role in moving commuters by ferry, in this underutilized transportation mode.

First Floating Ferry Terminal Design

1987

In a resurgence of waterborne transportation throughout New York harbor, McLaren undertakes a leadership role in moving commuters by ferry, in this underutilized transportation mode.

1989

Responding to the devastating impact of Hurricane Hugo, in September 1989, McLaren offers innovative engineering solutions to the largest of the islands of this U.S. territory. This also marked the firm’s first PE license outside the continental United States.

First Emergency Response Hurricane Hugo – St. Croix US Virgin Islands

1990

A Distinctive elliptical glass roof over the Canary Wharf Dockland Light Rail train station in East London. The structure towers over four tracks of the UK’s Dockland Light Rail (DLR) System

First International Design – London, England

1991

A 220 ft. x 160 ft. fabric structure with 3 symmetrical bays supported by 6 central masts as high as 63 ft. underground concrete pile caps anchor cables with narrow tapering steel sleeves that receive the cables at grade. The Pavilion is surrounded by a sheet pile bulkhead also designed by McLaren.

Pier 6 Concert Pavilion – Baltimore, MD

1993

With marine life returning to New York’s Hudson River as a result of clean water initiatives, Malcolm McLaren outlines the beneficial uses of recycled plastic material in marine and shoreline construction. These eco-friendly alternatives offer real solutions to the natural deterioration caused by marine micros.

Recycled Plastics Use and Development Research

1994

Over the past three decades, McLaren has made its mark on music history with work on six Rolling Stones concert tours! Our team has provided engineering for epic concerts beginning in 1994 with the Voodoo Lounge Tour.

Rolling Stones

1999

McLaren begins its Broadway dominance by providing engineering services for the theatrical production ‘Mama Mia’ at the Winter Garden theater.

First Theater Project Winter Garden Theater – New York, NY

1999

McLaren begins its Broadway dominance providing engineering services for theatrical production of ‘Mama Mia’ at the Winter Garden theater.

2001

McLaren joins responders to the attacks of September 11, offering support in the cleanup of the lower Manhattan site.

Emergency Response at World Trade Center Site – New York, NY

2001

McLaren joins responders to the attacks of September 11, offering support in the cleanup of the lower Manhattan site.

2002

I-40 Bridge Collapse. First bridge collapse investigation begins Forensic Engineering Division

Engineering EXPO. To insure a healthy supply of future engineers, Malcolm McLaren created the Lower Hudson Valley Engineering Expo. This annual event brings together the top engineering colleges, universities and businesses from every engineering discipline. The event features hands on interactive displays to encourage Middle and High schoolers to consider education in engineering and technology.

I-40 Bridge Collapse – Webbers Falls, OK

2006

Booming high-rise construction spawns more and more crane disasters. McLaren responds with a rigid inspection program, focused on safety and adherence to equipment use and specific cations.

Construction Crane Inspections

2006

Booming high-rise construction spawns more and more crane disasters. McLaren responds with a rigid inspection program, focused on safety and adherence to equipment use and specific cations.

2008

McLaren engineers perform a climbing structural inspection of this 1889 railroad bridge prior to its conversion to a pedestrian walkway.

Walkway Over the Hudson – Poughkeepsie – Highland, NY

2008

McLaren engineers perform a climbing structural inspection of this 1889 railroad bridge prior to its conversion to a pedestrian walkway.

2011

Live! Casino – Maryland DDI. Civil engineering services were completed for permitting, design and construction of 14 different off-site and on-site roadway improvements, including engineering Maryland’s first Diverging Diamond Intersection.

First Design-Build for NYSDOT. Replacement of Two Route 42 Bridges Destroyed By Hurricane Irene – Greene County, NY

Maryland’s First DDI – Hanover, MD

2012

Aftermath. The morning after Hurricane Sandy hit New York City, even before the winds died down, McLaren responded to multiple municipalities. Our dedicated engineers traveled to all over parts of New York City, New York State, New Jersey, and Maryland working all hours of daylight, 7 days a week; checking the structural integrity of bridges, buildings, bulkheads, cranes, ferry terminals, piers, piles, private properties, and various other structures. Letting our clients know if their structures were safe to resume use.

Rebuild. McLaren worked with public and private agencies all over the tri-state area to rebuild more resilient infrastructure.

Emergency Response to Superstorm Sandy + Rebuild

2015

For Taylor Swift’s fourth world concert tour, McLaren engineered the mainstage deck elements, band risers and self-climbing lifts – as well as rigging for lighting, video and sound for both indoor and outdoor venues.

Taylor Swift 1989 World Tour

2017

McLaren found that a new gondola could connect the 825,000 people arriving and departing each year at the Albany-Rensselaer Train Station to three important destinations: downtown Albany, the Capital Center and the Empire State Plaza.

NY Capital District Gondola Study – Rensselaer and Albany, NY

2020

McLaren engineered the 23-mile connector as part of the expansive Empire State Trail infrastructure development. This design build trailway project repurposed a portion of Metro North’s previous two-track Beacon line corridor into a 10-foot wide shared-use bicycle and pedestrian path.