Bechtel Efforts House More Than 90,000 Hurricane Victims in Mississippi

Mississippi Firms and Small Businesses Spearhead Progress

JACKSON, Miss., Feb. 3 -- More than 90,000 Mississippi residents displaced by Hurricane Katrina are now living in emergency housing units installed and readied for occupancy by Bechtel National, Inc. (BNI) under contract to Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

"We are pleased to have provided housing to so many who need it in Mississippi," said Paul Divjak, BNI's program manager. "But even though we have now housed more than the combined populations of Biloxi and Pascagoula, we are still working hard to assist those still in need."

Bechtel's work for FEMA's disaster relief program has employed more than 2,600 people, mostly from Mississippi and other Gulf states. To date, 52 percent of Bechtel's subcontracts and purchase orders have been awarded to Mississippi-based firms. Over 82 percent of all Bechtel subcontracts have been awarded to small businesses.

Based in Frederick, Maryland, Bechtel National, Inc. (BNI) is a leading provider of services to the U.S. government. BNI specializes in large, complex projects in such areas as defense, space, energy, security, and the environment. BNI is part of San Francisco-based Bechtel Corporation, one of the world's premier engineering, construction, and project management companies. For more information, visit http://www.bechtel.com/ .