WHO WE ARE
ENGINEERING ANALYSIS, CONSULTING, AND TESTING + DESIGN FOR DAMS, NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS, AND OTHER CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE
Over the course of nearly 40 years, RIZZO INTERNATIONAL has grown from a small, 6-person office to a large corporate headquarters with regional (United States) and international representation. Our qualified staff of technical and design professionals, most with advanced engineering or geoscience degrees and corresponding professional licenses, collectively work to support projects coordinated from our corporate headquarters, but also service clients and markets specific to our regional representatives and our key collaborators.
OUR MISSION IS TO EXCEL
1400+
Successful Project Completions
45+
Experienced Engineering Experts
40+
Years of Expert
Assistance to Our
Clients
25+
Support
Staff
Professionals
OUR STORY
RIZZO INTERNATIONAL traces its roots to 1984 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, when Dr. Paul C. Rizzo, P.E. founded Paul C. Rizzo Associates (PCRA). PCRA started as a small engineering and consulting firm providing civil and geotechnical engineering services to utilities with nuclear and hydropower assets. PCRA served a growing demand for engineering services for power generation and flood control infrastructure, both in the U.S. and internationally. Hence the foundation set by PCRA – an engineering focus on specialty work with a global view.
In 2014, PCRA became RIZZO Associates as part of a company-wide branding modernization and leadership restructuring. In 2017, RIZZO Associates transitioned to RIZZO International, where Dr. Paul Rizzo transferred ownership to his daughters Rachelle Rizzo and Mara McClain, with Rachelle Rizzo, having been with the firm for over 25 years, transitioning to the role of President and CEO, setting the company’s strategy and vision. Rachelle was joined by Mr. Michael Edwards, who has been with the firm over 20 years, to take on the role of Chief Operations Officer, thus leading the firm’s day-to-day operations. Since the transition to RIZZO International in 2017, the company has achieved financial success and secured new ventures into new projects and countries.
Today, RIZZO INTERNATIONAL maintains a core team of engineers and consultants of around 100 staff across 3 offices in the United States – Pittsburgh (headquarters), New York, and Orlando. RIZZO International has transformed to adapt to evolving markets and remains consistent to its strong core values, centered on engineering excellence commensurate with the projects we serve and the highest standard of business integrity.
RIZZO INTERNATIONAL is Women Led, Women Owned, and Women Strong – a core company value set forth to empower women across the civil and construction industry.
OUR LEGACY
PAUL C. RIZZO, Ph.D., P.E.
Dr. Paul C. Rizzo, P.E., is RIZZO's founder and current Chief Technical Officer. Dr. Rizzo has more than 50 years of experience in geotechnical and civil engineering, including dams and water resources, power generation, and infrastructure projects. He is a leading expert in the field of safety evaluations and seismic rehabilitation of dams, and in foundation engineering, structural engineering, and structural dynamics. He has also served on numerous technical panels, committees, and consulting boards charged with the deliberation of seismic hazard evaluation, seismic design basis, and soil-structure interaction. Dr. Rizzo has extensive engineering experience specifically related to hydroelectric and nuclear power plant structures; earth, rockfill, concrete, and roller compacted concrete dams; harbors and docks; and industrial facilities.
WOMEN'S BUSINESS
ENTERPRISE CERTIFICATION
With direct ownership of RIZZO INTERNATIONAL by Ms. Rachelle Rizzo and as part of our business transition from RIZZO Associates, Inc., our firm became certified as a Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE) by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council, the nation’s largest third-party certifier of businesses owned and operated by women.
Ms. Mara McClain, Senior Vice President of Administration and owner, has spearheaded this rigorous process and brought about this prestigious certification for RIZZO INTERNATIONAL. With this designation, our engineering expertise and experience can now also aid clients in meeting diversity goals for public works projects.
OUR LOCATIONS
Most of our technical staff are located in our corporate headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, or our Denver, Colorado engineering, testing, and inspection branch office. However, we also maintain staff in the southeastern and southwestern United States, and have collaborative relationships with firms and individuals in the Middle East, eastern Europe, Russia, southern and eastern Africa, South America, and various other locations around the world.
Pittsburgh, PA
Corporate Headquarters
Corporate Laboratory
412.825.9700
Tarrytown, NY
Branch Office
914.332.0037
Orlando, FL
Branch Office
813.315.8922
OUR GLOBAL EXPERIENCE
RIZZO INTERNATIONAL engineers and geoscientists have been involved in major power generation and large civil infrastructure projects in the United States, South America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Australia, and Asia. Our international efforts are in part facilitated by a diverse staff of fluent speakers of nearly 15 languages, including Arabic, Hindi, Mandarin, Russian, Spanish, Turkish, and Ukrainian.
QUALITY ASSURANCE
Our integrated quality management system is certified under International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001:2015 standards for the provision of professional engineering and consulting services, and compliant to ISO 14001:2015 criteria for environmental management systems. Our quality management system has also been approved per the Nuclear Procurement Issues Corporation's joint audit program, and meets the requirements of Appendix B to Part 50 of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations, and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers' Nuclear Quality Assurance (NQA-1) Program. RIZZO is a proud member of the Nuclear Industry Assesment Corporation (NIAC).
OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES
EXCELLENCE IN PROJECT EXECUTION
Innovation
At RIZZO INTERNATIONAL, we are driven by a culture of innovation, constantly seeking new and advanced approaches to engineering challenges.
Collaboration
Collaboration is at the heart of our approach, as we believe in the power of teamwork and partnership to achieve optimal results for our clients.
Sustainability
We are committed to sustainable engineering practices, ensuring the longevity and resilience of the critical infrastructure we design and consult on.
Integrity
Integrity forms the foundation of our work, as we uphold the highest ethical standards in every aspect of our engineering analysis, consulting, and design.
Expertise
Our team's expertise is unmatched, providing our clients with the assurance of top-tier engineering consulting and design services.
OUR CLIENTS
RIZZO INTERNATIONAL has provided engineering consulting services to a variety of clients, including governments, global companies, utilities, and international lending agencies and banks. RIZZO has also led interactions with local, national, and international regulators on numerous infrastructure and power projects
“Our clients are the foundation of everything we build. Their vision fuels our innovation, and their success is the measure of our own. Every project is a partnership, and a strong relationship with each client is central to our mission.”
MICHAEL EDWARDS
Chief Operating Officer
RIZZO Insights