U.S. firm Bechtel wraps up Iraqi rebuilding efforts

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Engineering and construction firm Bechtel Group Inc. is leaving Iraq after spending three years rebuilding the war-torn country that netted the company roughly $2.3 billion in government contracts.

San-Francisco-based Bechtel, which completed its last government contract on Tuesday, began work in April of 2003, less than one month after US and coalition forces begin military action against Iraq.

During Bechtel's stint in Iraq, 52 workers were killed, including 47 Iraqis and 5 non-Iraqi subcontractor staff, according to the company.

Bechtel, which subcontracted many of its projects to Iraqi workers, employing as many as 40,000 at one point, worked on projects that included repairing 1,200 Iraqi schools, repairing bridges and reopening the country's only deep water port.

The company said it completed 97 of the 99 tasks it had been charged with completing by the U.S. Agency for International Development.

In a statement issued to the Congressional committee on government reform in late September, company president Cliff Mumm stood by the company's efforts.

"We provided training to thousands of Iraqi professionals and craft workers. And we accomplished all this with a safety record that would be the envy of any firm operating in the United States," said Mumm. "We are proud of our record in Iraq."

Privately-held Bechtel is among a number U.S. firms that have been awarded U.S. government contracts to help rebuild Iraq including rival Fluor Corporation (up $0.08 to $78.76, Charts) and Haliburton (down $0.12 to $31.41, Charts).

Halliburton unit hit for Iraq costs