Kentz has about 15,500 employees operating in 36 countries.

The acquisition of Kentz supports SNC-Lavalin’s ongoing transformation into a global, first tier engineering and construction company and creates a group with about 45,000 employees, annual revenues of about $C10 billion ($A10.7 billion).

The combined company will also have a strong position in the world's most dynamic growth markets, including the Middle East, North America, Latin America and Asia-Pacific, SNC-Lavalin Group CEO Robert Card said.

“SNC-Lavalin is thrilled to welcome the employees of Kentz, who are the heart and soul of the remarkable company we are acquiring today,” he said.

“We expect that our combined capabilities will give us one of the best broad-based service offerings in the engineering and construction industry, while expanding our presence in key growth markets.”