100 Years in the Making Series

On April 1, 1921, the roots of what we now know as Knight Piésold were planted by Dr. Francis Edgar Kanthack. At the age of 49, having already had a distinguished career in the service of three governments (British, Indian, and South African), Dr. Kanthack decided to set up as a consulting engineer, establishing F. E. Kanthack in Johannesburg, South Africa and operating as a sole practitioner.

In 1964 the partnership changed its name, to reflect the surviving partners, to Watermeyer, Legge, Piésold and Uhlmann or WLPU, as it became commonly known. The 1970s led to opportunities for the company to expand outside of Africa and the UK and saw the first use of the Knight and Piésold names.

Heading into the 1990s the company entered a defining phase in its evolution. The name "Knight Piésold" and a new global structure were adopted by operating companies around the world. Today, with a clear vision and everyone working as one team, Knight Piésold looks forward to another successful 100 years. 

South Africa became the birthplace of Knight Piésold when Dr. Francis Edgar Kanthack set up as a consulting engineer, establishing F. E. Kanthack in Johannesburg in 1921. The company would come to change names a couple of times before taking its current name, but now, one hundred years later, Knight Piésold Southern Africa proudly remains as the oldest African owned engineering consultancy in the continent.

Knight Piésold was established as WLPU Consultants (Australia) Pty Ltd. in Sydney in 1972. Now headquartered in Perth, Knight Piésold Australia, which continues to grow organically, focuses on the mining industry, providing technical services to major mining companies and supporting the dynamic exploration sector.

The first operating company within the group to use both names—Knight and Piésold—was established in Vancouver, British Columbia in 1975. Over the years Knight Piésold Canada has steadily expanded its specialist capabilities for key client groups and continues to look for opportunities to support the renewable energy needs of the future while assisting mining and power clients through all phases of project development.

Heading into the 1980s, Knight Piésold saw an opportunity to get a foothold in the USA and opened an office in Denver, Colorado in 1985. With its relentless focus on technical excellence, creative problem solving, and client and staff satisfaction, Knight Piésold USA has expanded significantly since then, establishing an international portfolio of clients and projects and affiliated offices in Brazil and Mexico.

The early 1990s presented new opportunities for Knight Piésold to expand to South America. Since opening in 1993, the Santiago office has been serving mining and hydropower clients in Chile and South America. Knight Piésold Chile’s 60-strong, multidisciplinary team looks forward to a bright future working together with colleagues and clients around the world.

As the mining industry in Ghana rebounded in the early 1990s, the country presented new opportunities to Knight Piésold. A Ghanaian company was registered in 1996 and has since strengthened its technical capabilities to include environmental and laboratory testing services. Now in its 25th year, Knight Piésold Ghana is a recognized leader in tailings and mine waste management in the country and the West African subregion.

As Knight Piésold was expanding into South America in the 1990s, mining potential in Argentina was taking off. An office in Buenos Aires was opened in 1996 and a company was registered in San Juan in 2005. From its early days mainly involved with environmental projects, Knight Piésold Argentina has continued to diversify its services and expand to other industries, now providing high quality services to the mining, power, and oil and gas industries in Argentina and neighbouring countries.

Knight Piésold was re-established in the UK in 2013 and has steadily grown since then to a dedicated tailings team of 15 civil and geotechnical engineers. With an office situated in the heart of the City of London, the UK team focuses on the mining and construction industries in Europe, Russia, Central Asia, Middle East, and North Africa.