Sustaining Member section

Headquarters Location: Aurora, ColoradoNumber and Location of Offices: 7 (Aurora, CO; Colorado Springs, CO; Albuquerque, NM; Los Alamos, NM; Oakridge, TN; Atlanta, GA; Kanata, Ontario, CAN; Guadalajara, Jalisco, MEX

Total Staff: 420
President or CEO’s Name: Ralph W. Christie, Jr.
Firm Specialties: Engineering, Architecture, GeoSpatial Solutions, Surveying
Gross Fees in 2007: $65 millionProjected Fees in 2008: $75 million

How does your firm approach strategic planning? With the aid of an external facilitator, the firm progresses through a series of off-site strategy sessions. The sessions start with a broad cross section of senior managers and staff, and progress to meetings involving the most senior principals and external directors. With the umbrella of a 5-year strategic plan, the business units and support departments develop a current year business and marketing plan.

Does the firm have a system for identifying and nurturing leaders? Merrick has developed both leadership and ownership transition plans. The Vice President of Human Resources works directly with the CEO to develop and implement these plans. Each key position is tracked with at least 2 potential successors, and the successors have training and development plans designed specifically tailored to them.

What challenges are you currently facing with technology? The main technology challenge Merrick is facing is the implementation of BIM. The challenge relates to a desire to standardize on one platform so as to minimize software and training costs. However, clients and business associates often require different, incompatible software.

What notable project(s) has your firm completed?In 2008, Merrick was the only firm in the nation to receive 3 national awards for engineering excellence from ACEC, including the design of special equipment to house radioactive processes, design of a national agricultural research facility, and the study to identify eagle habitat along the Missouri River.

Merrick & Company provided multidiscipline design services for a unique, one-of-a-kind “operating room” to handle and maintain radioactive mercury targets for the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) project at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN. The target maintenance hot cell is a shielded and confined “operating room” where the heart of the Spallation Neutron Source project, the activated mercury targets, are remotely maintained to support the operations of this world-class material science R&D facility.

Merrick & Company provided detailed architectural and engineering design and construction administration services for a new 153,650 square foot research and diagnostic facility, one of the initial components of the $460 million Ames Modernization project. The modernization project will completely rebuild USDA’s research and diagnostic facilities in Ames, Iowa, and will have significant impact on the scientific, financial, and political role the U.S. Department of Agriculture plays nationally and globally in conducting high containment research and diagnostic programs. This $85 million state-of-the-art facility allows world-class animal research and diagnostic operations to be conducted under strict protocols for safe containment of zoonotic and non-zoonotic pathogens.

Merrick provided high-resolution hyperspectral, LiDAR, and natural color imagery for approximately 19.4 sm along the Missouri River in Nebraska and Missouri. The Kansas City Corps of Engineers will use the simultaneously collected datasets for habitat modeling in and along the Missouri River. This was a pilot project undertaken by the Corps of Engineers to determine the feasibility of using the three remote sensing datasets in combination to model habitat adequately versus traditional methods. The identification of cottonwood trees habitable for eagles is the primary focus.

What do you think has made your firm successful at the work it does best? Merrick provides outstanding career opportunities through diversified and exciting projects and a dedicated commitment to development of skills and quality of life for its employees. The firm is committed to its enduring values, highly personal and reliable services to its clients, cooperation among all teams and locations, and uncompromising quality.

How has PSMA membership benefited your firm? PSMA has provided a network of contacts among senior leaders in our industry, making it possible to share, develop and benefit from best practices in our industry.

Provide here any other description or statement that will convey your firm’s philosophy, or a unique approach to providing or managing professional services: Merrick believes in the straightforward philosophy of taking care of our clients and our people. Our mission is to build value for our clients, shareholders, and communities, and careers for our employees, by delivering responsive design, construction and geospatial services.

Rivers and Associates, Inc.

Web Address: www.riversandassociates.com
Headquarters Location: Greenville, NC
Number and Location of Offices: 2 Offices: Greenville & Raleigh
Total Staff: 56
President or CEO's Name: Donnie W. Brewer, President
Firm Specialties: Multi-disciplined civil/environmental engineering firm, Rivers has pioneered projects for numerous units of local government and private developers.
Gross Fees in 1995: $2.6 Million
Gross Fees in 2000: $4.2 Million
Projected Fees in 2004: $5.8 Million

How does your firm approach strategic planning?
The principals of the firm attend an annual retreat in early December. In advance, each principal brings to the retreat, in writing, completed target planning worksheets; including someday, 3-year and 1-year goals, personal and professional. Mutual expectations are discussed, and mutual commitments made. The Company "vision" is reviewed and updated. Based on that vision, 3-year Company goals are set. Prior year goals, accomplishments and shortcomings are reviewed, and next year goals are set. Specific action plan line items are established for each goal. Finally, the Company budget for the next year is developed.

Does the firm have a system for identifying and nurturing leaders?
The firm's system for identifying and nurturing leaders fits within the firm's overall framework of employee selection, training, management and motivation.

The first step in the Rivers management system is employee selection. The concept is to create the perfect job to match the employee's natural behavior. Every prospective Rivers' employee is given a behavioral assessment, which is compared to the job standard for the position.
The second step in the Rivers management system involves training. Employees are given the best technical training through modules addressing various project tasks identified in our Action Training Manual. Management training is also given as employees move up the corporate ladder.
The third step in the Rivers management system involves management and motivation of the trained employee. This is accomplished by emphasizing communication and teamwork. Each manager is required to do target planning and goal setting with their team members, monitoring both business and personal goals.

What challenges are you currently facing with technology?
The largest challenge we are facing with technology is that of security of our electronic communication systems. Our internet and email services are exposed daily to hackers and spammers and are vulnerable to corruption. The flow of information is so fast and access so easy; that freedom comes at a high risk. Rivers is developing protocols and systems to educate our employees on how to practice safe computing. We must prioritize staying informed of the security risks and implement measures to reduce the risks.
Another technical challenge is communication between home and branch offices. It is expensive and cumbersome to provide branch office(s) with the same level of service to the company email and administrative programs as the home office.
Another technical challenge is the cost of upgrading CAD software to maintain the latest version. This item alone can raise company overhead by over 1 percent.

What notable project(s) has your firm completed?
Rivers and Associates has completed many notable projects over its 85 years of service.
Regarding wastewater collection, Rivers has engineered innovative projects including the first vacuum sewer system constructed in the state of North Carolina. Subsequently, Rivers has engineered more vacuum sewer systems in the state of North Carolina than any other firm.
Regarding water treatment projects, Rivers engineered one of the first reverse osmosis/membrane type water treatment plants in the state of North Carolina. Rivers has engineered three membrane type water treatment plants and one membrane plant expansion.
Regarding wastewater treatment, Rivers engineered one of the first 5-stage biological nutrient removal plants for a municipality in the state of North Carolina.

And regarding conventional water treatment, Rivers has engineered over a dozen filter/softener plants for our clients. Rivers specialty over the years has been engineering water distribution systems for numerous Counties, Cities and Towns.
Rivers notable civil/site projects include the Beaufort Waterfront, Brook Valley Country Club site work and dozens of commercial and residential developments in eastern and piedmont North Carolina.

What do you think has made your firm successful at the work it does best?
The success of our firm over the last 85 years is directly linked to the relationships with our clients. We have found that by going the extra mile on our current projects, we will earn the trust of our clients and will be the engineer of choice on their future projects. "Our Mission is to meet client, company and community expectations by providing excellence in service, management and leadership." One other success driver of our Company is the large network generated by Rivers employees, clients and relationships.

How long has your firm been active in PSMA?
Rivers has been a PSMA member for over 2 years. We have attended numerous PSMA functions and conferences across the country. Our President, Donnie W. Brewer, is on the PSMA Board of Directors.

How has PSMA membership benefited your firm?
Our PSMA membership has benefited the firm in many ways. The network established through PSMA has brought fresh ideas into our Company. Information gained from others has also allowed us to steer clear of a particular direction which proved fruitless to others. The resources provided by PSMA provides great insight into the issues of today. From management, to marketing, to human relations relevant information is received from PSMA monthly. Lastly, information is gained through the networking and publications which allow us to compare performance and issues of our firm to others around the country.

TLC Engineering for Architecture, Inc.

www.tlc-engineers.com
Headquarters Location: 1717 S. Orange Ave.,
Orlando, FL 32806
Number and Location of Offices:
Ten (10) Locations
Florida: Orlando, Tallahassee, Ft. Myers, Cocoa, Deerfield Beach, Miami, Tampa, Jacksonville
Tennessee: Nashville
Texas: Dallas

Firm Specialties:
MEP – Structural – Communications, Security & Technology
LEED Consulting – Building Commissioning

How does your firm approach strategic planning? We prepare summary historical data for the firm and each operating division as a reference, along with questions for them to respond to regarding their market in general and the broader view of what is happening or the trends they see. Corporate also weighs in with commentary from their respective areas of specialty. This past year I also strongly focused on an economic overview. All of this data is compiled to formulate our numerical goals for the year and is the resource to generate our strategic goals.

Does the firm have a system for identifying and nurturing leaders? We have run an internal leadership development program called Emerging Leaders. Each division identifies several people as candidates for the program, which are 5 full day sessions annually.

What challenges are you currently facing with technology? Effective use of 3-D Cad and the creation of MV Parts to have a full 3-D solution is an ongoing effort.

What notable project(s) has your firm completed? Florida Hospital Towers, Orange County Convention Center (Orlando) Long Performing Arts Center (Texas), Sand pearl Hotel, Tampa International Airport, Mayo Clinic

What do you think has made your firm successful at the work it does best? We are a business centric firm that focuses on extreme service and continue to be leaders in Sustainable design and application of the LEED rating system.

How has PSMA membership benefited your firm? The network of design business leaders and the conferences focused on business management issues have been a valuable resource to help us run our operations.