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Tag: engineering

Dawood Engineering founder joins bank’s effort to expand in the Capital Region

Bony Dawood, president and CEO of Dawood Engineering in Harrisburg, has been added to the Board of Directors for PB Bankshares, Inc., the holding company for Presence Bank, to help Presence Bank better tailor its services to midstate businesses and small business owners in general. PHOTO/IOANNIS PASHAKIS
Bony Dawood, president and CEO of Dawood Engineering in Harrisburg, has been added to the Board of Directors for PB Bankshares, Inc., the holding company for Presence Bank. PHOTO/IOANNIS PASHAKIS

A Chester County-based bank has enlisted the help of a Harrisburg business owner as its loaning arm reaches out to more midstate business owners.

Presence Bank said it is partnering with influential business leaders to assist in the bank’s expansion to the Capital Region in an effort that it says will help it better the lives of the people who choose to bank with them.

The Coatsville bank recently announced that it will be adding president and CEO of Dawood Engineering, Bony Dawood, to its Board of Directors. Dawood will sit on the board for PB Bankshares, Inc., the holding company for Presence Bank.

Dawood founded Dawood Engineering in 1992 and during that time, has been actively involved in various levels of the community, from collaborating with fellow business owners to sitting on boards and interacting with municipal leaders.

“As a small business owner, the benefits of working in a community bank and that relationship was very important in those years,” Dawood said. “[I have been] involved in a lot of projects that have impacted Central Pennsylvania communities [and] really had a pretty active role in creating a lot of jobs in Central PA for many years, and enjoyed that aspect of it.”

When Dawood was approached about the opportunity to join the board of PB Bankshares, Inc., he was intrigued by the opportunity to come alongside fledgling entrepreneurs from the perspective of a lender.

“I’ve been in the business world for years, and I’ve worked with a lot of lenders in the marketplace, and it really gives me a different understanding [and] different perspective.”

Dawood was an integral part of the design-build team for the West Shore Hospital, which was completed/opened in 2014. The company was responsible for surveying, civil engineering, and site design, including geotechnical engineering, wetlands delineation, and a traffic impact study. PHOTO/PROVIDED

Having been an entrepreneur owner that experienced the challenges of growing a business, Dawood says he understands the common struggles business owners face including cash flow, the fundamentals of building a business and navigating how they will make payroll. With this perspective in mind, he says he views community banks as being a fundamental part of entrepreneur welfare.

“Having a lender really work with them through that is really important,” Dawood said. “We know a lot of businesses, and we know a lot of people that want to start businesses. Having lenders that understand the challenges [is] where the community banks come.”

Presence Bank was founded in 1919. The state-chartered FDIC bank has approximately $300 million in assets.

The bank currently has an office in Lancaster County and loan production offices in Lancaster and Dauphin Counties.

Dawood’s inclusion to the board is expected to help Presence Bank better tailor its services to midstate businesses and small business owners in general. It also comes at a time of growth for the company.

President and CEO of Presence Bank, Janak Amin, believed Dawood was a natural fit for the bank’s board. Amin said he perceived Dawood as a professional with strong ethics, a family-oriented posture, and as being a person of faith—all of which are qualities that Presence Bank prioritizes when recruiting new members.

“We look at people who are obviously well regarded in their local community,” Amin said, asserting how Dawood personified the skills his team was searching for when considering how to solidify Presence Bank’s brand in the Capital Region.

Amin applauded Dawood’s business acumen and extensive experience in corporate governance through his history of building a company in the heavily-regulated engineering industry. For Amin, the regulatory experience will be a welcome asset as the board navigates regulations that also accompany the financial industry.

Thomas Bream, market executive for Presence Bank’s Capital Region emphasized Presence Bank’s current initiative to invest resources into the region, specifically in the form of collaborating with leaders who can assist in the success of the expansion effort.

With Dawood’s experience and community influence in the Capital Region, Bream said that it made sense for Presence Bank to leverage Dawood’s skills and network to help increase the brand’s reputation as it moves into the Capital Region.

“We were looking for people with [business] experience [and] someone that had visibility in this community,” Bream said.

For Bream, Dawood will not only bring experience and positive qualities of leadership to the board room, but will also be able to offer wisdom and advice on what he is seeing play out in the region’s marketplace as a business owner.

Dawood believes it is important for business owners to leverage their influence for the good of the communities they work within.

“Business owners to some degree [become] role models, and people watch them very closely in terms of their actions. I think it’s very important for business owners to take ownership and provide strong leadership,” Dawood said.

Dawood has held seats on a number of boards over the years including on the Harrisburg Regional Chamber of Commerce, the American Council of Engineering Consultants, and holding a Governor appointed position on the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry Industrial Board.

In addition to his involvement with PB Bankshares Inc., Dawood currently serves as director of Milton S. Hershey Medical Center’s Quality Committee, senior advisory member of Asian Indian Americans of Central Pennsylvania and board member of the American Islamic Cultural Center.

Dawood sees board involvement as a responsibility that requires a high degree of focus and engagement. In recent years, Dawood has limited the number of boards he participates in, so he is able to fully engage and dedicate adequate time to offer a valuable contribution to the organizations he partners with.

“As owners, we have to set a tone in terms of how it is to be a good citizen. There’s no right or wrong way, it’s a message being sent, but it starts from the top and you have to let the employees know how important it is.”

Like Presence Bank, Dawood Engineering pays close attention to the culture that is fostered within the organization. Dawood is deliberate in developing a strong employee culture and prioritizing positive community impact.

“The culture of the company is [that] we try to do the right thing,” Dawood said. “We’ve tried to understand what the needs are and be part of it and create careers for individuals and also provide a benefit to the community that we’re working in.”

Lancaster company filled vital role in NASA’s DART mission

This illustration depicts NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) spacecraft prior to impact at the Didymos binary asteroid system. Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins APL/Steve Gribben
This illustration depicts NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) spacecraft. PHOTO/ NASA/Johns Hopkins APL/Steve Gribben

NASA’s successful mission in late September to change the trajectory of the asteroid Dimorphos made world headlines.

Unlike in the 2021 film “Don’t look up,” Dimorphos was not a threat to collide with Earth. But DART – an acronym for Double Asteroid Redirection Test – was the first full-scale demonstration of planetary defense technology.

And a Lancaster-based company played a key role in the historic operation.

Advanced Cooling Technologies Inc. developed DART’s thermal management system, working with the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland.

Bryan Muzyka, manager of sales and marketing, said ACT had two groups active on the project: a development team of engineers and a technical flight hardware team.

When mission control at Johns Hopkins announced at 7:14 p.m. Sept. 26 that Dimorphos’ path had been affected, as intended, “it was exciting,” he said.

DART spent 10 months flying in space before impacting the asteroid. Prior to the collision, Dimorphos took 11 hours and 55 minutes to orbit its larger parent asteroid, Didymos, NASA said.

Now Dimorphos circles Didymos in 11 hours and 23 minutes, a trip shortened by 32 minutes.

Astronomers initially were a going to consider the DART mission a success if it cut the trajectory by 10 minutes.

“This mission shows that NASA is trying to be ready for whatever the universe throws at us,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in a release. “NASA has proven we are serious as a defender of the planet. This is a watershed moment for planetary defense and all of humanity, demonstrating commitment from NASA’s exceptional team and partners from around the world.”

History with NASA

Advanced Cooling Technologies is almost 20 years old and has a long history of contracts with NASA, Muzyka said. The company started building flight hardware for the space agency around 2007.

Two other recent major NASA contracts are for the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope – named after NASA’s first chief astronomer – and VIPER (Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover) projects. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory chose ACT to develop and manufacture constant conductance heat pipes and an embedded warm radiator panel that will fly as part of the Coronagraph Instrument on the Nancy Grace Roman telescope.

Constant conductance heat pipes conduct heat without losing energy.

Advanced Cooling Technologies was also the prime thermal management supplier for the electronics heat transport subsystem. The products were to delivered to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory this year for an expected launch in October 2026.

The space telescope will investigate the effects of dark energy and dark matter and explore exoplanets, which are planets outside the solar system. For VIPER, ACT designed and fabricated the flight thermal control system.

VIPER, part of the Artemis program, is a golf cart-sized rover that will roam several miles during its approximately 100-day mission across the south pole of the moon to get a close-up of the location and concentration of ice. Launch is expected in late 2024.

ACT is involved as well with the Keystone Space Collaborative, a nonprofit organization focused on serving the booming space economy in Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia.

Muzyka is a board member of the collaborative, which recently hired its first program director and seeks to attract and expand the region’s next generation of space industry business and talent.

Paula Wolf is a freelance writer

Herbert, Rowland & Grubic to have new CEO in 2023

Bob Grubic. PHOTO/PROVIDED

Bob Grubic announced that he is retiring as CEO of Harrisburg-based engineering firm Herbert, Rowland & Grubic Inc. at the end of this year, after 49 years with the company.

He will continue as chairman of the board of directors. Jason Fralick, president since 2019, will take over as CEO.

Over Grubic’s nearly half-century tenure with Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, it grew into a nationally recognized, full-service firm with 290 employees offering civil engineering and related services from locations across Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio, a release noted.

The 60-year-old company is now employee owned as well.

Grubic has also served leadership roles with Mid Penn Bank; the State Registration Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors and Geologists; the Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts; United Way of the Capital Region; and Villanova University’s College of Engineering, among others.

“HRG is stronger and more cohesive than ever, making this an opportune time for me to transition from company operations and focus on promoting HRG through business development and community involvement,” he said in the release. “Through the collaborative efforts of our exceptional management team and employee owners, HRG is well-positioned to flourish for years to come.”

Fralick added: “Bob has been instrumental to HRG’s long-term vision and strategic growth for more than four decades. He has served as an exceptional advisor to the leadership team: providing guidance, supporting business development initiatives, and engaging in client and community relations.”

Paula Wolf is a freelance writer

The future of civil engineering

Civil engineering is one of the oldest engineering professions. It has existed since the first human settlement and has evolved with society and its infrastructural needs. Like other professions, technology has had the most significant impact on engineering.  One can argue that tech advances have not only been significant, but overwhelming.  The rate of increase in technological advances has been geometric, not linear.  Old school engineering practices have morphed into those associated with a sophisticated business model.   

Now digital technology is having a game-changing impact on our profession.  Emerging fields such as artificial intelligence that have shaken up other industries are now reaching civil engineering and construction. The digital landscape is changing at an ever-increasing speed. Civil engineers can no longer question if they are going to embrace digitalization, but when and how.  

Building Information Modeling (BIM) is an example of this game-changing technology.  BIM is a 3-D modeling process used to plan, design, modify, and manage a built asset. It supports the coordinated management of construction projects during their entire lifecycle from the project plan to design, build, operation, and maintenance.  Adopting BIM is important to civil engineering as it enables better collaboration among different stakeholders using the same set of shared resources. It reduces cost and improves quality by enabling ongoing review and updates in real time.   

Technological advances including virtual reality, drones, the Internet of Things (IoT) and robotics will continue to challenge engineers and make it increasingly difficult to stay ahead of the curve. 

Another notable change facing civil engineers is the amount of public involvement in land development and community construction projects.  There was a time when such projects passed through municipal authorities with little, if any, discussion.  Now, thanks to digital and social media, residents are more aware of how these projects will affect them.  On a positive note, this has led to greater transparency and dialogue.  It has, however, also led to widespread distribution of misinformation as well as unfounded speculation, which can waste precious time and resources. 

Today, design professionals need to be more aware of the long-term impact of their projects.  Taking a holistic approach will lead to greater sustainability especially as we continue to address climate and environmental changes, as well as population growth.  An upside to this is the increase in long range capital improvement planning allowing communities to take a proactive approach to their infrastructure rather than the reactive approach typically associated with a project-by-project basis.  The Federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill (BIL) invites such long-range planning.  BIL provides $550 billion over fiscal years 2022 through 2026 in new Federal investment in infrastructure, including roads, bridges, and water infrastructure.  The money is there, now municipalities must determine how to invest it for long term capital improvement. 

The engineering and construction industry has also witnessed a surge of mergers and acquisitions since the Great Recession, especially among smaller firms.  The retirement of baby-boomers, coupled with labor shortages and heightened buyer interest, have created an environment conducive to M&A activity.  Mergers and acquisitions frequently drive growth in the engineering and construction sector, sometimes outpacing organic growth.  It is expected the industry will see a steady increase in M&A activity for the remainder of 2022. 

Finally, I would be remiss not to address the increased competition for talent, a phenomenon facing most professions.  Engineering firms are investing more resources in the recruitment, hiring, training, and retention of talent.  Professional development, mentoring, career advancement, competitive compensation, and quality of life are tools engineering firms are using to attract and retain the best possible talent.  For example, at HRG, we leverage our ESOP culture as a recruitment and retention tool.  Cultural changes that have impacted the expectations and satisfaction among today’s labor force will continue to hinder the supply of engineering talent as the demand for such talent increases. 

Over the last two decades the engineering profession has attracted more women and minorities to the profession, thanks to STEM programs at the secondary and higher education levels, as well as greater awareness and acceptance. As we look to the future of engineering, we must aspire to even greater numbers.  Diversity is healthy for the engineering profession because engineers are problem solvers. Individuals with diverse ethnic, educational, and geographic backgrounds translate into a variety of perspectives approaching the same problem, and that leads to better solutions. 

Robert C. Grubic, P.E. is Chairman of the Board and CEO of Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc (HRG).  During his 49-year career with HRG, Bob has been instrumental in the company’s strategic direction.  Under his leadership, HRG has expanded from a small, local firm based in Harrisburg into a nationally recognized, full-service civil engineering firm with over 275 employees and locations across Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio. 

E-town College gets $1.2M grant to redesign engineering education

Elizabethtown College was recently awarded a $1.2 million grant from the National Science Foundation to launch the Center for Equity and Sustainability in Engineering, in partnership with Vermont’s Greenway Institute.

The Greenway Center for Equity and Sustainability will redesign and re-center engineering education around sustainability and core equity practices that empower students from underrepresented groups, according to a release.

The money will help fund:

· An immersive “sustainability semester” in Vermont where engineering students from across the nation do engineering projects that introduce them to principles and practices of sustainability.

· A first-year of immersive, team-based, hands-on engineering education for students in the college’s engineering program.

· Project-based professional development for K-12 teachers in collaboration with E-town’s master’s in curriculum and instruction.

The grant will be used to expand the participation of historically underrepresented students in engineering, including students of color, women and rural students, Sara Atwood, dean of the college’s School of Engineering, Math and Science, said in the release. “And our innovative program will prepare all students to design and build a more just and sustainable future.”

Rebecca Holcombe, co-founder of the Greenway Institute, added: “The Greenway Center for Equity and Sustainability addresses our two biggest imperatives for engineering education: closing opportunity gaps for historically marginalized students and preparing the next generation of engineers to tackle the complex, multidisciplinary challenge of designing and building a sustainable future. Because historically marginalized groups … are often the first and most harmed by failures to think sustainably, the challenges of equity and sustainable engineering are one and the same.”

Paula Wolf is a freelance writer

Bridge engineering firm expands with acquisition

Mechanicsburg-based bridge engineering firm Modjeski and Masters announced its acquisition Monday of Flanders Engineering Group Inc., a structural engineering company headquartered in Middleburg, Florida.

Flanders, operating in all 50 states, provides electrical power and control engineering and structure balance engineering for the movable bridge industry, having completed hundreds of major projects across the U.S.

The move allows Modjeski and Masters – which designs, inspects and rehabilitates all bridge types, including long-span movable structures – to deepen its movable bridge expertise and expand its presence in the Sunshine State.

“Flanders has successfully provided their clients with reliable and practical design solutions for over 20 years,” Mike Britt, president and CEO of Modjeski and Masters, said in a release. “By joining forces with such a trusted company, this acquisition will help us elevate our client base and better compete for movable bridge work across the globe.”

Jeffrey Flanders, president and chief engineer at Flanders Engineering, commented: “The Flanders team is excited to embark on this next journey by uniting our depth of movable bridge expertise with the (huge) and long-standing success of the team at Modjeski and Masters.”

Flanders will take on the role of senior project manager in the Movable Bridge Business Unit.

Paula Wolf is a freelance writer

Newsmakers: Boyer & Ritter LLC, Pennsylvania College of Art & Design and more

Nathaniel J. Yost, Laura W. Dunbar, Nathaniel T. Simonton, Laura B. Kurtz, Lori L. Dierolf and Meredith Schreffler
Nathaniel J. Yost, Laura W. Dunbar, Nathaniel T. Simonton, Laura B. Kurtz, Lori L. Dierolf and Meredith Schreffler

Accounting

Benjamin R. Bostic
Benjamin R. Bostic

East Pennsboro Township-based Boyer & Ritter LLC elected Benjamin R. Bostic, Jeremy D. Medernach and Nathaniel J. Yost principal-owners and Jeremy Scheibelhut and Senahid Zahirovic principals. All are certified public accountants. Bostic leads the Chambersburg office. He provides tax and accounting services. Medernach provides accounting and tax guidance. Yost is a senior member of the dealership group and provides audit and accounting services. Scheibelhut is a member of the dealership and not-for-profit groups. Zahirovic is a member of the government services and dealership groups.

 

 

Architecture and engineering

Chambersburg-based Noelker and Hull Associates Inc. named Laura W. Dunbar a project architect. She will provide architectural planning and design.

Johnstown-based H.F. Lenz Co., which has a Lancaster office, named Nathaniel T. Simonton a principal. He is an electrical engineer and will be responsible for construction documents, quality assurance, construction administration and commissioning of electrical systems.

Associations

Susquehanna Township-based Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators named Sherri Smith executive director, effective Oct. 1. She will build programs, services and supports and advocate for public education and students.

Education

Lancaster-based Pennsylvania College of Art & Design elected Russell D. Urban chair and James Warner vice chair of the board of trustees. Isaiah Servance Jr., Jolene Tolbert and Pam Barby were elected board members. Urban is CEO and Principal at Electra America Hospitality Group. Warner is president of Practical Waste Solutions. Servance is director of wealth management compliance at Morgan Stanley. Tolbert is a philanthropic leader. Barby is chair of the college’s graphic design department.

Law

Jonathan W. Cox

Philadelphia-based Weber Gallagher elected Lucas J. Csovelak a partner in the Harrisburg office. He focuses his practice on defending employers, insurance companies and third-party administrators in workers’ compensation matters in Central Pennsylvania.

Eckert Seamans named Laura B. Kurtz and Jonathan W. Cox co-chairs of the public finance practice in the Harrisburg office. Kurtz has been bond and note counsel in financings involving Pennsylvania counties, municipalities and school districts. Cox has been bond counsel to school districts, municipalities, municipal authorities and industrial development authorities. Michael McAuliffe Miller will lead the Harrisburg office. He practices in management-side employment and labor law.

 

Nonprofits

York County Community Foundation named Meredith Schreffler vice president of finance and operations. She will be accountable for business strategy, sound financial and investment management and effective operations.

Harrisburg Symphony Association named Carole DeSoto, Paul Grego and Linda R. Pheasant board members. DeSoto is an arts advocate, community volunteer and president of the Harrisburg Symphony Society. Grego is vice president and investment adviser with PNC Private Bank. Pheasant is an arts advocate and community volunteer.

Senior care

Camp Hill-based United Church of Christ Homes named Lori L. Dierolf vice president of human resources. She is also president and owner of Open Door Training and Development.

Newsmakers: RKL, Orrstown Financial Services, Lancaster Chamber and more

Tricia Springer, Sean Braddock, Matthew Haar, Jonathan Hollinger, Jennifer Warner Hayman and Heather Valdés. PHOTOS/PROVIDED

Accounting
Manheim Township-based RKL LLP named Daniel J. Nickischer leader of the small business services group. He is a partner and certified public accountant and will also direct quality control, client service and workforce development efforts.
 

Architecture and engineering
Upper Macungie Township, Lehigh County-based Barry Isett & Associates Inc. named Sean Braddock a code specialist in the Capital Region office in Hampden Township. He has 15 years of experience in construction and 12 years of experience as an electrician. 

Jennifer Warner Hayman, P.E., ENV SP, Project Manager – Traffic/ITS, from Michael Baker International’s Harrisburg office, named to the Institute of Transportation Engineers’ (ITE) 2022 class of Young Leaders to Follow. 

Associations
Harrisburg-based Pennsylvania Bar Association named Matthew M. Haar unit county governor with its board of governors. He is managing partner of the Harrisburg office of Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr LLP.
 

Banking and finance
Jonestown Bank & Trust Co. elected Jonathan Hollinger and Sina Patel board members. Hollinger is CEO and president of Pleasant View Communities. He is a certified public accountant. Patel is vice president of Jay Guruji, Inc. and a certified notary public. Tyler March was named branch manager for the Robesonia, Berks County, location. She has more than 20 years of experience and was branch manager at Members 1st Federal Credit Union.
 

Millersburg-based Mid Penn Bancorp Inc. named Allison Johnson senior executive vice president and CFO. Most recently, she was CFO of Spirit of Texas Bank. Mid Penn Bank named Justin Manning senior vice president and regional president of its Lancaster region. He will deliver commercial, treasury, insurance and wealth services to the region. Jordan Space was named executive vice president and chief corporate development officer. He will help establish new lines of business, including establishing a private bank. Most recently, he was market president of S&T Bank’s Eastern Pennsylvania market.
 

Shippensburg-based Orrstown Financial Services Inc. named Adam D. Bonanno executive vice president and chief operations and technology officer. He will lead technology and operations functions, define and build digitization efforts and be responsible for facilities management. Most recently, he was chief digital officer at Bryn Maws Trust Co.
 

New York City-based Summit Trail Advisors named Brady Barnes vice president and relationship manager in the Harrisburg office. He will serve the ultra-high net worth community in Central Pennsylvania and the mid-Atlantic markets. 

Economic development
Lancaster Chamber named Heather Valdés president and CEO. Most recently, she was the chamber’s vice president.
  

Education
Carlisle-based Dickinson College named Vincent Champion vice president and general counsel. He is owner and lead attorney of Champion Law Office LLC and represents educational institutions, nonprofits and small- and medium-sized businesses.
 

Elizabethtown College named Brian Falck vice president for institutional advancement. David Bridgeman, the former vice president for institutional advancement, will retire and become a part-time senior adviser to the president for donor relations.
 

Health care
East Pennsboro Township-based United Concordia Dental named Dr. Edward Sheller president. He has 30 years of clinical and leadership experience in the dental industry, and most recently was chief dental officer for Carestream Dental. 

Law
Philadelphia-based Stevens & Lee named Sean P. Delaney an attorney in the real estate department. He has two decades of experience in real estate law and represents owners, developers, lenders, investors and private equity funds. Veronica L. Morrison was named an attorney in the litigation department. She focuses her practice in construction law and assists clients with commercial, real estate and environmental litigation issues. Delaney and Morrison will work in the Harrisburg office.
 

Eckert Seamans named Michael McAuliffe Miller member-in-charge of its Harrisburg office. He concentrates his practice exclusively on management-side employment and labor law. Tricia S. Springer and Susan A. Yocum were named members in its Harrisburg office. Springer concentrates her practice in labor and employment matters, administrative law and civil litigation. Yocum focuses her practice in hospitality, municipal and employment law.
 

 Harrisburg-based McNees Wallace & Unbrick LLC named Terry Bossert part-time of counsel in the energy and environmental law group. He is also general counsel to the Marcellus Shale Coalition and has four decades of experience in environmental and energy law. 

Nonprofits
 Harrisburg-based Goodwill Keystone Area named Andrew Gackenbach chief production officer. He will oversee retail stores and donation centers in 22 central and southeastern Pennsylvania counties, along with ecommerce and warehouse logistics. He was vice president of retail and business development at Goodwill of Southern Nevada. 

Real estate
Lower Allen Township-based Lee & Associates of Eastern Pennsylvania named Mark Christine senior portfolio manager for the asset services team. He will focus on growing the asset services platform in Central Pennsylvania and northern Maryland. He has more than 27 years of commercial real estate experience  

Utilities
The York Water Co. named Paul R. Bonney a board member. He is an energy industry consultant and adjunct professor of business strategy, energy and sustainability at Clemson University.  

 

Compiled by Amy DiNunzio 

York County engineering firm acquires fellow woman-owned business 

Dillsburg, York County-based NTM Engineering announced this week that it has completed an acquisition with a woman-owned environmental consulting firm in Delaware County. 

NTM, a women-owned small business established in 2006, is a civil engineering firm employing over 60 professionals. The company has expanded its footprint with the acquisition of Wayne-based Lotus Environmental Consulting. 

Lotus specializes in environmental investigations and regulatory compliance services. As part of the acquisition, Lotus employees will join NTM. Future Lotus contracts will be under the NTM name. 

“Lotus’s experience and regional knowledge is an asset to our clients,” said Donna Newell, president of NTM. “We are confident that this acquisition will lead to a natural progression of continued services and growth. NTM is excited to have an environmental division, with Kate Farrow leading as director of environmental services.” 

Katherine Farrow, president and founder of Lotus, said that the combination of the two companies is not only a marriage of services but also of cultures. 

“By joining forces, we are certain that our teams will combine to provide an expansion of services and a quality standard of work that both teams are synonymous for providing to our clients,” said Farrow. 

Sowinski Sullivan’s central Pa. office acquired by KCI Technologies 

The Harrisburg office of Sowinski Sullivan, a transit architectural and engineering firm, has been acquired by KCI Technologies Inc. 

A multidisciplined engineering firm with more than 60 offices across the country, KCI Technologies will use Sowinski Sullivan’s expertise in planning and designing transportation facilities to further expand its transit practice. 

Sowinski Sullivan opened its Harrisburg branch in 2013 and has done work for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission and South Central Transit Authority, among other clients. 

Its recent designs include the Schuylkill Transportation System’s bus operations and maintenance facility, Amtrak’s Middletown Station and pedestrian overpass, the Berks Area Regional Transportation Authority’s bus storage facility and rabbittransit’s King Street bus transfer station. 

Sowinski Sullivan’s Harrisburg personnel will begin operating in KCI’s Mechanicsburg office as part of its transit practice. 

“I am pleased to welcome this experienced team of professionals to KCI and look forward to capitalizing on their strengths to expand our services to transportation clients in the region,” KCI Senior Vice President Barry Schoch said in a release. “By joining forces, we can explore a broader range of opportunities that will contribute to KCI’s growth in mass transit.” 

A Conversation With: Clayton Bubeck, president and CEO of RETTEW 

How have your many leadership roles at RETTEW prepared you to add CEO to your title? This has been in the works for some time, correct? 

In every leadership role I’ve held at RETTEW , I’ve learned something new – about the company and the industry, about our clients and our employees, and even about myself. But the biggest thing I’ve learned is the ability to empathize with people, regardless of what role you’re in. I’ve represented RETTEW at municipal meetings, run project teams, and led new divisions – all experiences that allowed me to realize that personal interactions in our business are just as important as technical expertise. Having worked for and with people at all levels of my career, I feel prepared to lead the company in new and exciting directions. 

How would you describe yourself as a leader? 

I’ve taken a lot of leadership courses in my career, so I am familiar with the most common styles of leadership. I think I’m a good mix of a few, but the one that describes me the best is Coach. I thrive in a team environment, collaborating with others and motivating them to be their best. This is so important when leading a 100% ESOP company as you want all your employee-owners to feel valued and understand they have a stake in the company’s future. 

Where is RETTEW today as a company? As you take on this new role, where can you see the company expand? 

I am taking on the role of CEO at an extremely dynamic time in our company’s history. As a team, we recently embarked on a new strategic plan, which involves rethinking our focus markets, modifying our corporate structure, and emboldening our company culture in the wake of the COVID pandemic. We are already seeing dramatic and positive shifts in all of these important areas. As these changes take root and begin to grow, I firmly believe RETTEW is poised for further success for another 50-plus years. 

What sort of education is required of a leader that manages as many services in as many markets as RETTEW? 

You can have all the degrees in the world, but at the end of the day, I believe the aptitude to lead comes from experience and empathy for others. As a leader evolves, their knowledge and intuition improve. During any given day, I may be called upon to discuss a merger or acquisition, then lead a financial accounting discussion, and later focus on developing strategic planning metrics to measure the outcomes of those plans, and so on. It is a lot to juggle, but I am fortunate to be surrounded by an impressive team at RETTEW. I am consistently amazed and proud of what I learn from the solutions our employee-owners design and engineer. 

What about the industry today excites you? 

As someone who is always looking for opportunities, I am excited about the infinite opportunities in front of us as the AEC industry evolves. Sustainability is becoming one of the most recognized trends in the industry for good reason. This focus on making the most of every resource is leading to innovative projects and opportunities we never imagined 10 or 20 years ago. 

The evolution of technology is also making way for an exciting future. Projects are becoming safer and more efficient around every corner. For instance, RETTEW created a robotic surveying device combining multiple technologies to help our surveyors navigate and gather information in dangerous areas. 

Finally, I’m excited to see the influx of new generations entering the industry. For the longest time, there was a shortage of college graduates entering STEM fields, but we are starting to see this change. New, diverse faces are bringing fresh ideas to our industry and I’m eager to see how things evolve. 

About Clayton Bubeck 

Bubeck joined RETTEW in 2000 as an environmental engineer and has held many leadership positions, eventually advancing to president in 2019 and taking on the additional role of CEO in 2022.  

He is a Professional Engineer licensed in 28 states and has a diverse background in environmental engineering, oil and gas, and renewable energy services.   

Bubeck’s team-oriented leadership style and proven track record of business development has helped evolve RETTEW from a mid-Atlantic firm to one now developing and delivering services throughout the United States.  

His expertise drives the company’s aggressive growth strategies in its focus markets.  

Bubeck is always at the forefront of relevant market trends and is a leader in strategic discussions with both in-house staff and key clients and partners.  He is a graduate of the American Council of Engineering Companies’ Senior Executive Institute and received a certificate from the Wharton School of Executive Education.