Culture

Charles Keefer Joins Farnsworth Group as a Principal, Bringing an Enhanced Focus on Project Management

Farnsworth Group — Wed, 10 Jan 2024 15:23:25 +0000

Charles Keefer Joins Farnsworth Group as a Principal, Bringing an Enhanced Focus on Project Management Farnsworth Group Jan 10, 2024 / 9:23 am Culture

Bloomington, Illinois – Farnsworth Group, a national engineering, architecture, and survey firm, is pleased to announce the hiring of Charles Keefer, AIA, NCARB, as a Principal of the firm. Keefer will assume responsibility to further advance the firm’s collective focus of achieving successful projects through careful planning, effective communication, efficient execution, and collaborative teamwork.

Keefer is a licensed architect with over 20 years of experience leading multi-disciplined engineering and architecture project teams. He graduated from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, earning a Bachelor of Architecture degree. He later obtained an MBA from the University of Charleston. Throughout his career, Charles has served in multiple roles guiding multi-discipline project teams while developing best practices and programs for project management and execution.

"I am excited to take on this role with Farnsworth Group to enhance our focus on project management and ensure we are delivering projects of exceptional quality and value to our clients,” said Keefer. “The firm has a strong foundation and commitment to project management guidelines and training programs, and I see this as an opportunity to take our processes to the next level.”

Karen Jensen, President & CEO, adds, “I am thrilled to add Charles to our fantastic team here at Farnsworth Group. He brings a passion for all things project management, and I believe his energy and fresh ideas will propel us to perform even better, collaborate more efficiently, and delight our clients with exceptional projects.”

Farnsworth Group Acquires Colorado-Based Sterling Design Associates

Farnsworth Group — Thu, 05 Oct 2023 14:58:17 +0000

Farnsworth Group Acquires Colorado-Based Sterling Design Associates Farnsworth Group Oct 5, 2023 / 9:58 am Culture

BLOOMINGTON, IL … October 5, 2023 … Farnsworth Group, a national full-service engineering, architecture, and survey firm, announced today that it has acquired Sterling Design Associates (SDA), a 7-person planning, civil engineering, and landscape architecture firm located in Littleton, CO.

The addition of Sterling Design will further complement Farnsworth Group’s civil engineering and planning capabilities in Colorado and introduce landscape architecture to its full-service disciplines in the Western region.

“Sterling Design aligns seamlessly with Farnsworth Group’s mission and culture, and we eagerly anticipate the integration of this top talent joining our team,” said Farnsworth Group President & CEO Karen Jensen, PE. “Their track record of delivering exceptional client service, their experienced design team, and their unwavering commitment to a ‘client-first’ philosophy are all qualities that resonate closely with Farnsworth Group.”

Sterling Design was established in 1998 and claims a client mix that includes commercial retail centers, restaurants, office/warehouse projects, K-12 education, as well as urban redevelopment, parks and recreation facilities, and military base campus projects. With the resources of Farnsworth Group, Sterling Design will be able to offer its clients a full spectrum of engineering and architectural services while Farnsworth Group benefits from Sterling’s expanded capabilities.

“We believe this partnership is a natural fit due to Farnsworth Group's renowned surveying expertise and architecture in Denver, seamlessly complementing our civil and landscape architecture services within the Denver community,” said Wayne Sterling, Sterling Design Associates founder, owner and principal. “We highly value the growth opportunities it presents for our existing team members, and we're confident that the unique skills brought by our seven professionals will make an immediate impact at Farnsworth Group.”

Sterling Design will assume the Farnsworth Group name and brand, with employees relocating to the Company’s Denver office location in the Denver Tech Center.

Farnsworth Group Announces New Principals

Farnsworth Group — Tue, 12 Sep 2023 17:58:09 +0000

Farnsworth Group Announces New Principals Farnsworth Group Sep 12, 2023 / 12:58 pm Culture

Farnsworth Group is thrilled to announce the appointment of four exceptional individuals to the position of Principal within our organization.

These individuals embody Farnsworth Group as they have demonstrated a commitment to advancing our mission, representing our core values, enhancing our "people, passion, and performance" identity, and so much more.

Please join us in recognizing Scott Janssen (St. Louis, MO), Amanda Occhi (Colorado Springs, CO), Bob Ridgway (Waukee, IA), and Ryan Uebinger (Champaign, IL) for their accomplishments and leadership in the Company now and in the future.

Scott Janssen

Scott Janssen, PE

Scott joined Farnsworth Group in 2012 and serves as Senior Engineering Manager in the Energy & Utilities Telecom section. He is located in the St. Louis, MO, office. Scott has over 20 years of experience in engineering and management capacities, including Project Engineer and Project Manager. He also helped launch an Employee Development Program in the St. Louis office as a way to build camaraderie and expand personal development. Scott is a licensed Professional Engineer and earned a BS in Civil Engineering from Valparaiso University.

Bob Ridgway

Bob Ridgway, AIA, NCARB

Bob is an Architecture Principal and serves as Center Manager for the Waukee, IA, office. Bob joined Farnsworth Group as part of the Company’s acquisition of Design Alliance in 2019. He has more than 35 years of experience and involvement in all levels of project execution and management, successfully leading full-service project teams and subconsultants. Through his experience and client skills, Bob has developed and continues to build successful client relationships throughout the Midwest in a variety of markets including education, municipal, and state government markets. He is especially passionate about municipal public service projects that are key to keeping our communities safe. Bob is a licensed professional architect in Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota and earned a BS in Architecture from the University of Nebraska.

Amanda Occhi

Amanda Occhi, PE

Amanda joined Farnsworth Group in 2015 and currently serves as Regional Senior Engineering Manager, responsible for the Western region electrical section. She also serves as Center Manager for the Colorado Springs, CO, office and is a member of the Farnsworth Group Board of Directors, elected to her first term in 2022. Upon joining Farnsworth Group, Amanda successfully created unified electrical design standards and built relationships between the Colorado and Midwest electrical offices. She also has been instrumental in expanding Farnsworth Group’s healthcare presence in Colorado. She has more than 20 years of experience in healthcare, education, municipal, and hospitality electrical engineering design, as well as peer reviews, master planning, site investigations, facility condition assessments, and construction administration. Amanda earned an MBA from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs and a BS in Electrical Engineering from Louisiana State University. She is a Professional Engineer and LEED Accredited Professional, BD+C.

Ryan Uebinger

Ryan Uebinger, PE

Ryan is a Senior Engineering Manager in Farnsworth Group’s Transportation group, offering 24 years of transportation engineering experience. He joined Farnsworth Group in 2014 and is located in the Champaign, IL, office, where he leads the Champaign Transportation section. Ryan has been a key contributor to Farnsworth Group’s success in the transportation market, serving as a valuable resource and trusted advisor to municipalities throughout Illinois and a leader on transportation projects throughout the state. His experience also includes project management for utility-scale wind energy projects, working with renewable energy companies and local road authorities, providing civil and transportation design solutions to implement and construct projects. Ryan is a licensed Professional Engineer and earned a BS in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He is a member of the American Council of Engineering Companies of Illinois and currently serves on the IDOT and Construction Committees.

Jeremy Nolen Joins Farnsworth Group Bringing Expertise in Renewable Energy

Farnsworth Group — Tue, 30 May 2023 18:25:21 +0000

Jeremy Nolen Joins Farnsworth Group Bringing Expertise in Renewable Energy Farnsworth Group May 30, 2023 / 1:25 pm Culture

Farnsworth Group is pleased to announce the hiring of Jeremy Nolen as Director of Business Development with a focus on Renewable Energy. Nolen will be responsible for driving business growth and developing relationships with clients as they make the transition to electrification and clean energy sources.

Nolen brings nearly a decade of experience in the renewable energy industry to Farnsworth Group. Most recently, he served as Project Executive for EnergyLink, where he developed renewable energy projects including solar, wind, battery storage, and EV charging stations.

"I am excited to be joining Farnsworth Group and look forward to helping the firm further its commitment to renewable energy," said Nolen. "I have always been passionate about the renewable energy industry and am eager to help Farnsworth Group continue to grow and innovate in this space."

Mike Wolf, Vice President of Business Development, adds, "Nationwide, sustainability and electrification are reshaping design practices for buildings, infrastructure, and energy. Bringing Jeremy to the Farnsworth Group team gives our clients another key resource to navigate funding opportunities, new projects, and how to make their investment have the biggest impact. The skills and experience Jeremy have are the perfect complement to our strong engineering and architectural capabilities. “

Farnsworth Group Ranks #213 on the ENR Top 500 Design Firms

stacyc — Mon, 01 May 2023 19:44:02 +0000

Farnsworth Group Ranks #213 on the ENR Top 500 Design Firms stacyc May 1, 2023 / 2:44 pm Culture

Continued growth in 2022 fueled Farnsworth Group’s move up seven places to No. 213 on Engineering News-Record's (ENR) ranking of the Top 500 Design Firms for 2023. The ENR Top 500 recognizes the top-performing design firms in the United States, based on revenue earned from design services in the previous year. Farnsworth Group ranked No. 220 in 2022.

ENR's annual list is highly regarded in the industry and serves as a benchmark for the performance of design firms across the country.

“This ranking reflects the hard work and dedication of our talented team, as well as our unwavering commitment to providing exceptional service to our clients,” said Karen Jensen, PE, President and CEO of Farnsworth Group. “Last year the firm pursued new markets, expanded its service offerings, and utilized the resources of our national team of experts as we worked to fulfill our mission of advancing our communities and contributing to the success of our clients. We are looking forward to and are well positioned for the upcoming year, and our team is excited about the opportunities ahead.”

Farnsworth Group saw growth in several key areas during 2022 including healthcare, advanced manufacturing, renewables, and infrastructure.

Farnsworth Group is an employee-owned full-service engineering, architecture, and survey firm offering clients more than 500 professionals located throughout a nationwide network of offices. Founded in 1890, Farnsworth Group delivers professional service and design solutions to a wide variety of clients and markets, from small and local governments to some of the nation’s most recognized brands.

Pluff Joins Farnsworth Group to Lead National Grants Program

Farnsworth Group — Mon, 13 Feb 2023 21:25:18 +0000

Pluff Joins Farnsworth Group to Lead National Grants Program Farnsworth Group Feb 13, 2023 / 3:25 pm Culture

Farnsworth Group announced that Julia Pluff, F.SAME, has joined the Company to serve as Director of Business Development with a focus on leading its national grants program. Pluff will be based in the firm’s St. Louis, MO, office.

Pluff comes to Farnsworth Group with 14 years of business development and recruiting experience in the Architecture/Engineering/Construction (AEC) industry. Most recently, Pluff served as a Business Development Representative for RTM Engineering Consultants, where her role focused in areas of federal, higher education, healthcare as well as state and local governments.

With her new position at Farnsworth Group, Pluff will focus on consolidating the Company’s grants program by locating and matching appropriate grant opportunities to client needs.

“I have known of Farnsworth Group for 12 years, and the respect I have for the people that work here and the work they do, is what drew me to the Company,” Pluff said.

Mike Wolf, Vice President, Business Development and Marketing, adds, "Julia is not only a familiar face to many of us who have worked with her over the last decade but brings a wealth of business development knowledge to our team. Her role is an exciting "first" for us - to have someone providing leadership to our grants program, focusing on strategies to bring money to our clients, working with our project managers across our markets - all with a healthy amount of client interaction."

Pluff earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Economics from Southern Illinois University – Carbondale. She holds a Fellow award within the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME) to honor her service and dedication to the organization.

Q&A with Roger Nuxoll, PLS, EIT

Farnsworth Group — Tue, 01 Nov 2022 17:01:17 +0000

Q&A with Roger Nuxoll, PLS, EIT Farnsworth Group Nov 1, 2022 / 12:01 pm Culture

Continuing in our People, Passion, and Performance series, we recently spoke with Roger Nuxoll, PLS, EIT, who serves as a Senior Land Surveyor for our Effingham, IL office.

Quick Facts about Roger

Outside of work, Roger enjoys camping and horseback trail riding.
Top destination on must-visit list: Glacier National Park in Montana.
Roger graduated with a BS in Civil Engineering at Southern Illinois University - Carbondale.

What’s great about Farnsworth Group? The people at Farnsworth Group make the company great. Farnsworth Group has a vast source of knowledge with the people that work here and it’s important to utilize that to our advantage. What I have learned over the past 8 years, is that if I don’t know how to do it, someone here does, and that person probably specializes in that field.

How has technology influenced your career? Practicing in both land surveying and civil engineering fields, I am exposed to a lot of different technologies. When I graduated college there was a large shift in surveying due to GPS, satellite capabilities, and equipment getting more advanced. The introduction of VRS into the state plane coordinate system made a major impact on the surveying world. Allowing surveyors across states to work in a known coordinate system more easily has really progressed the field of surveying in my opinion. The biggest influence in civil engineering was the introduction of AutoCAD Civil3D. I use Civil3D for civil engineering and land surveying, the software has come a long way from the Autoland Desktop that I first learned from.

In your opinion, what takes an architecture, engineering, or survey project from good, to great? Any project can go from good to great when you see the final impact it has or will have in the end on the client or community. Big or small, I get the same gratification knowing I helped a person or community make their life or future better.

Talk about a favorite boss or mentor and why you liked them. Did they have a single quality that you appreciated? At Farnsworth Group, my two greatest mentors have been Andy Hanfland and Wes Meyers. I have learned a great deal in both fields with their guidance, Andy in the civil engineering field and Wes in the land surveying field. Andy’s single quality is he will just get it done and done correctly, he’s the closer with the clients. Wes’s single quality that I truly appreciate, is his wealth of land surveying knowledge, he will be missed with retirement.

Talk about your team. I’ll give a shout-out to the complete Effingham office. Andy Hanfland, Anthony Jansen, and Ryan Staley. Most of the company probably doesn’t realize that there are only four people that make up the Effingham office and we put out a lot of production on the work scale. We owe a lot to our great clients, and we are thankful for all the opportunities we have been given.

What was your favorite toy as a kid?
I had a Rural King Ranch set where you could set up your barns, fences, cattle, and horses. I played with that a lot.

What’s your favorite indulgent food?
Rib-eye or New York Strip doesn’t matter what size, if you put it in front of me it will be handled.

Who has influenced you most when it comes to how you approach your work?
My father and mother raised 7 wild country kids all of whom graduated college in either engineering, nursing, business, or finance.

When you were growing up, what was your dream profession?
Training horses would have been the dream, but civil engineering was a close second. I found land surveying through civil engineering and because of a great surveyor named Roy Frank at SIUC.

If you could only have three apps on your smartphone, which would you pick?
Google Earth/Maps, Music, Accuweather

Fast food chain - if you’re going to go somewhere fast, what’s your preference and order?
Wendy’s or Arby’s, Double cheeseburger or classic beef and cheddar.

Are you an early-bird or a night-owl?
Both, I have a 5-month-old right now. Usually, I’m an early bird but don’t tempt me with a good time, I’ll have you out all night as well.

What’s one of your favorite memories from the past year?
Getting married to my wife Brittany and having our little girl Madilynn.

What trend do you hope makes a comeback?
Mullets have come back, although I never had one, I see little country kids running around with cowboy hats and mullets and it makes me laugh.

Q&A with Jared Heller

Farnsworth Group — Wed, 16 Mar 2022 16:24:32 +0000

Q&A with Jared Heller Farnsworth Group Mar 16, 2022 / 11:24 am Culture

Continuing in our People, Passion, and Performance series, we recently spoke with Jared Heller, AIA, who serves as a Senior Architect for our Belleville, IL office.

Quick Facts about Jared

Outside of work, Jared enjoys hanging out with his children and girlfriend, camping, canoeing, hunting, fishing, and shooting.
Jared has been with Farnsworth Group for four years after 12 years with a firm acquired by Farnsworth Group.
Jared got his Associate of Art in Art at Southwestern Illinois College, and a Bachelor of Architecture at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

How has technology influenced your career? I have seen the architecture industry and its advances greatly change over the years, from my beginnings with hand drafting, to AutoCAD, and now Revit. I have had to greatly adapt the processes of architecture over the years. I joke with staff that we used to fax addendums to contractors!

Jared inside the Illinois State Capitol.

Talk about some of your career milestones or achievements. My career milestones are the projects I have worked on over the years. Having 25 years of projects in the St. Louis Metro East area, I can drive any direction and see a project I worked on. Each one represents a moment in time personally and professionally in my life. Certain projects remind me of the birth of my children, the group of people I was hanging out with at the time, or simply what songs were popular that year!

What inspired you to pursue architecture? I grew up in Red Bud, Illinois. Living in a small community and having family and friends who are tradespersons and farmers taught me a lot about construction and how to come up with solutions to everyday issues, also known as “design.” This led me to pursue a career in architecture.

Fred Easton Making a Difference with IRWA

Farnsworth Group — Mon, 10 Jan 2022 23:01:39 +0000

Fred Easton Making a Difference with IRWA Farnsworth Group Jan 10, 2022 / 5:01 pm Culture

Fred Easton, PLS, SR/WA, R/W-AMC, a land surveying manager for Farnsworth Group, contributed the cover story "Once in a Generation Infrastructure Funding; Breaking Down the US Infrastructure Bill" for the January issue of Right of Way magazine, a publication of the International Right of Way Association (IRWA). Easton is a long-time employee having served multiple roles at Farnsworth Group over his 21 years. He is also a previous recipient of the IRWA’s Balfour Award and has over 28 years of experience in the surveying and right of way industry.

His cover story provides an overview on the once-in-a-generation $1.2 trillion funding increase for infrastructure across the country, which will increase funding for the design and construction of infrastructure projects. He provides a breakdown of the allocation of new funding, where the money will be distributed by sector, and how it relates to the current state of infrastructure safety.

Easton has been very involved and provided recognized leadership to IRWA for 13 years, including his current position as International Treasurer. As International Treasurer, Easton serves on the International Executive Council (IEC) responsible for managing finances, human resources, strategic direction and providing leadership on all issues - both big and small, as well as engaging Chapters and members within. As a member of the IEC and on previous task forces Easton has been a driving force in education reform, investment management, strategic planning, and creating sustainable growth for the association.

Now, as a candidate for International Vice President of IRWA, Easton, “recognizes the excellent progress already made, yet continues to strive for growth in education and marketing.” If elected, some of his goals include:

Working with regional vice and education chairs to increase offerings to members and customers
Developing a complete education asset management plan
Improving course marketing and advertising
Developing, and maintaining a distribution list that is not limited to IRWA membership
Partnering with other organizations to cross advertise
Simplifying the website so all course offerings can easily be accessed

Q&A with Vance Jordan

Farnsworth Group — Thu, 06 Jan 2022 17:05:26 +0000

Q&A with Vance Jordan Farnsworth Group Jan 6, 2022 / 11:05 am Culture

Continuing in our People, Passion, and Performance series, we recently spoke with Vance Jordan, EIT, who serves as an Engineer Associate for our Peoria, IL office.

Quick Facts about VANCE

Outside of work, Vance raises two beautiful daughters and teaches himself how to tailor clothes. Tailoring is his prerequisite to designing fashion.
Vance enjoys watching the Carolina Panthers because he is a Cam Newton fan. To Vance, Cam seems like a guy who likes to dance as much as he does.
Vance’s hobbies include reading, video games, and investing in the stock market.

What’s great about Farnsworth Group? There is such a reward in helping others and there are many people who have places to live, work, and rest because of the buildings that we have designed. I also think it is great how we are philanthropic at our core.

Vance and his daughter riding a horse.

How has technology influenced your career? Funny story: one of my college professors instructed us on how to make certain calculations for a homework assignment that ended up being quite a lengthy process. I felt like such an accomplished engineering student when I turned in the 8-page homework assignment. When we all turned in our assignments, he grabbed the large stack of papers with a smirk; then he proceeded to show us how to do the same homework assignment using a method that fit on one sheet of paper. We students all collectively sighed. Now that I work in the engineering field, I use software programs that run calculations that save me from long hand calculations.

Talk about a favorite boss or mentor and why you liked them. Did they have a single quality that you appreciated? I was fortunate to have Ed Barry as a mentor for the year of 2021. I grew and learned so much during his time of mentorship. I admire how Ed genuinely wants to see people do well and is willing to help, both locally and overseas. I also admire my supervisor, Dustin Rhoades. He is the most humble, straight-shooter leader I have ever had. He has the stuff they don’t teach in schools.

Vance leading a tour of young students.