As we move from 2017 to 2018, it’s an opportunity to look at what Reid Middleton has done and where we are going. 2017 had some highlights and milestones for Reid Middleton.
Response, Recovery, and Reconnaissance
One most notable was our response to the Central Mexico Earthquake in September. Under the leadership of Dave Swanson, we funded two teams to be on site for almost two weeks to perform safety assessments. For more on our efforts in Mexico please see our blogs from September 25 to October 6. Much of the recovery in Mexico was conducted by volunteers, and it was gratifying to see their willingness to help, and also the willingness of our own staff to volunteer time and effort – both those that were on-site and those that remained behind taking care of the project responsibilities for those that left. We have given several presentations on our findings, and if you or your organization are interested in a luncheon or half- day presentation, just let us know and we’d be happy to share the lessons we learned.
Federal Contract Success for a Small Business
Another milestone for Reid Middleton was our success with bringing in regional and national federal contracts. Reid Middleton has had offices in Washington, Alaska, Hawaii, and California for several years, and has held federal contracts or has been a subconsultant on client contracts that were focused in those regions. 2017 saw us included as a subconsultant on several nationwide contracts as well as winning several federal contracts as a prime covering the entire western region for the Air Force along with two nationwide contracts for the Coast Guard. As a federal small business we help our clients meet small business participation goals with great expertise in structural and civil engineering and surveying.
Passing the Torch
One of Reid Middleton’s foundational elements is to be an enduring company. We are in our fourth generation of leadership, and fully intend to develop and pass along the reigns to the fifth generation. This year several key people retired, people who have contributed significantly to Reid Middleton’s success as an enduring company, including Reinhart Jung, Hugh Kuyper, Diana Badowski, and Mike Creeden. Each of them helped to mentor and train the next generation of employees and, although they have stopped formally coming to the office on a regular basis, they all remain a resource for the company and continue to assist on specific projects and assignments. As we slowly said good bye to Reinhart, Hugh, Diana, and Mike, we also celebrated the promotion of some of our talented staff to new roles. Julian Dodge was promoted to Director of our Civil Projects Group, Paul Crocker and Corbin Hammer were promoted to Principal Structural Engineers, and Ben Llanes was promoted to Marketing Manager. We look forward to the growth and guidance their leadership will bring to the firm.
A Bright Future
2018 looks bright for Reid Middleton. We anticipate continued growth in our business, but also continued growth in our expertise and services we can provide to our clients. We hope 2018 is a successful year for all of you.