Thomas Farmer Named Chief People Officer

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Thomas FarmerThomas Farmar has been named Chief People Officer at Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc. (HRG).  He will be an integral part of the executive leadership team, reporting directly to the firm’s President and Chief Executive Officer, Jason Fralick.

“HRG is strategically evolving our services to meet the changing needs of our clients and expanding into new markets to fuel our steady history of growth,” Fralick says. “Our ability to hire, develop, and retain the right people is crucial to our continued success as an employee-owned firm, and Tom will play an invaluable role. He is a strategic thinker who can anticipate future talent requirements associated with our business objectives and reinforce our strong people-centric culture to meet that need.” Farmar will focus on strengthening the firm’s talent acquisition and development practices, enhancing employee engagement, and fostering an environment that supports individual and organizational growth.

He has more than 25 years of leadership experience in human resources, spanning the engineering, technology, and retail sectors.  He also has a proven track record of developing scalable HR functions, aligning talent with business strategies, and cultivating inclusive and high-performing workplace cultures. His expertise spans talent strategy, organizational development, employee engagement, leadership coaching, mergers and acquisitions, and benefits integration.

New Certification Program for Agricultural Conservation Professionals Launched with Penn State University

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In January 2024, Penn State University announced a partnership with HRG to establish a new certification program for agricultural conservation professionals, provide training, and supervise the certified individuals for the installation of projects statewide.

Today, the university announced it is officially launching the certification program, known as the Practice Approval System. The system was developed by the Penn State Conservation Commission in partnership with the Center for  Agricultural Conservation Assistance Training, administered by Penn State Extension. As the article linked below explains, it “allows conservation district employees to design, review and approve conservation practices funded through the Agriculture Conservation Assistance Program, or ACAP, that do not require certification by a registered professional engineer. Conservation professionals instead can work directly with farmers, reducing bottlenecks and moving projects forward more quickly.”

We’re excited to be a part of the team bringing this program to life and look forward to seeing the impact the certified professionals make on soil and water health in Pennsylvania! Click on the link below to read more about the program.

A fence keeps cattle in the field and out of the stream

PSU.EDU
New Certification Program Expands Conservation Capacity in Pennsylvania (open link in new window)

Mercer County Bridge Featured by Short Span Steel Bridge Alliance

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Hot-dip galvanized steel delivered a quick bridge replacement with superior long-term performance for Mercer County, as featured in a recent case study on the Short Span Steel Bridge Alliance website.  HRG assisted with the design and permitting for this bridge, and construction was completed in January 2024.  The existing 85-foot long bridge was weight-restricted, and Mercer County wanted to replace it before the bridge had to be closed altogether.

HRG’s team chose structural steel for the new bridge superstructure for a number of reasons: The existing bridge abutments were being reused, and structural steel would help us match the weight of the existing bridge sitting on the abutments.  It would also help us avoid increasing the overall height of the beams and deck.  This was important because our hydraulic analysis had indicated an increase in the overall depth would have required a joint permit between the PA Department of Environmental Protection and the Army Corps of Engineers, which would’ve increased the timeline of the project.

Hot dip galvanizing the steel provides a longer service life than simply painting the steel.  It has excellent corrosion protection and is a low-maintenance, long-lasting solution. The bridge was fabricated by Quality Bridge & Fab, Inc., and V&S Galvanizing galvanized the steel elements.  Horizon Construction Group served as contractor.

You can read more about the project on the Short Span Steel Bridge Alliance website by clicking on the linked photo below:

Photo of short span steel bridge over creek with bare trees and blue skys

SHORTSPANSTEELBRIDGES.ORG
Pennsylvania County Selects Hot-Dip Galvanized Steel for Urgent Bridge Project

HRG, Bentley Systems to Implement Digital Twin Software for Water Systems throughout Mid-Atlantic U.S.

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Read more

Ridgway Riverfront Master Plan Wins Honor Award from PA-DE ASLA

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Recently, two of our landscape architects: Tracy Strickland and Jennie Ryan-Gisewhite, RLA, accepted an award on HRG’s behalf for the Ridgway Riverfront Master Site Plan we developed last year. The project received the Honor Award for analysis and planning from the Pennsylvania-Delaware Chapter, American Society of Landscape Architects.

 

Tracy Strickland and Jennie Ryan-Gisewhite accept the Honor Award for Analysis & Planning for the Ridgway Riverfront Master Plan

 

The Borough of Ridgway is a gateway to the scenic PA Wilds. Its waterfront area has the potential to significantly improve livability for the community and attract outside visitors. We worked with the borough to develop a master plan to improve public access to the river and create new public recreational space along the waterfront.

We collected extensive input from the community and regulatory agencies via meetings and surveys to determine the most desirable uses for the space and created several design concepts. Almost the entire site is located within the floodplain, so we carefully designed the concepts to incorporate flood mitigation and reforestation. You can see the designs below. The master plan groups improvements into five phases for implementation and includes detailed cost analysis and funding strategies.

  • Click the arrows on the right and left side of the image to view the slideshow

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Thank you to PA-DE ASLA for the recognition and to everyone who worked with us on this exciting project. Thank you also to the Borough of Ridgway for the opportunity and to the community for their ideas and engagement with the process. We look forward to seeing this area develop.

Ben Gilberti Promoted to Assistant Vice President

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Ben GilbertiWe’re pleased to announce that Ben Gilberti has been promoted to assistant vice president.  He will oversee all operations and local engagement in Western Pennsylvania and Ohio.

Ben joined HRG in 2002 as an intern and most recently served as manager of the firm’s municipal and water resources group in Pittsburgh.  He is actively involved with the Town of McCandless Industrial Development Authority, the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors (PSATS), and the Allegheny League of Municipalities (ALOM).

Alex Bar Promoted to Manager of King of Prussia Water & Wastewater Group

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Alex Bar wearing a dark gray button-down shirtAlex Bar has been promoted to Water & Wastewater Group Manager in our King of Prussia office. In this role, Alex is responsible for managing local staffing, workloads and resource allocation to ensure the team continues to deliver high quality projects and superior client satisfaction.

Alex joined HRG in 2020 and most recently served as a water and wastewater team leader. He is a registered professional engineer and is certified in the condition assessment of pipelines, laterals, and manholes. He routinely assists with the design of water and sewer main replacements, pump stations, and treatment plant facilities. He is skilled at both engineering design and construction administration.

Justin Peaslee Named Morgantown Transportation Group Manager

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We’re pleased to share that Justin Peaslee was recently promoted Justin Peaslee wearing a black suit coat, white shirt, and yellow tie.to transportation group manager in our Morgantown office. In this role, he is responsible for managing staffing, workloads and resource allocation so that the Morgantown transportation team continues to deliver high quality projects and superior client satisfaction. This includes monitoring project schedules and budgets while enhancing the employee owner culture and supporting the professional growth of transportation team members.

Justin has seven years of experience at HRG and most recently served as transportation team leader.  He is a member of the American Society of Military Engineers and the American Society of Civil Engineers.

HRG Named One of the Largest Engineering Firms in Pittsburgh

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Point State Park Fountain Rehabilitation

Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc. (HRG) has again been named one of the largest engineering firms in Pittsburgh by the Pittsburgh Business Times.  We are ranked #8 in 2025, a significant jump from #25 the previous year.

HRG opened an office in Cranberry Township in 1994 and currently has almost 90 employees living and working in the Pittsburgh region.

“HRG has a great group of professionals and a loyal base of clients that continues to grow each year,” assistant vice president Jim Feath says. “Our success in this region belongs to them, and we thank them for continuing to work with us in this great city of ours!”