HRG Clients Obtain $35 Million in Latest Round of PENNVEST Funding

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HRG helped our clients obtain more than $35 million in grants and loans from the most recent round of funding announced by PENNVEST this month. More than a third of the funding PENNVEST announced is going to clients HRG helped apply to the program.

The following grant and loan recipients received application assistance from HRG:

Houtzdale Municipal Authority in Clearfield County
The authority received a $22 million loan to replace 185,000 feet of waterline and 1,200 service lines and meter pits. This project will address water loss and ensure reliability of the system. (Our State College office manager Jeff Garrigan will be presenting this project at the Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities’ Conference this September alongside Houtzdale’s plant superintendant John Gallagher. Be sure to attend this workshop for valuable advice on controlling non-revenue water loss.)

Stoneboro Borough in Mercer County
The borough received a $2.6 million loan and $2.9 million grant to install a new storage reservoir and replace 19,500 feet of waterline, fire hydrants, and service connections.

Clarion Borough in Clarion County
The borough received a $684,078 loan and $1.2 million grant to install 22 storm water inlets and 2,835 feet of corrugated metal pipe to connect with the existing conveyance system. The work will help to prevent recurrent flooding of homes and businesses.

Lower Swatara Township in Dauphin County
The township received a $5 million loan to replace a 48-inch outfall and install 7,245 feet of new storm sewer, along with 210 feet of drainage swales. This project will also help to prevent the flooding of private properties.

(The full list of grant and loan recipients is available in this press release from Governor Wolfe.)

HRG’s financial services team has extensive experience applying for and winning grant and loan assistance from the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority. Over the years, we have obtained more than $500 million in grants and loans for our clients from this program, and we can help you find grant and loan opportunities for your water, sewer, and stormwater projects.

Contact a member of our Financial Services Team to discuss grant and loan opportunities for your community.

Erin Threet Receives High Hat Award from the Pennsylvania Water Environment Association

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News: Erin Threet Accepts High Hat AwardThe Pennsylvania Water Environment Association honored Erin Threet with the Ted Moses High Hat Award at its annual award ceremony Monday night. The award is given each year to individuals who have excelled at promoting the association and its programs.

Threet manages the Lewisburg office of Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc., and serves the firm’s water and wastewater system clients as a project manager. She is also currently the president of the Central Pennsylvania Water Quality Association, a local chapter of the Pennsylvania Water Environment Association.

Threet has been an active member of the organization since 2006. Over the years, she has served on various committees as the local level, including the Young Professionals, Electric Communication, and Awards committees.

“Being involved with these organizations has given me the opportunity to work with some of the brightest and most passionate professionals in the water quality industry,” Threet says. “I’m very humbled to be chosen for this honor from such an esteemed group of my peers.”

Each year, the names of the High Hat award winners are added to a hat, bearing the names of all the previous years’ winners. The original hat was purchased in a pawn shop in 1935, but a second hat was purchased for the addition of new names when there was no longer room for recipients to sign the original hat. The recipients of the award are officially initiated into the “Sludge Shovelers Society” as part of the ceremony.

The award is named after Ted Moses, the first secretary of the Pennsylvania Water Environment Association.

 

ABOUT THE PENNSYLVANIA WATER ENVIRONMENT ASSOCIATION

The Pennsylvania Water Environment Association was founded in 1926 to advance the preservation, protection and improvement of water resources. It provides accredited training to industry professionals and publishes a quarterly magazine spotlighting industry news, noteworthy projects, and continuing education opportunities. For more information, visit the association’s website at pwea.org

ABOUT HRG

Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc. (HRG) is a nationally ranked design firm providing civil engineering, surveying, and environmental services. The firm was founded in Harrisburg in 1962 and has grown to employ more than 200 people in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio.  For more information, please visit the website at https://hrg-inc.com/hrgtemp/.

HRG Receives National Award for Communications Excellence from ESOP Association

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HRG wins ESOP Association Annual Award for Communication Excellence

Jason Fralick, Kara Smith, Bob Grubic, and Laura Williams attended the ceremony to accept the award.

Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc. (HRG) was honored last night at the ESOP Association’s Annual Awards for Communications Excellence (AACE) ceremony in Washington, D.C. HRG received an award for employee ownership marketing.  This award recognizes achievements in advertising the benefits of employee ownership to customers, the community, and the general public.

HRG became an employee-owned company in 2008. The firm has an ESOP Advisory Committee that engages employee owners in decision-making and actively promotes the benefits of ownership to both internal and external audiences. Our status as an employee-owned company is listed on our logo, business cards, letterhead, and corporate brochure.  The benefits of employee ownership (to our employees and to our clients) are touted on our corporate website, intranet, and social media channels. The firm even produced a video in which employees explained what HRG and employee ownership means to them.

“Employee ownership is key to HRG’s identity,” according to company president Robert Grubic. “We believe employee ownership motivates our employees to innovate and continuously improve the quality of our services and our operational efficiencies. It also creates an atmosphere of equality among all team members that fosters cooperation instead of competition.

AACE Award winners are chosen by a panel of five judges made up of both management and non-management employee owners, each of whom has demonstrated active experience and interest in the field of ESOPs and employee ownership communications. Awards are based on: overall quality and quantity of employee owner education, contributions of employee owners, integration of the ESOP into company culture, frequency of ownership communications, involvement of employee owners, encouragement of ownership attitudes, clear explanations, creative ideas, graphic design, and technical quality.

 

ABOUT HRG

Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc. (HRG) is a nationally ranked design firm providing civil engineering, surveying, and environmental services. The firm was founded in Harrisburg in 1962 and has grown to employ more than 200 people in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia.  For more information, please visit the website at www.hrg-inc.com.

 

ABOUT THE ESOP ASSOCIATION

The ESOP Association is the national trade association for companies with employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) and the leading voice in America for employee ownership. The core belief of the ESOP Association is that employee ownership will improve American competitiveness, increase productivity through greater employee participation, and strengthen our fee enterprise economy.  For more information about the ESOP Association, visit their website at www.esopassociation.org

 

HRG Moves Up 26 Spots on ENR’s Top 500 Design Firms List

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Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc. (HRG) continued its rise through the rankings of the nation’s top design firms this year. The firm will be listed at number 408 in Engineering News-Record’s annual list, which hits newsstands this week. HRG will be listed at number 40 in Engineering News-Record’s Mid-Atlantic Region top design firm list, which is up three spots from the previous year.

Engineering News-Record (ENR) is a leading trade journal for architects, engineers, and contractors. It compiles its Top 500 Design Firms list annually based on the revenue that firms earned in the preceding year.

This is the third year in a row that HRG has increased its ranking on the list, thanks to steadily increasing revenue. The firm grossed more than $30 million for the first time in 2017 and is on track for continued growth in 2018.

Bob Grubic quote about 2018 ENR Top 500

 

ABOUT HRG

 

Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc. (HRG) is a nationally ranked design firm providing civil engineering, surveying, and environmental services. The firm was founded in Harrisburg in 1962 and has grown to employ more than 200 people in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia.  For more information, please visit the website at www.hrg-inc.com.

 

 

 

Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority Wins Governor’s Award for Local Government Excellence

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The Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority (WVSA) received the Governor’s Award for Local Government Excellence at a ceremony in Harrisburg on April 11, 2018. WVSA was honored for spearheading an innovative, regional approach to stormwater management that is saving municipalities in Luzerne County millions of dollars on their regulatory compliance and pollutant reduction efforts.  Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc. (HRG) helped WVSA develop this approach.

 

Hundreds of communities across Pennsylvania are required to apply for a permit under the state Department of Environmental Protection’s MS4 program. This program is designed to manage stormwater runoff to prevent pollutants from entering our watersheds and reduce the risk of flooding. The latest round of permitting requires many communities to cut the level of pollutants they discharge to a particular watershed by as much as 10% over the next five years. The cost of producing and implementing these pollutant reduction plans can be too much for many local governments whose budgets are already stretched thin.

With that in mind, WVSA asked HRG to prepare a feasibility study focused on whether regional cooperation among all the municipalities in the county could lower the cost of compliance.  According to HRG’s study, the approach will indeed save participating municipalities more than $200 million over the next 20 years.  Some savings come from sharing the cost of planning and other fixed expenses, but the biggest savings come from the construction of best management practices meant to help the communities reach their pollutant reduction goals. Working together, the municipalities can construct fewer, more effective projects that do a better job of reducing pollution for a lower cost than municipalities would be able to achieve on their own.

 

 

Toby Creek Impoundment

How Municipalities in the Wyoming Valley are Cutting Stormwater Management Costs by up to 90%

Learn more about this excerpt from an article about WVSA’s stormwater program in The Authority magazine. The first in a series of articles on WVSA, this piece discusses the many ways regional cooperation will save municipalities money over the next five years.

 

ABOUT THE WYOMING VALLEY SANITARY AUTHORITY

The Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority (WVSA) has been providing wastewater treatment service for residents of Luzerne County since 1962. WVSA’s service area includes 35 municipalities from Harveys Lake to Pittston to Newport Township. Learn more about the authority and its services at www.wvsa.org

ABOUT HRG

Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc. (HRG) is a nationally ranked design firm providing civil engineering, surveying, and environmental services. The firm was founded in Harrisburg in 1962 and has grown to employ more than 200 people in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Ohio.  For more information, please visit the website at www.hrg-inc.com.

Park Boulevard Realignment and Fort Hunter Park Enhancements Honored as Premier Projects by Dauphin County

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Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc. (HRG) is pleased to announce that two of our projects have been selected by Dauphin County in its annual Premier Projects award program.

Since its inception six years ago, the Dauphin County Premier Projects program has honored more than two dozen projects that promote smart growth and spark revitalization throughout the region. Among this year’s honorees, HRG provided engineering services for two of them: enhancements to Fort Hunter Park and realignment of Park Boulevard.

Park Boulevard

A broad range of local leaders from Derry Township, Dauphin County, and area businesses worked together on the realignment of Park Boulevard to support future economic development in Hershey.  The new roadway provides several safety improvements:

  • It replaces a 60-year old bridge over Spring Creek, which was structurally deficient and weight-restricted.
  • It converts a narrow roadway beneath the Norfolk-Southern underpass from two-way traffic to one-way traffic. This reduces the potential for vehicular accidents and allows for the installation of a sidewalk that is segregated from through traffic.
  • It improves emergency response time by adding a roadway connection from northbound Park Boulevard.  (Previously, first responders had to drive a circuitous route through several intersections to access this area. Now crews can reach the area 2-3 minutes faster.)
  • It provides a new shared-use sidewalk that will enhance safety for pedestrians traveling to Hershey’s attractions from downtown.
  • It adds a safe zone for people boarding and exiting buses at the Hershey Intermodal Transportation Center. This zone is physically protected from through-traffic.

Park Boulevard realignment wins Premier Project award

Front Row: Chuck Emerick, Matt Weir, John Foley, Susan Cort, Justin Engle
Back Row: Chris Brown, Patrick O’Rourke, John Payne, Brian Emberg, Tom Mehaffie, III, Matt Lena, Lauren Zumbrun

Fort Hunter Park

Fort Hunter Park seamlessly blends new amenities with environmental protection and a celebration of the area’s history and wildlife. The enhanced park includes two new boat launches that provide access to Fishing Creek and the Susquehanna River, new pedestrian paths, new seating to enjoy the scenic views, and new outdoor gathering spaces to accommodate park festivals.  It also includes expanded parking to make it easier for locals to access and enjoy these new park features.

To protect the scenic and tranquil environmental setting, engineers used innovative techniques to collect and treat stormwater like porous pavement. They also replaced two paved median areas with soil, stone and native plantings to retain and filter stormwater runoff while enhancing the appearance of the roadway. A new basin for collecting stormwater is designed to blend with the adjoining woodland edge, and herbaceous plantings and indigenous trees help to improve a local habitat area.

Signage in the enhanced habitat area describes local wildlife for park users, while other signs in the park inform visitors of past river activities such as Native American gatherings, early transportation, and coal reclamation.

Fort Hunter Park wins Premier Project award

Chad Gladfelter, Carl Dickson, John Hershey, Matt Bonanno, Steve Deck

ABOUT HRG

Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc. (HRG) is a nationally ranked design firm providing civil engineering, surveying, and environmental services. The firm was founded in Harrisburg in 1962 and has grown to employ more than 200 people in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia.  For more information, please visit the website at www.hrg-inc.com.

 

HRG Named One of Central PA’s Top 100 Privately Held Firms

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Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc. (HRG) has been named one of the top 100 privately held companies in Central Pennsylvania again, according to the Central Penn Business Journal.  The list is compiled annually by the publication based on total companywide revenue.

The journal noted that almost 40% of the firms on this year’s list saw revenue decline in 2016, but HRG’s revenue in 2016 increased almost 5 percent over 2015 numbers.

“HRG continues to experience solid, steady growth,” according to company president and chief executive officer, Robert Grubic. “By continually improving key financial metrics and emphasizing client satisfaction, we’ve been able to establish a firm foundation for the company to flourish.”

 

ABOUT HRG

Founded in 1962, HRG has grown to be a nationally ranked Top 500 Design Firm, providing civil engineering, surveying and environmental services to public and private sector clients. The 200-person employee-owned firm currently has office locations in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia. For more information, please visit the website at www.hrg-inc.com.

Duke Street Bridge Honored with Safety Award

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Wider bridge improves access for emergency vehicles and pedestrians while reducing the likelihood of car accidents

 

The Duke Street Bridge replacement has been honored with a Road & Bridge Safety Award from the Pennsylvania Highway Information Association, County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania, and PennDOT.

Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc. designed the project for Dauphin County, which improves safety for local residents in several ways:

  • It improves emergency access for residents who live near the bridge. The original Duke Street Bridge couldn’t carry vehicles weighing more than 3 tons, which meant most of the vehicles operated by the Hummelstown Borough Fire Company and Union Deposit Fire Company couldn’t use the bridge. The new bridge has no weight restrictions, and emergency vehicles can safely cross it (as shown in the attached photo).
  • It safely accommodates two lanes of traffic, whereas the original Duke Street Bridge was only wide enough for one lane of traffic at a time.
  • It makes it safer for drivers to turn onto South Hoernerstown Road from North Duke Street, thanks to increased intersection radii. Previously drivers of large vehicles turning right onto South Hoernerstown Road from Duke Street would cross into the opposing lane. Limited sight distance at this location meant that opposing traffic could not see these vehicles crossing over into their lane with optimum time to react. The new wider intersection will drastically reduce the likelihood of accidents at this location in the future.
  • It provides a new sidewalk. The previous Duke Street Bridge had no existing sidewalk; accordingly, pedestrians would often walk in the roadway lanes to cross from one municipality to the other.   The new bridge includes a sidewalk that will enhance safety for pedestrians trying to access the United Water Trailhead and Swatara Creek Trail.

 

ABOUT HRG

Founded in 1962, HRG has grown to be a nationally ranked Top 500 Design Firm, providing civil engineering, surveying and environmental services to public and private sector clients. The 200-person employee-owned firm currently has office locations in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia. For more information, please visit the website at www.hrg-inc.com.

 

Adrienne Vicari Named One of Central PA’s Top 40 Under 40

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Adrienne VicariThe Central Penn Business Journal named Adrienne Vicari to its 23nd annual Forty Under 40 list, which honors individuals for their commitment to business growth, professional excellence and the Central Pennsylvania community.  She and the other honorees will receive their award at a banquet on October 2 at the Hilton Harrisburg.

Adrienne is the financial services practice area leader at Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc. She has more than 15 years of experience in financial consulting, project management and engineering design for municipal wastewater, water and stormwater clients. In her current role with the firm, she uses asset management and capital improvement planning as tools to complete long-range strategic financial planning for her clients.

But she began her career at HRG in a very different role: as a professional engineer designing water and wastewater treatment facilities. She quickly developed an interest in helping her water and wastewater clients obtain and manage their funding for capital improvement projects and transitioned into the firm’s financial service group. As communities have developed a growing need for increased stormwater management funding and utility valuation, she has become an industry leader in these areas, as well.

Russ McIntosh, a vice president of HRG, says:

“Adrienne is an unstoppable force. When she sees something needs done, she dives right in and gives it everything she has. She is extremely knowledgeable of the issues municipal water quality professionals face and very creative in addressing those challenges. There is nothing she can’t or won’t do to help her clients succeed.”

Adrienne Vicari volunteers for STEM educationThis dedication extends outside the office to the Central Pennsylvania community, as well. Adrienne encourages young people to achieve success in science, technology engineering, and math related fields by participating in STEM-related events like the “Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day” at the Whitaker Center. She also serves as a board member with the Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania organization and takes part in their annual STEM expo. In addition, she coaches Central Penn Mini Sticks field hockey and a Cumberland Valley softball 10U team.

She also co-founded a women’s volunteer group for West Shore mothers that encourages them to pursue diverse volunteer opportunities with their children. The group has had a significant impact on mid-state organizations such as Caitlin Smiles, Leg Up Farm, Ronald McDonald House, Dress for Success, and others.

 

ABOUT HRG

Originally founded in 1962, HRG has grown to be a nationally ranked Top 500 Design Firm, providing civil engineering, surveying and environmental services to public and private sector clients. The 200-person employee-owned firm currently has office locations in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia. For more information, please visit the website at www.hrg-inc.com.

 

Park Boulevard Realignment in Hershey Honored with Safety Award

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PSATS-Road-Bridge-Safety-Award-2017_Park-Boulevard_733x548 

Representatives of Derry Township in Dauphin County accept the first-place roadway award in the Road and Bridge Safety Improvement Awards at the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors’ (PSATS) 95th Annual Educational Conference April 23-26 in Hershey. Sponsored by PSATS, the Pennsylvania Highway Information Association (PHIA), and the state Department of Transportation, the award recognizes townships for their extensive contributions to making roads and bridges safer. Participating in the presentation are, from left, PennDOT Director of Planning and Research Laine Heltebridle; Matthew Lena, P.E., transportation team leader, Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc.; Derry Township Chairman John Foley; PHIA Managing Director Jason Wagner; and PSATS Executive Board Member Bill Hawk. (Photo courtesy of the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors.)

 

The realignment of Park Boulevard has been honored with a Road & Bridge Safety Award from the Pennsylvania Highway Information Association, Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors, and PennDOT.  The award was presented to Derry Township officials at the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors Conference at the Hershey Lodge on April 24, 2017.

Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc. designed the project for Derry Township and devised a creative funding strategy that expedited the project schedule.

A broad range of local leaders from Derry Township, Dauphin County, and area businesses worked together on this project to support future economic development in Hershey.  The new roadway provides several safety improvements:

  • It replaces a 60-year old bridge over Spring Creek, which was structurally deficient and weight-restricted.
  • It converts a narrow roadway beneath the Norfolk-Southern underpass from two-way traffic to one-way traffic. (The roadway is not wide enough for two opposing lanes of traffic to safely pass each other, so switching to one-way traffic will prevent vehicle conflicts.)
  • It improves emergency response time by adding a roadway connection from northbound Park Boulevard.  (Previously, first responders had to drive a circuitous route through several intersections to access this area. Now crews can reach the area 2-3 minutes faster.)
  • It provides a new sidewalk that will enhance safety for pedestrians traveling to Hershey’s attractions from downtown.
  • It adds a safe zone for people boarding and exiting buses at the Hershey Intermodal Transportation Center. This zone is physically protected from through-traffic.

The realigned Park Boulevard was completed and opened to traffic in the fall of 2016.  View a slideshow of project photos below.

 

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