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Route 39 Intersection Improvements Honored with Road & Bridge Safety Award

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West Hanover Township received a Road & Bridge Safety Award Friday for improvements that HRG designed at the intersection of Route 39 with Douglas and Devonshire Heights Roads. This location had been the site of several rear-end and angle accidents due to poor intersection alignment and sight distance deficiencies.  HRG realigned the intersection, installed a northbound right turn lane along Route 39, enhanced advance signing and pavement markings, and installed a flashing yellow control beacon.  We also increased the separation between this intersection and a second intersection where Douglas Road met Devonshire Heights Road. This second intersection had been less than 100 feet away from the Route 39 intersection, creating the opportunity for confusion and conflict between drivers.

Our civil practice area leader Matt Bonanno and our traffic team leader Eric Stump attended a brief ceremony at the intersection where West Hanover Township received their award from the Pennsylvania Highway Information Association (PHIA) and the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors. You can view the ceremony below:

 

 

You can also see photos of the project by clicking through this slideshow:

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ABOUT THE ROAD & BRIDGE SAFETY AWARD

The Road & Bridge Safety Award is given annually to townships that have completed road or bridge improvements in the prior year that increased public safety.  It is sponsored by the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors, the Pennsylvania Highway Information Association, and PennDOT.

HRG Moves Up 29 Spots on ENR’s Top 500 Design Firms List

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ENR Top 500 2020 magazine coverHerbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc. (HRG) is listed at number 406 in a national ranking of the top revenue-producing design firms published this month by Engineering News-Record magazine. The firm increased its ranking significantly thanks to strong sales and sound financial management.

In 2019, HRG’s revenue grew 17%, continuing a trend of consistent growth over the past five years.  Company president Jason Fralick attributes the firm’s success to its strong ESOP culture and a loyal base of clients who trust HRG with expanding opportunity year-after-year.

“Our business is about people: the people on our team and the communities we serve. Our employee-owners have a shared stake in the company’s growth, and they continually enhance quality, productivity and innovation for our joint benefit and the benefit of our clients. We would not be able to sustain the growth we’ve experienced without the trust of our clients, and we wouldn’t have that trust without the dedication of our team.”

-Jason Fralick, HRG president

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.

 

ABOUT HRG

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

 

Matt Vanaskie Joins HRG as Senior Project Manager

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Matt VanaskieMatthew Vanaskie has joined the civil group at Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc. as a senior project manager in our Lewisburg office.  He has 15 years of experience in water resource management, which includes watershed planning, NPDES permitting, MS4 compliance, and the design of water, sewer, and stormwater systems.  He also assists communities with capital planning and budgeting.

Vanaskie is a licensed professional engineer and has presented at industry conferences for the Pennsylvania Water Environment Association and the Water Environment Federation.

“We’re very excited to have Matt on our team,” HRG assistant vice president Erin Threet says. “We already have a strong team of experts in the land development and water/wastewater sectors in this office, and we have always had a deep bench of water quality experts throughout the organization.  With Matt on board, we have a senior water quality expert here in Lewisburg to enhance our service offerings to local clients in the surrounding communities.”

 

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.

Josh Fox Honored as One of Engineering’s Top Young Professionals

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Josh Fox is being honored by Engineering News-Record (ENR) magazine as one of the Top Young Professionals in the construction and design industry.  He is profiled alongside the other honorees in the February issue of ENR’s Mid-Atlantic edition.

Justin Mendinsky presents the ENR Top Young Professionals plaque to Josh Fox

2017 Top Young Professional Justin Mendinsky presents a plaque to this year’s honoree Josh Fox.

Fox is the practice area leader for the water and wastewater service group at Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc.  He oversees a team of more than 50 professionals providing planning, design and construction phase services to public and private utilities throughout the Mid-Atlantic Region and is responsible for the group’s growth and strategy.

He is a member of several industry organizations, including the Central Pennsylvania Water Quality Association, the Eastern Pennsylvania Water Pollution Control Operators Association, the Water Environment Federation, and the Pennsylvania Water Environment Association.  He is also working with the Pennsylvania chapter of the American Water Works Association on an innovative initiative to address the labor shortage in the utility industry and the difficulty military veterans have in transferring their valuable experience to the workplace when they return home.

Fox is an active member of the military himself, serving as a Captain in the 28th Infantry Division.  He has earned numerous service and leadership awards, including the Bronze Star during his deployment in Iraq and the Order of Saint Maurice for his lasting contributions to the US Army Infantry.

HRG’s Chief Operating Officer Andrew Kenworthy says, “Josh is very deserving of this honor. His relentless effort and tireless commitment inspires others to work harder, and he is a trusted confidant who offers wise counsel to his peers on both personal and professional issues.”

 

ABOUT ENGINEERING NEWS-RECORD’S TOP YOUNG PROFESSIONALS PROGRAM

Engineering News-Record is a weekly magazine with close to 50,000 paid subscribers that covers news in the architecture, engineering and construction industry. In addition to its national publication, it also publishes several regional editions.

Each year, the regional editions recognize 20 industry professionals as the “best of the best.”  Applicants are evaluated on their education, industry experience, leadership, and community service.

The Mid-Atlantic edition focuses on Pennsylvania, Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and Washington D.C.

 

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.

Laura Ludwig Joins HRG as a Community Planner

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Laura Ludwig portraitLaura Ludwig has joined the Pittsburgh office of Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc. (HRG) as a community planner.  She will assist HRG’s municipal clients with zoning, ordinance amendments, and requests for land development plan approvals and permits.  She will also act as a liaison between community groups, government agencies, developers and other stakeholders in developing neighborhood plans.

She has extensive experience as a community organizer, municipal government employee, and consultant.  Prior to joining HRG, she served as the director of community development for North Fayette Township.  Her responsibilities included guiding residents and businesses through the subdivision and land development review process, ensuring local construction project comply with codes and ordinances, and implementing the community’s comprehensive land use plan.  She also worked as a private consultant, drafting a comprehensive plan for South Beaver Township and assisting dozens of municipalities with their zoning and land use programs.

Ms. Ludwig earned her master’s degree in urban and regional affairs from the University of Pittsburgh and is certified by the American Institute of Certified Planners

 

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.

 

Mark Maguire Joins HRG as Senior GIS Specialist

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Mark MaguireMark Maguire has joined the Pittsburgh office of Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc. (HRG) as a senior GIS specialist. He will help local governments, public authorities, and private sector clients implement geospatial technology to inform infrastructure, land use, and environmental decision-making. His skills include desktop and web-based GIS analysis and production, enterprise database design, field data collection system development, and software implementation.

Maguire has a bachelor’s degree in environmental analysis and policy and a master’s degree in geography. He currently serves on the executive board of the Pennsylvania Mapping and Geographic Information Consortium (PaMAGIC). He has almost 20 years of experience developing GIS products for civil infrastructure, stormwater, waste management, oil & gas, and regional planning projects. He has worked closely with clients in building web-based environmental compliance and asset management systems.

 

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.

Yves Pollart Joins HRG as Senior Quality Engineer

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Yves PollartHRG is pleased to announce that Yves Pollart has joined the firm as a senior quality engineer in the water and wastewater group. He will manage the group’s quality standards and communicate best practices to the design team across all offices. He will also provide technical guidance and support to project managers.

Pollart has almost 40 years of experience in both the public and private sector as an engineer. Over the course of his wide-ranging career, he has worked in city government and managed the construction and day-to-day operation  of Pennsylvania’s  first virtual natural gas pipeline system. However, the majority of his experience is as a consultant, assisting water and wastewater utilities with regulatory compliance and the design and construction of infrastructure. Projects have included biological nutrient removal, combined sewer separation, industrial pretreatment, filtration, chemical and physical treatment, sludge dewatering, and more.

Pollart is a licensed professional engineer and certified contractor. He has also been board certified by the American Academy of Environmental Engineers.

 

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.

Staci Hartz Honored Among Women of Impact

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Staci Hartz a Women in STEM Award

Staci Hartz was one of 10 honorees at the Whitaker Center’s Women of Impact: Women in STEM Awards Luncheon today.  Hartz is a project engineer in the water and wastewater service group at Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc (HRG).  She was recognized in the Women to Watch category.

The Women to Watch award goes to an individual who is under 40 years old and has already achieved significant success in the STEM field.

Staci was nominated for the award by Justin Mendinsky, the water and wastewater group manager at HRG. “Staci does exceptional work,” Justin says, “and she is very driven.  She’s also passionate about inspiring others toward a career in STEM. She frequently serves as a mentor to new employees, and I know she will continue to accomplish great things in the industry.”

Staci Hartz with Justin Mendinsky at the Women in STEM Awards Luncheon

Staci Hartz and Justin Mendinsky

As an engineer serving water and wastewater utilities, Staci has a direct impact on the health of local communities. She has helped several communities with failing water systems make the necessary improvements to comply with water quality requirements.  Her responsibilities include planning and designing water and wastewater systems, performing calculations and hydraulic modeling for water systems, and preparing permit applications for treatment, distribution, and storage facilities.

HRG celebrates Staci Hartz' Women in STEM Award

Jason Fralick, Erin Threet, Chris Hartz, Staci Hartz, Justin Mendinsky, Bob Grubic, and Andrew Kenworthy (Photo courtesy of the The Whitaker Center)

ABOUT THE WOMEN OF IMPACT AWARDS

The Women of Impact: Women in STEM Awards recognize women that have made an impact in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math.  The award luncheon benefits the Whitaker Center’s Girls in STEM Initiative, which empowers girls to know they are strong enough to change the world.

 

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.

Erin Threet Featured in National ENR Top 20 Under 40 List

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Engineering News-Record magazine has published its 2019 Top 20 Under 40 list, and our very own assistant vice president Erin Threet is on the list!

Engineering News-Record is a weekly magazine with close to 50,000 paid subscribers that covers news in the architecture, engineering and construction industry. In addition to its national publication, it also publishes nine regional editions.

Each of these regions selects 20 outstanding professionals based on their education, industry experience, leadership and community service. Erin was featured in the Mid-Atlantic region’s list in February.

From this pool of regional winners, ENR selects 20 as the “best of the best” across the nation.

Erin received news that she was selected for this prestigious honor in April, and it was a great way to start the week as she opened her email one Monday morning.

“I was surprised and excited and flattered all at once,” Erin says.

But the excitement was only beginning.

In June, ENR invited Erin and the other honorees to New York City for an awards luncheon and photo shoot. Erin describes the exhilarating experience in the video below:

Erin loves New York City and even dreamed of moving there after college. Though she has been there before, she said she got to see a few parts of the city on this trip that she’d never seen in previous visits.  In particular, a rooftop used for the photo shoot provided an amazing view of the Empire State Building, she says.

While in New York, the honorees were split into four groups to collaborate and discuss industry issues. Erin was selected for Team Productivity.  She and her fellow “think tank” members discussed alternate project delivery methods like design-build, integrated project delivery, advanced work packaging, and workface planning.

Some of the alternative project delivery methods are not allowed under current municipal bid regulation in Pennsylvania, so Erin enjoyed learning about processes she hasn’t used before.

The group also talked about the importance of communicating with clients and facility owners to help them understand why certain decisions are made and how those decisions directly benefit the project.

They also discussed the need to educate the general public about the value of infrastructure. “Something like the Got Milk campaign of the 90s,” Erin said. “This is something I’ve thought about before, so it was interesting to see that others across the country are also thinking about the issue.”

Team Productivity shared a lot of innovative ideas and best practices, and Erin said she is already applying what she learned on behalf of her clients.

(You can read more about Team Productivity and their panel discussion in this feature from Engineering News-Record magazine.)

The Top 20 Under 40 honor from ENR is just one of many Erin has received over the course of her career. Like many influential leaders, Erin believes success is all about the grind:

With that in mind, Erin returns to work with a fresh perspective but the same commitment to every day tasks that has produced great results this far: “I just want to keep on keepin’ on,” she says. “I want to continue to grow HRG and our staff here, so that we can serve clients well into the future. [And I want to] do that while maintaining a good work-life balance with the kiddoes and hubby at home.”

You can see more of Erin’s thoughts on the ENR honor, the people she got to meet as part of this experience, and the individuals who’ve helped her get where she is today in the videos below: