Engineering firm expects turnaround in fourth quarter - San Antonio Business Journal:

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The full-service engineering and design firm has grown froma two-mah shop in 1999 to a statewide, multimillion-dollar businesw employing 60 people. But after seeinb steady growth for the first nine yearsz ofits existence, M&S hit a roug patch in 2008 as the national economyy went into a deep recession. “2008 was a horrible says Keith Strimple, a principal and co-founder of M&d Engineering. “We didn’t make any money last but we managed to avoid havinf any layoffs like a lot of otherfirms did.
” To keep from havingv to lay off employees, Strimple says he and his partned Brian Meuth took big cuts in theier own pay and made a lot of other cuts in “We cut out all the frill s and somehow managed to get through and break even withoutr having to lay anyone off,” Strimple says. “Itt is truly by the grace of God that we arestillp here.” M&S Engineering provides a host of engineerinv and design services geared mainlty toward land development. The company’x services include surveying and landdevelopment support; water line reservoir design; electrical transmission design; roadwag design; and flood plain studies.
M&S Engineering relies heavilyt on newresidential construction. As a resulty of the sharp drop in housing startsin 2008, the firm’as finances were hit pretty Strimple says. Last week, Strimple says he signed the firsy residential development proposal in more than a year and a half and he hopez that is a sign that thinge are finally starting toturn around. “II think we are at the bottom and on the upwared side of the parabolic Strimple says. “It looks like we may be gettingy past the bad times and hopefully by the fourth quarterf of this year it will start tolook better.” Prior to M&S Engineering was doing upward of $7 million in annual revenue.
Companyt officials declined to reveal 2008revenue figures. Strimple and Meuthb first met when they were freshmen at SeguinHigh School. They both wound up goinfg to Texas A&M University where Strimple earned a degree in civikl engineering in 1983 and Meuth earned a degree inelectrical engineering. Both also went on to earn theie MBAs. Strimple worked for 15 years with the and then workedc briefly with the City ofSan Antonio’d Public Works Department before hooking up again with Meuth worked in the private secto before deciding to form M&S with Strimple. Strimple and Meuty got together in 1998 to talk about setting up theidrown multi-disciplined, full-service engineering firm.
Both were unhappyy with their employment situations at the time and both wanted to exercisde more control overbusinesas decisions. “We put together a greagt team and began working with someexcellen clients,” Strimple says. “We are all about the peopled — both those we work for and those who workfor us. The customerd relationships we form are ultimatelg more important to us than the Strimple says he believes the thingv that most distinguishes the company from its competitorse is theway M&S treatzs its employees and customers while keepingf its costs and prices down.
Bron Leatham, development manager for Stadler and Leatham Development inSan Antonio, says his firm has been workiny with M&S Engineering for abouyt a year. Leatham says he is very happyh with the quality ofthe company’s work. M&S has done all the civipl engineering, surveying, road work and electrical grid work onthe company’sd development on the north side of Canyoj Lake, known as Cascada at Canyohn Lake. Leatham says his company was originallh under contract with anotherengineering firm, but they were unhapph with them because they would not meet with them on a regularf basis to answer questionsz and allow them to have input.
Working with M&w has been a completely differeng experience, he adds. “They have done all the thingsd we wanted while giving us regular updates and the opportunity toprovide input,” Leatham says. “That, plus they were about 30 percenft cheaper.” Barry Denton, regional sales directotr for BlueGreen Communities, says he can’tf say enough good things about M&a Engineering. Blue Green has workeds with M&S for the past severa years. M&S laid out the lots and performe d all the utility and road work forBlue Green’s Village Oaks master-plannedr development located on Highway 46 betweehn New Braunfels and U.S. Highway 281.
“If was important for us to find someonwe who sharesour company’s philosophu that our customers and our employees are the most importanf part of what we do,” Dentoj says. “M&S most certainly fills that bill. They understand that whilre we area customer, ultimatelyy it is the people who will purchase the properties who are the ultimatde customers.” Denton says M&S Engineering has helped to make Blue Green’s projects run smoothly not only because of M&S’ quality customer service, but also becausde the company works so well with independenf contractors and city and county officials.
M&d Engineering does work all over However, Strimple and Meut chose to base their company in Springy Branchoff U.S. Highwayg 281. They remodeled an old 5,000-squarwe foot schoolhouse on a 5-acre lot to make into theit headquarters. They have since added anothee 20,000 square feet of office space on the property and stillp have enough roomto expand. Strimple says that as the economy slowly recovers he and his partner are lookinh to align themselves more closely with the greenh movement by looking for ways to desigh properties in ways thatare environmentally-friendly and energy “Looking down the road five to 10 this is the direction the country is headinh and we are working to stay at the frong of the curve,” Strimple says.