Play Ball!
Anyone involved in the private sector Architecture, Engineering and Surveying industry over the past five years knows what a struggle it has been to keep our businesses afloat. Staff reductions, benefit modifications and expense reductions have taken their toll on employee morale and most of us have been in “hunker down” mode. As we begin to see some light at the end of the tunnel I am being asked almost daily, by clients, friends and associates – “How are things”? Over the past two weeks I’ve found the answer to this oft repeated question… THINGS ARE GETTING BETTER! I know this because our talented, dedicated and loyal staff is having FUN again. When adults start acting like children, things are going to be just fine. Two recent examples:- Last week our Richmond office staff, and some of our Shenandoah Valley office staff, attended a Richmond Flying Squirrels baseball game. This is a tradition we had gotten away from in our belt tightening mode. The picture you see is of Mike Bricker, Vice-President in charge of our Richmond Architectural department. We gave away youth sized t-shirts to the children of our employees. Mike had to prove that he could squeeze in to one! Is he having fun, or what?!
- Yesterday the Roanoke office experienced another of those crazy high wind and thunder storms that seem to have become the norm around here. As I looked out of our front door across the parking lot, there were Craig Balzer, Architect and Chairman of our Board and Sean Horne, Landscape Architect and Vice President in charge of or Roanoke Engineering Department, flapping their arms in a failed attempt to be carried aloft by the wind!
I can’t tell you how great it feels to see smiling faces and energy again. For those of you who need a little dose of fun, I encourage you to visit our offices in the New River Valley, Roanoke, the Shenandoah Valley or Richmond. There you will find Architects, Civil Engineers, Structural Engineers, Environmental Engineers, Land Surveyors and Soils Scientists re-energized and having fun serving the needs of our fantastic clients. Let’s have fun together!
Jim McAden
President