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Founded in 1925 in New Orleans as Doullut and Ewin, Inc. and acquired in 1954 by David Volkert, Volkert & Associates has put together a long, wide-ranging list of clients. The engineering firm has worked on such projects as the Capital Beltway I-495 Bridge in Maryland in 1964, Bent-a-Lou Bridge in Baltimore in 1966, Interstate Twin Bridges across Mobile Bay (Alabama) in 1981, and the Panama City-Bay County International Airport, Panama City, Florida in 1997, just to name a few.

Today, Volkert & Associates' vision and mission remain as strong as 77 years ago. The firm believes that central to America's quest for economic growth and quality of life is the expansion of the nation's infrastructure, including roads, bridges, airports, utilities, ports, industrial complexes, and buildings. Volkert has 13 offices in Washington D.C. and Virginia as well as Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, and Louisiana.

Martha Kemp, director of business development, discusses the company's need for engineers and its future growth: "Primarily, our stronger area is in the transportation field -- roads, bridges, corridor studies, and traffic engineering & operations. We also have a broad range of civil capabilities, which include wastewater and site development. Presently, the transportation and infrastructure market is quite large; this, in turn, has helped Volkert & Associates focus more on construction and construction management, although we've been involved in that discipline for many years."

Volkert provides transportation services through two main divisions: roadways and bridges. Since its beginning, the company has designed literally thousands of miles of roadways and bridges, from new interstate facilities to widening and improving existing roadways and city streets to bridge repair design and bridge inspection services.

What does the company look for in engineers? "Usually we're looking, although we do have our slow times. Transportation and infrastructure drive our market." Kemp says. "We hire civil and structural engineers, as well as electricals for lighting, fiber optics, and traffic signals. We hire construction management people, which are often civil engineers, as well. We hire at all levels; for people right out of school, we look for knowledge and ability to work with computer systems, flexibility to work on a variety of projects, an interest in getting involved with associations, and help in marketing the firm. Additionally, we seek people who have done Internships."

Volkert personnel can be found recruiting new employees at colleges such as the University of Virginia and Virginia Tech. For more information, visit the company website at www.Volkert.com.

O'Connell & Lawrence has served public and private sector clients since 1994, but in that relatively short lifespan, the development-oriented engineering and surveying firm has cultivated a host of multiple-repeat clients.

Founded by Dr. Kenneth O'Connell, an engineer, and Jefferson Lawrence, a land surveyor, O'Connell & Lawrence provides a long list of engineering services. Construction consulting involves claims avoidance, training, construction inspection, litigation support services, and expert testimony. Civil/site engineering covers site evaluation and feasibility studies, stormwater management design, and highway engineering and design, among other functions. Then there's surveying and mapping, which includes aerial, boundary, GPS, and topographic surveys as well as construction stakeout. The firm has offices in Olney, Maryland and Greencastle, Pennsylvania.

So what does it take to join the team of engineers at O'Connell & Lawrence? According to Nancy Bullough, director of business development, it varies. "Experience in construction consulting, scheduling and claims analysis is helpful. We also look for individuals who we feel will benefit from in-house training and on-the-job training." The firm emphasizes the need for civil engineers, construction engineers, schedulers, and claim analysts, with an immediate need for construction consultants. "We strongly encourage engineers and surveyors to pursue their registration and licenses," conveys Bullough.

As with most companies, the goals, outlooks and ambitions at O'Connell & Lawrence are always changing. Company directors say their future path will lead their engineering and surveying section away from small site development projects and put more emphasis on public works projects at the state and local level, while the construction consulting side of the firm will continue to expand on current areas of expertise.

Look for periodically postings of job openings from O'Connell & Lawrence at colleges and the career fair at the University of Maryland. You can also visit the company website at www.oclinc.com.

Donna M. Condida is a freelance writer and photographer in northeastern Pennsylvania who also conducts photography and writing workshops for kids. Visit her website at
http://www.CreativeWorksPhotographyWriting.com.

Progressive Engineer
Editor: Tom Gibson
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©2004 Progressive Engineer