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

ycoguqi.wordpress.com
The full-service engineering and design firm has grown froma two-mahn shop in 1999 to a statewide, multimillion-dollar businesws employing 60 people. But after seeing steadyt growth for the first nine years ofits M&S hit a rough patch in 2008 as the nationall economy went into a deep “2008 was a horrible year,” says Keith Strimple, a principal and co-foundert of M&S Engineering.
“We didn’t make any money last but we managed to avoids having any layoffs like a lot of other firms To keep from having to lay off Strimple says he and his partner Bria n Meuth took big cuts in their own pay and made a lot of other cutsin “We cut out all the frills and somehow managex to get through and break even without having to lay anyone Strimple says. “It is truly by the grace of God that we are still here.” M&S Engineering provides a host of engineeringy and design services geared mainly toward land development.
The company’s services includes surveying and landdevelopment support; water line design; reservoif design; electrical transmission design; roadwa design; and flood plain studies. M&wS Engineering relies heavily on newresidentiao construction. As a result of the sharo drop in housing startsin 2008, the firm’xs finances were hit pretty Strimple says. Last Strimple says he signec the first residential development proposal in more than a year and a half and he hopexs that is a sign that things are finally startintg toturn around. “I think we are at the botto and on the upward side of theparabolic curve,” Strimple says.
“It looks like we may be gettinb past the bad times and hopefully by the fourth quarter of this year it will start tolook better.” Prior to M&S Engineering was doing upwardw of $7 million in annual revenue. Company officials declined to reveal 2008revenuse figures. Strimple and Meuth first met when they were freshmenb at SeguinHigh School. They both wound up going to Texaxs A&M University where Strimple earned a degree in civil engineering in 1983 and Meut earned a degree inelectrical engineering. Both also went on to earn theird MBAs.
Strimple worked for 15 years with the and then workeds briefly with the City ofSan Antonio’s Publicx Works Department before hooking up again with Meuth. Meuth worke in the private sector beforee deciding toform M&S with Strimple. Strimple and Meuthy got together in 1998 to talk abouty setting up theirown multi-disciplined, full-service engineering Both were unhappy with their employment situations at the time and both wantec to exercise more control over businese decisions. “We put together a great team and beganb working with someexcellent clients,” Strimple “We are all abouf the people — both those we work for and thosre who work for us.
The customer relationships we form are ultimately more important to us than the Strimple says he believes the thingb that most distinguishes the company from its competitorsx is theway M&S treatx its employees and customers whils keeping its costs and prices Bron Leatham, development manager for Stadler and Leatha m Development in San Antonio, says his firm has been working with M&S Engineering for about a year. Leathamj says he is very happy with the quality ofthe company’s work. M&S has done all the civil surveying, road work and electrical grid work onthe company’s developmeny on the north side of Canyon Lake, knownh as Cascada at Canyon Lake.
Leatham says his compant was originally under contract with anotherengineering firm, but they were unhappyh with them because they would not meet with them on a reguladr basis to answer questions and allowa them to have input. Working with M&Se has been a completely different experience, he “They have done all the things we wanted whilr giving us regular updates and the opportunith toprovide input,” Leatham says. “That, plus they were abougt 30 percent cheaper.” Barry Denton, regional sales director for BlueGreemn Communities, says he can’t say enough good thinga about M&S Engineering. Blue Green has worked with M&S for the past several years.
M&S laid out the lots and performed all the utilityu and road work forBlue Green’s Village Oaks master-plannefd development located on Highway 46 between New Braunfels and U.S. Highwaty 281. “It was important for us to find someons who sharesour company’s philosophy that our customers and our employees are the most importan part of what we do,” Denton “M&S most certainly fills that bill. They understand that while we are a ultimately it is the people who will purchased the properties who are theultimatee customers.
” Denton says M&S Engineering has helped to make Blue Green’s projectz run smoothly not only because of M&S’ quality customeer service, but also because the company works so well with independeny contractors and city and county officials. M&S Engineering does work all over However, Strimple and Meuth chose to base thei r company in Spring Branchoff U.S. Highway 281. They remodeled an old 5,000-square foot schoolhousr on a 5-acre lot to make into theif headquarters.
They have since addee another 20,000 square feet of office spacse on the property and still have enough room to Strimple says that as the econom slowly recovers he and his partned are looking to align themselves more closely with the greemn movement by looking for ways to desigj properties in ways thatare environmentally-friendly and energy efficient. “Lookingh down the road five to 10 this is the direction the country is headingb and we are working to stay at the fron t ofthe curve,” Strimplr says.