Press Releases 2008
Olsson Makes Holiday Donation12-23-08
For several years now, Olsson Associates has maintained a holiday card tradition. Instead of spending money on fancy holiday cards, we send a simple postcard with a holiday message and make a donation to charity in honor of our clients. This year's donation went to support Water For People.
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Olsson Associates Signs Intent to Acquire Cordilleran Compliance Services
11-14-08
Olsson Associates, a national engineering and design firm, announced its intent to acquire Cordilleran Compliance Services, Inc., a Colorado-based environmental sciences and engineering consulting firm.
Cordilleran is expected to join Olsson officially on December 1 and will become "Cordilleran, a division of Olsson Associates." Cordilleran will maintain its two offices in Golden and Grand Junction, Colorado.
"The addition of Cordilleran staff will enhance the services we already provide our clients," said Olsson COO Chip Corcoran. "Cordilleran's values and entrepreneurial spirit closely match our company values and flat structure, and we see this as a great fit for both firms."
"We are excited about the opportunity to join Olsson and what it will mean for our clients and our staff," said John Lohner of Cordilleran. "We'll have the additional staff and resources we need to grow and provide quality services to our clients."
A firm of 40 staff members, Cordilleran, www.cordcomp.com, was established in 1999, and is one of the leading environmental consulting firms in the Rocky Mountain area. The firm specializes in environmental consulting with an emphasis on the oil and gas industry.
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Stevenson Land Surveying Services Joins Olsson Associates
11-03-08
On October 30, Stevenson Land Surveying Services of Holdrege joined Olsson Associates, a multidisciplinary design firm with offices in seven states. Its employees began work at Olsson today.
Olsson Associates is excited to welcome Doug Stevenson, the firm's owner, and Jason Baker to the firm's Holdrege office and survey team. Doug started his company in 2002 and has provided a full range of surveying services for public- and private-sector clients throughout out-state Nebraska.
"Doug and Jason will enhance the survey services we provide," said Mike Yost, Olsson's Greater Nebraska region leader. "We wanted to expand our survey operation and Doug did, too. So this is a great development for everyone. We are convinced the whole will be larger than the sum of the parts."
"Doug and Jason's experience and their reputation for great service will be a tremendous asset for our firm and our clients," Yost said.
Doug has nearly 25 years of survey experience, with an impeccable reputation for quality work and integrity. He has served as the county surveyor for Custer County since 2003 and has been a member of the Holdrege City Council since 2000.
Jason has 12 years of surveying experience and has worked for Stevenson Land Surveying Services since 2006.
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10-23-08
Olsson Associates opened an office in Chandler today, marking Olsson's second location in the greater Phoenix area.
The office is located at 1110 S. Dobson Road, Suite 4, Chandler, Ariz., 85286. Staff can be reached by phone at 602.748.1000 or fax at 480.963.7443.
"The Phoenix metro area is so large that this new location will help our staff better serve our clients," said Jack Lynch, Olsson's Arizona office leader. "It also brings us closer to the future growth of Phoenix's development southward."
Olsson's other Arizona locations include 7250 N. 16th Street in Phoenix and 3025 W. Ina Road in Tucson.
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09-08-08
Olsson opened its doors today at the new Hilltop at Briarcliff office building. The move comes as Olsson celebrates its 10-year anniversary in the Kansas City area and a four-year presence in Kansas City's Northland.
The office address is 1251 NW Briarcliff Parkway, Suite 50, Kansas City, Mo., 64116. The staff can be reached by phone at 816.361.1177 or by fax at 816.361.1888.
"The move to Briarcliff provides a strategic location for Olsson Associates, as the Kansas City North location will allow us to grow, develop new markets, and serve both new and long-term clients," said Chip Corcoran, Olsson's chief operating officer.
Olsson has 150 employees in the metropolitan area, 27 of whom are in the Briarcliff office. The 10,000-square-foot space provides room for Olsson to add another 26 people to its Northland operation.
Olsson began its foray into the very competitive Kansas City market in 1998. Its first office was at 83rd and State Line Road. In 2004, it moved to two locations--one in Overland Park and the other in Riverside, Missouri. Just 18 months later, the Riverside office moved again to support its expanding needs.
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07-29-08
Olsson has added Ken Jennison, PE, as a senior engineer to lead Olsson's bridge/structural services for railroad clients, as well as the public sector entities on grade-separation projects.
Jennison has more than 30 years of experience specializing in railroad bridge design and rating, as well as construction-phase services. Prior to joining Olsson, Jennison provided the overall direction, review and approval of a $75 to $100 million annual bridge construction program as the bridge engineer for Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway.
Jennison holds a M.S. in civil engineering with emphasis in structures from the University of Minnesota and is a licensed professional engineer. He is currently the vice-chairman for Committee Eight of the American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association (A.R.E.M.A.).
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With a B.S. in mechanical engineering from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Trumble also has completed airport planning and design courses at the Federal Aviation Academy in Oklahoma City.
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07-28-08
Dennis Graham, RLS, has recently relocated to Olsson Associates' Lincoln office after working in the firm's Holdrege office since 1990. Graham joined the Lincoln Municipal team as a technical manager and has extensive experience in project management for a wide range of municipal projects.
In his 28 years of professional experience, Graham has been involved in project management, construction administration, and resident construction observation. His experience covers a wide range of engineering projects, including contemporary-designed sanitary landfills, storm and sanitary sewers, paving and total water system installation projects.
For the past nine years, Graham was in charge of the Holdrege survey team, overseeing all legal surveys, engineering survey support and construction staking support. He has also worked as mapping coordinator and draftsman for county tax mapping, and he continues to assist with legal description conflicts on county tax map updates.
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Olsson Announces New Professional Engineers
07-16-08
Olsson Associates is pleased to announce that eight staff members recently passed the professional engineering (PE) exam. The requirements to become a professional engineer include four years of professional experience under a licensed professional engineer and passing the PE exam.
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07-14-08
Olsson Associates has added Doug Halvorson to its Omaha staff as a group leader for the firm's landscape architecture and urban planning team.
Halvorson has more than two decades of experience working with commercial and residential developers to transform visions into reality. Completing such landmark projects as Legacy developments, West Village Pointe and The Colonies development in the Omaha metropolitan area, Halvorson has become well-known among the development community for his mixed-use master planning. He has also worked with retail clients, such as Target and Wal-Mart, on commercial projects throughout the country.
Halvorson holds a bachelor's degree in landscape architecture from Iowa State University and is a registered landscape architect.
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06-19-08
Olsson Associates would like to congratulate Bryan Frantz, PE, and Ron Teck for recently achieving LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) professional accreditation. This accreditation distinguishes individuals with detailed knowledge of LEED project certification requirements and processes who successfully demonstrate these proficiencies on a comprehensive exam.
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The LEED Green Building Rating System is a voluntary, consensus-based national standard for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings. This government program, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, encourages energy efficiency and emphasizes state-of-the-art strategies for sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality.
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Olsson Associates Opens Joplin Office
06-19-08
Olsson Associates is pleased to announce the opening of an office in Joplin, Missouri in April 2008.
The Joplin office provides professional services for land development, water/wastewater, water resources, mechanical, electrical, utility design, transportation, traffic, surveying, power electrical, GIS, environmental services, natural gas distribution, geotechnical services, automation and technology, public involvement, community consulting, and right-of-way negotiation and acquisition services.
John Bolte, PE, leads the office as senior client manager. The Joplin team also includes project manager, Russ Spruill, PE, and senior technician, Aaron Miller.
The office address is located at 1706 East 4th Street, Joplin, MO 64801. The staff can be reached by phone at 417.206.9000 or by fax at 417.206.9002.
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Olsson Associates Opens Office in Urbandale
05-28-08
Olsson recently opened an office in Urbandale, Iowa, to serve clients in the greater Des Moines area.
The office is located at 11035 Aurora Avenue, Urbandale, Iowa 50322. The staff can be reached by phone at 515.331.6517 or fax at 515.331.6518.
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05-27-08
Olsson Associates would like to congratulate Mike Yost, PE, for recently achieving LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) professional accreditation. Accredited individuals have passed a comprehensive exam, demonstrating their knowledge of LEED project certification requirements and processes.
Mike Yost is Olsson's Greater Nebraska regional executive and has 25 years of engineering management experience. His experience includes multidisciplinary projects involving civil, land planning, water resources, municipal infrastructure, and construction administration. His master's degree and post-graduate work have focused on hydrology, hydraulics, and environmental engineering.
The LEED Green Building Rating System is a voluntary, consensus-based, national standard for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings. This government program, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, encourages energy efficiency and emphasizes state-of-the-art strategies for sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality.
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05-15-08
Former Kearney Assistant City Manager, Amber Brown, has joined Olsson Associates as a member of the community services group. Brown will focus on the funding aspects of projects including managing and administering grants and loans and consulting with clients on funding options for community infrastructure projects. Brown will also manage the public involvement process for projects throughout Nebraska.
"Amber has been a great asset to the City of Kearney for the past three years," said Mike Yost, Central Nebraska area office leader. "We are looking forward to leveraging Amber's expertise to provide superior service for our clients."
While with the City of Kearney, Brown served as the City's legislative liaison, secured more than $1.9 million in grant funding, authored grant applications with a 90 percent success rate, and served as lead staff for the Downtown Improvement Board. Prior to working for the City of Kearney, Brown was a resource development specialist for Central Nebraska Community Services in Loup City, Nebraska.
Brown can be reached in Olsson's Holdrege office at 308.995.8706.
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04-29-08
Former Lakewood Mayor Steve Burkholder has joined Olsson as a member of its business development advisory committee. He will be a part of the business development team that builds relationships with potential clients and identifies potential projects.
"Steve brings a wealth of experience and knowledge," said Chip Corcoran, chief operations officer. "His experience as a city council member, a mayor, and president of the Colorado Municipal League gives him insight into the challenges facing communities across Colorado."
Burkholder served two terms as mayor of Lakewood. Prior to serving as mayor, he was a member of the Lakewood City Council. He is a former president of the Colorado Municipal League and former vice-chairman of the Metro Mayors Caucus. While mayor of Lakewood, Burkholder was instrumental in the redevelopment of the former Villa Italia Mall at Wadsworth and Alameda into the current Belmar. He has studied topics such as urban design, e-government, municipal finance, affordable housing, urban leadership and democratic governance, and homeland security.
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2-15-08
CollegeGrad.com has named Olsson Associates a Top 500 Entry Level Employer for 2008. Olsson is projecting to hire 30 entry level employees in 2008.