Northwest Architectural Company

Northwest Architectural Co. has seen significant growth in project volume during 2000, continuing a trend that began in 1999. Staff size has remained steady at 32 in the Seattle office, 48 in Spokane and three in Coeur d’Alene. The firm has continued to grow its higher education market share with significant projects at Washington State University and the University of Idaho. Medical market share continues to grow on both sides of the state, with Whidbey General Hospital additions and renovations a typical project. The core market of the company, K-12 schools, has remained strong. The firm currently has seven major high schools across the state in design or construction, including schools in Spokane, Renton, Puyallup and Camas.

Construction volume increased from $171.2 million in 1999 in Spokane to $183.1 million projected for 2000. In Seattle, volume increased from $158.7 million in 1999 to $170.5 million projected for 2000. Revenues meanwhile grew 14.6 percent in Spokane and 15.4 percent in Seattle.

Greg Stack, managing principal of the firm's Seattle office, said that staff retention has been very good over this past year, but finding additional qualified staff has been a challenge. Stack sees public-market sectors “cooling somewhat through the end of the year as people wait to see what the November elections will do to both the economic expansion in general and the electorate’s willingness to fund public projects.” Stack added that “large needs in medical, higher education and K-12 facilities definitely exist. The question is whether the public is confident enough to keep paying to meet these needs.”