Coughlin Porter Lundeen

Specialty: Civil, structural, seismic engineering

Principals: Jim Coughlin, Steve Porter, Terry Lundeen

Year founded: 1994

2003 revenues:$8 million

Projected 2004 revenues: $8.5 million

Largest current projects: Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center expansion, Central Washington University Student Union and Recreation Facility, Western Washington Academic Instructional Building, Horizon House residential tower

Photo courtesy of CPL Coughlin Porter Lundeen is designing an expansion of Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center in Seatle.

Coughlin Porter Lundeen marked its 10th anniversary this year by moving to offices in the 5th & Pine Building in the heart of Seattle.

“We think it’s a good way to attract and retain the best talent,” says Jim Coughlin.

The firm has had other things to celebrate. One is that its efforts to land higher-education projects is beginning to pay off.

“It has taken us quite a bit of time to get into higher education,” Coughlin says, explaining the company has always done K-12 work and wanted to broaden its reach in the academic arena.

Among the higher education projects CPL is working on are the Central Washington University Student Union and Recreation Facility and the Western Washington Academic Instructional Building.

CPL also has been diversifying by working on laboratory and medical projects. Its largest project is the Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center expansion and Horizon House’s new tower.

The company also is doing more retail, and worked on the Lynnwood and Ocean Shores convention centers.

“But at the same time we are sticking with architectural structures and sites that support architectural structures,” says Coughlin, noting the firm will not design highways and the like.

Such work is “a whole different animal. You’d have to increase your overhead. It’s just not for us.”

One of Coughlin Porter Lundeen’s seismic projects was the renovation of the King County Courthouse. The firm came up with “very creative, innovative solutions” Coughlin said, adding the project was done on time and budget.

The 65-employee firm is looking at hiring, but any growth will be modest, according to Coughlin.

One thing fueling the expansion is the increasing complexity of buildings, especially ones with sustainability features. “We are doing a lot of sustainable buildings,” Coughlin says.

Despite a desire to grow, an acquisition or merger is unlikely. Coughlin and the other principals are involved in the actual engineering work and they want to remain so. Merging or acquiring a company would take away from their ability to do that.

“We’re more focused on working on high-quality projects. We do not want to grow too fast. That could compromise that quality.”

He thinks new stormwater regulations will affect the industry as a whole. They’ll require civil engineers to be more creative.