Penhallegon Associates Consulting Engineers
Specialties: Civil engineering, utilities, site development, surface water, comprehensive planning, transportation, surveying
President/CEO: Marty Penhallegon
Year founded: 1992
2003 revenues: $6.8 million
Projected 2004 revenues: $8.5 million
Largest current projects: Foundation House retirement center in Bothell, Juanita Elementary School, Lake Tapps Elementary School, Snoqualmie Middle School, a Kirkland hotel
“We’re having a great year in 2004,” says Charlie Wittenberg of Penhallegon Associates Consulting Engineers, “and 2005 is looking even better.”
Wittenberg, director of business development for the Kirkland-based firm, says that private site engineering and work for municipalities were slow last year but are now improving.
PACE is doing several big projects for the city of Black Diamond, including comprehensive planning of sewer and water services.
“The utility area is one of the hottest areas in our business right now. And site development is very close behind,” says Wittenberg. The firm is the engineer for 14 utilities and is looking at expanding its work in geographic information systems and surface water work.
About half of PACE’s work is for municipalities in the Puget Sound region, and about half for private projects.
PACE did the civil engineering for the newly opened 60,000-square-foot technology center at Lake Washington Technical College in Kirkland.
Last year, PACE acquired Symonds Consulting Engineers and recently acquired Landmark, another small local firm. It now has about 75 employees.
The recent economic slowdown has had little effect on the business, according to Wittenberg. Unlike many firms, PACE didn’t have to lay off any staff. “We’re highly diversified. When one areas’s down, the other may be up,” says Wittenberg.
He says the firm is always keeping tabs on the state’s Growth Management Act, changing surface water regulations, and local permitting processes to make sure their business can adapt to a changing regulatory environment.