INSIGHTs & INTUITION

What is one goal your company accomplished this year that brings you pride? What is one goal you want to accomplish in 2020?

Grant Meyer CEO AE2S Grand Forks, ND

AE2S is proud to have again been recognized as one of the 50 Best Places to Work by PB. Throughout 2019 we have increased investment in technical training programs, leadership development, and employee wellness. In our second year as an ESOP, we have also been purposeful in increasing communications, transparency, and promoting employee engagement. We are proud that our employee-owners feel we are providing a “Best Place to Work”, as they work hard to take care of our clients.

AE2S has been a leader in the regional water industry for nearly three decades, but 2020 will still offer significant new milestones. This year, together with the City of Grand Forks, we will start up the new Grand Forks Regional Water Treatment Plant. We will also break ground for the new Pierre Water Treatment Plant, with the team in Pierre, SD. Both facilities will employ leading edge treatment technology, providing longterm confidence in drinking water quality. Successful projects in Grand Forks and Pierre, represent a few of the major goals for AE2S in 2020, as they are critical not only for providing safe water, but also for providing the infrastructure for sustained growth and economic development throughout the region.

On Oct. 10, 2019, Williston Basin International Airport (XWA) became only the fourth new commercial airport to open in the US in the past decade. Ulteig is extremely proud to have served as program manager for this $273 million project. During the project we managed 29 active contracts, 16 prime contractors, 16 consulting companies and seven tenant projects.

A greenfield airport, built from the ground up, is both unusual and rare because it requires a significant amount of land for runways, terminals, and a significant amount of community support. My personal role included tribal coordination. I worked with the FAA, contractors and tribal representatives to come out with a successful partnership. It’s one of the most remarkable projects I’ve ever been part of.

I think helping launch a new international airport was especially significant because it was achieved in our company’s 75th year. Just in the past few years Ulteig has experienced explosive growth, with more and more people turning to us for help with projects large and small. My goal for 2020 is to continue to drive that growth, by hiring talented staff and by developing new ways to solve the challenges of our clients and the communities they serve.

Jen Hanley PE, Technical Manager Ulteig

Warrey Chief Operating Officer Marco

These days, you can’t talk about technology without also considering security. That’s why Marco made it a goal in 2019 to implement a security offering for our IT clients addressing some real network threats. Being able to offer this vital protection to our clients brings us pride and helps Marco – and our customers – stay competitive.

Marco also continued to invest in its employee culture in 2019. We established a Gold Standard employee group to provide candid feedback on how to make Marco a great place to work. The new group was tasked with instilling a sense of community at all our Marco offices – through gatherings, giveaways and a pancake breakfast where executive team leaders were the cooks.

In 2020, Marco is putting an emphasis on efficiently delivering a great client experience. We’re looking to use artificial intelligence and smart tools to keep up with advancements in technology that will soon be standard. Marco always strives to be on the cutting edge – taking technology further.