EAPC at 50

The Grand Forks-based company has its roots in the 20th Century and its eyes on the 22nd

Editor’s note: This year marks the 50th anniversary of EAPC Architects Engineers, a Grand Forks-based firm that now employs close to 140 people.

To commemorate the occasion, we posed five questions to the firm, and asked each of EAPC’s five partners to answer one of the questions.

Q. A. HOW DID EAPC COME TO BE?

Engineering Associates, P.C., an engineering firm from Grand Forks, was founded in 1967 by three individuals who specialized in structural, electrical and mechanical engineering. In addition to these specialized services, the firm also offered industrial planning, construction management and value analysis, coordinating engineering services as a Prime Design Professional or as an InterProfessional Consultant.

EAPC resulted from the merger of two architectural firms and one engineering firm in 1978, making it a single source multi-disciplinary design firm able to complete projects of greater magnitude and increased complexity.

Paul Prout VICE PRESIDENT/MECHANICAL ENGINEER

TAKE US BACK TO 1967. WHAT WERE LIFE AND WORK LIKE AT THE COMPANY IN THOSE EARLY DAYS?

The first days of EAPC were very different from today, with a handful of staff instead of the nearly 140 employees we have now.

We were also different in that the early firm was strictly an engineering firm without architectural services. The firm had a close relationship with WellsDenbrook, an architectural firm in Grand Forks, which performed work all around northeast North Dakota. The early engineering ownership merged with Wells-Denbrook to form the full-service firm that EAPC is today.

The first years involved rolling up our sleeves and providing mechanical and electrical engineering work for then-United Hospital in Grand Forks. EAPC was a trusted partner for many years and continues to this day working for the same health system, now called Altru Health System.

The first owners would not recognize the firm today, but would be bursting with pride that EAPC continues to provide exceptional service to our clients and does so by offering an exciting and fulfilling place to work for our employees, and stressing ethics and hard work in protecting the life, health and safety of the public.

Jim Tyler MECHANICAL ENGINEER

WHAT ROLE DID THE GRAND FORKS FLOOD OF 1997 PLAY IN THE COMPANY’S HISTORY?

When the flood struck in April 1997, we were concerned about the future of Grand Forks and our business. Fortunately, the water level didn’t reach the floor elevation of our office, but many employee homes were affected.

With limited access to the city and our location, EAPC was unable to operate out of our corporate headquarters. Because of a very large project at the time, we set up an office on site to ensure we were supporting that project’s needs without interruption, and we resumed operations back in Grand Forks the second week of May.

There was much uncertainty with regards to how our projects under construction would get completed and what our involvement would be with the recovery efforts. With everyone working together, EAPC persevered and the uncertainty dissipated, with staff size growing by 15 percent and our annual revenue growing by 60 percent.

EAPC worked on 150 flood-recovery projects over a three-year period following the flood. The historic event in 1997 created an opportunity for EAPC to grow and was the beginning of multiple offices to retain our staff growth and service our clients throughout the region.

Wayne Dietrich COO/ARCHITECT

WHAT’S NEXT FOR EAPC? Q. A.

EAPC is at a crossroads, as most progressive design firms experience with a certain amount of regularity.

As EAPC leadership takes a hard look at internal goals and practices, we push the envelope of internal improvement. This process is launching an entire series of short- and long-term goals in the specific strategic focus areas of growth, productivity and development and is challenging leadership to answer the question of, what is next?

With certainty, EAPC has grown and will continue to grow, and our leadership needs to respond. Through this internal “soul searching,” we are discovering many exciting opportunities for staff development, leadership development, market development and expansion, and refinements to our profession.

What is next? The EAPC Idea Vault contains new ideas to enhance our overall client offerings, strengthen EAPC’s presence in the A/E industry and allow for continued organic growth as well as the acquisition of new services. Stay tuned as we celebrate 50 years and look ahead to our next milestone at EAPC!

Alan Dostert PRESIDENT/CEO/ARCHITECT

WHAT WENT IN TO EAPC’S DECISION TO EXPAND BEYOND E (ENGINEERING) AND A (ARCHITECTURE) INTO WIND ENERGY, INDUSTRIAL SERVICES AND BUSINESS-EXCELLENCE CONSULTING?

A.

We are open to new ideas and new opportunities as they present themselves. When we recognize a service that has potential to be a good fit with our current offerings and talents, we take a serious look at how this service will fill a need for existing and new clients.

EAPC is continuously looking to diversify its business sectors so that there is greater stability and crossover opportunities for our staff. We believe that our diversity in offerings and talents makes us more attractive to our existing and potential new clients. We also find that landing a job or partnering with a new client in one of our business sectors often leads to work in our other business sectors.

Jay Haley MECHANICAL ENGINEER