Milano and Grunloh
Firm
has laid the foundation of effingham for 35 years Pictured from left are partners at Milano and Grunloh, Scott Hoene, Lee Beckman and Douglas Grunloh.
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he engineering and surveying firm, Milano and Grunloh, has literally helped lay the foundation of the Effingham area for over 35 years. Although they work throughout the state, partners Scott Hoene, Lee Beckman and Douglas Grunloh take pride in their hometown. “We do most of our work locally, but we will reach out to assist anyone's needs” said Hoene. The company assists local municipalities and business people with every facet of preparing for construction. They work with regional and state governments to secure grant funds and then survey and offer engineering services on potential properties. “We strive to work with local clients to give them what they desire,” said Beckman. The three men are regulars at local government meetings, where they work to prepare the infrastructure for some of the largest projects in the area. In recent years, they have done work on the Effingham 12 Progress 2015 • February 2015
Railroad, Roy Schmidt Honda, EJ Water Cooperative, Siemer Milling Company's new office in Teutopolis, Il., Eagle Trail in Newton, North Point Subdivision in Dieterich, Il. and the City of Effingham Wastewater Treatment Plant. As a recent example, Beck's Hybrid Seed has a tentative agreement to purchase 90 acres from the City of Effingham in the Business Park for a distribution and research facility. Milano and Grunloh was hired to produce a site plan for the proposed facility, help obtain grant funds from government entities, street and infrastructure improvements needed for growth, survey the proposed property and complete the grading work to ensure proper water runoff. “It is our job to ensure all aspects of the project work correctly,” said Grunloh. Beckman noted that it is difficult to reconfigure infrastructure on a property if proper planning isn't done prior to construction. The three men are something of a
new generation at the 36-year-old business. The company, which has played a major role in the growth and development of numerous surrounding communities, was founded by Patrick Milano and Charles Grunloh. Pat retired in 2003, at which time Lee Beckman joined Milano and Grunloh as Chuck's partner. It was not long after that the office was moved to its current location at 114 W. Washington Ave in downtown Effingham. When Chuck retired in 2014, Hoene and Grunloh stepped into ownership roles and became partners with Beckman. Over the years, the workforce has grown to 22 employees, including engineers, surveyors, technicians, computeraided drafting operators and administrative professionals. Their wide array of services include Illinois Professional Engineering and Land Surveying services, as well as complete civil, municipal, transportation and environmental engineering services utilizing state-of-the-art computer programs and survey equipment. They also provide
a broad range of construction layout and material testing. “We feel our greatest asset is our employees, and our ability to work closely with our clients throughout the project to develop long-term relationships with those clients,” said Beckman. “We take pride in being a local company employing local people while working together with our clients as a team.” Grunloh, whose father Chuck was one of the two founders of the company, reflected on the road to their place in the community. “We would like to extend our appreciation to all of our clients throughout the past 36 years and hope to continue the working relationships we currently enjoy,” he said. Their staff currently has 80 years of municipal experience, including work with the USDA Rural Development, the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and the Illinois Department of Transportation.