FORMER GE REAVES EMPLOYEES LAUNCH OWN FIRM
James Aldridge
Three former employees of GE Reaves Engineering, Inc. are pursuing their entrepreneurial ambitions and have formed their own company.
The new firm, called Advanced Engineering Solutions, Inc. will specialize in structural and forensic engineering in San Antonio.
Advanced Engineer Solutions was founded by GE Reaves former General Manager, Bob Condit and former Vice President of Engineering, Tana M. Koudelka, as well as James Jones, who was an engineer for GE Reaves.
Advanced Engineering Solutions will focus on the structural design of buildings and homes and on using forensic engineering to investigate why buildings develop cracks and other structural problems. The partners plan to market their firm’s services to commercial contractors, residential builders and homeowners.
GE Reaves is a local land surveying, civil, structural and forensic engineering firm. Gaylord Reaves, foundation and president of the firm, launched the company in 1982. It has since grown to become the 19th largest engineering firm in San Antonio, according to Business Journal research.
Beginning anew.
For the last two months, the partners launching the new firm have been in the development stages of establishing the company by building workstations and gearing up for more hires Condit, Advanced Engineering’s general manager, says the company officially began competing for clients in July. Besides the three partners, the firm has hired two engineering specialists and an office manager.
Condit says that he anticipates employing a staff of 17 to 20 people and the partners have configured workstations at the firms, 2,900 square-foot office in North Central San Antonio to do just that. Advanced Engineering Solutions will focus on projects along the San Antonio-Austin corridor.
“We can grow to 17 people, and we want to do that by the end of the year,” he says.
T. J Cantwell, president of the Greater San Antonio Builders Association, says builders in San Antonio rely heavily on structural engineering firms to design not only foundations, but also frames and roofs.
“Almost every house is going to move some. The idea is to prevent it from moving very much,” he says. “As litigious as this society is, you better have it (design expertise), if anything to provide some sense of security.”
Foundation problems can be expensive to remedy but also can be mitigated or avoided with the proper design, Condi says. Also other structural problems can develop because of mistakes made during construction, Condit says.
That’s where Advanced Engineering Solutions comes in. The principals will market the firms’ capabilities to work with contractors to design and certify a home or building’s foundation, walls and frames and roof.
Koudelka and Jones say their experience as both structural and forensic engineers should bode well for them in
their new venture. Koudelka, who headed both the structural and forensic engineering departments at GE Reaves, says that during the eight years she spent with the firm, she worked on a multitude of projects that involved writing and reviewing failure analysis reports.
“The knowledge we gain from forensics, looking at buildings 10, 20, 30 years down the road helps me to design a better structure,” adds Jones, who worked for GE Reaves for about eight months before deciding to become a partner in Advanced Engineering Solutions.
“Hopefully, down the road we can help builders build a more cost-effective product,” Koudelka says.
Three former employees of GE Reaves Engineering, Inc. are pursuing their entrepreneurial ambitions and have formed their own company.
The new firm, called Advanced Engineering Solutions, Inc. will specialize in structural and forensic engineering in San Antonio.
Advanced Engineer Solutions was founded by GE Reaves former General Manager, Bob Condit and former Vice President of Engineering, Tana M. Koudelka, as well as James Jones, who was an engineer for GE Reaves.
Advanced Engineering Solutions will focus on the structural design of buildings and homes and on using forensic engineering to investigate why buildings develop cracks and other structural problems. The partners plan to market their firm’s services to commercial contractors, residential builders and homeowners.
GE Reaves is a local land surveying, civil, structural and forensic engineering firm. Gaylord Reaves, foundation and president of the firm, launched the company in 1982. It has since grown to become the 19th largest engineering firm in San Antonio, according to Business Journal research.
Beginning anew.
For the last two months, the partners launching the new firm have been in the development stages of establishing the company by building workstations and gearing up for more hires Condit, Advanced Engineering’s general manager, says the company officially began competing for clients in July. Besides the three partners, the firm has hired two engineering specialists and an office manager.
Condit says that he anticipates employing a staff of 17 to 20 people and the partners have configured workstations at the firms, 2,900 square-foot office in North Central San Antonio to do just that. Advanced Engineering Solutions will focus on projects along the San Antonio-Austin corridor.
“We can grow to 17 people, and we want to do that by the end of the year,” he says.
T. J Cantwell, president of the Greater San Antonio Builders Association, says builders in San Antonio rely heavily on structural engineering firms to design not only foundations, but also frames and roofs.
“Almost every house is going to move some. The idea is to prevent it from moving very much,” he says. “As litigious as this society is, you better have it (design expertise), if anything to provide some sense of security.”
Foundation problems can be expensive to remedy but also can be mitigated or avoided with the proper design, Condi says. Also other structural problems can develop because of mistakes made during construction, Condit says.
That’s where Advanced Engineering Solutions comes in. The principals will market the firms’ capabilities to work with contractors to design and certify a home or building’s foundation, walls and frames and roof.
Koudelka and Jones say their experience as both structural and forensic engineers should bode well for them in
their new venture. Koudelka, who headed both the structural and forensic engineering departments at GE Reaves, says that during the eight years she spent with the firm, she worked on a multitude of projects that involved writing and reviewing failure analysis reports.
“The knowledge we gain from forensics, looking at buildings 10, 20, 30 years down the road helps me to design a better structure,” adds Jones, who worked for GE Reaves for about eight months before deciding to become a partner in Advanced Engineering Solutions.
“Hopefully, down the road we can help builders build a more cost-effective product,” Koudelka says.