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HEADQUARTERS: Milwaukee, WI NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 70 YEAR FOUNDED: 1991 OFFICE LOCATIONS:
Milwaukee, WI
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Madison, WI
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Chicago, IL
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PE staff volunteering at Kids Build in Madison, WI. They have sponsored the event for a number of years and always take their famous “PE Shake Table” that simulates an earthquake to test the strength of the structures kids build.
Denver, CO
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MARKETS:
Adaptive reuse
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and PMs meet every two weeks. There’s also a peer group set up for the rest of the staff and for those not comfortable bringing up concerns or ideas directly to management. It’s an open forum that happens each month and one person is the designated representative to report back thoughts and concerns. “We don’t want to become stagnant and hearing new ideas is all part of that goal,” he says. For example, when it comes to technology, there’s a small group of people who are part of a technical group. Once the company has zeroed in on a new technology they would like to try, it’s purchased and this group of three to five people test it out on current projects alongside the old technology for 90 days. After that point, if the technical group gives it the go-ahead, it’s opened up to the whole company to try for another 90 days. “We started this process about five years ago and it’s worked well,” he says. “On average, we implement a new technology every two years.” He admits that keeping up with new tech is a top challenge and finds that this process is a good way to handle it. “Some of this new tech is just amazing when
it comes to design and creating 3D models,” he says. “When I started out in the industry, technology was at its infancy, so it’s exciting to see how far we’ve come.” As a growth-driven firm, Elliott says programs like this one help them to stay fresh. BUILDING THE BUSINESS. In addition to testing new tech, client management, organic growth, and adding new locations are all top of mind. Currently, Pierce works mostly in the Midwest, but they’re looking to expand to a few larger cities around the country. “And, we start new offices with people we know,” he says. Elliott knows something about starting things too. He started his first business when he was 31 and grew it to a 12-person firm. That firm merged with another which he took over and grew too. “My greatest driver is to build something,” he says. “To build a business where people can work and feel proud of working means everything to me. I always take time to reflect on where we were, where we are, how we got here and where we’re going. It’s just a cool process.”
Commercial and mixed use
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Corporate
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Cold-framed metal framing
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Culture and entertainment
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Education
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Healthcare
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Historic
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Industrial
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Living
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Mid-rise and high-rise
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Parking structures
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Public and municipal
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■ Worship SERVICES: Structural design and restoration
THE ZWEIG LETTER OCTOBER 14, 2024, ISSUE 1557
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