ACEC/Michigan presents Firm of the Year honors

Lansing, Mich. — The American Council of Engineering Companies of Michigan (ACEC/M) recently presented the 2015 member “Firm of the Year” awards at the Engineering & Surveying Excellence awards ceremony in celebration of Engineers Week. Both a large firm (>30 employees) and a small firm were recognized. In the large firm category, ACEC member firm HNTB Michigan Inc., headquartered in Detroit, took the honor. The 2015 ACEC small firm of the year was awarded to Byce & Associates, Inc., located in Kalamazoo.

This is the highest honor bestowed and the only award program instituted to recognize ACEC/M member firms for their leadership in professional practice and community service. Recognition is based on actions taken by a member firm to progressively develop its management practices and for assuming leadership roles in community outreach activities and ACEC/M programs that strengthen the profession for all ACEC/M members.

ACEC Large Firm of Year

HNTB Michigan, Inc. stands out as being a company that is actively involved in the success and growth of ACEC/Michigan, advancing the consulting design profession and giving back to the community. Employees are actively involved in partnering with local schools providing mentorship and learning opportunities to young people through Engineering Discovery Day, Construction Science Expo, Engineers Week and ITS World Congress. HNTB employees give back to the community through park clean-up, tree planting, Habitat for Humanity, and sending troop care packages, along with several other charitable activities.

HNTB also engages in a variety of activities to positively impact the engineering profession and ACEC. Through leadership involvement with multiple chapters of the American Public Works Association (APWA) and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), HNTB has been instrumental in raising funds for student scholarships and creating programming for professional development. HNTB Vice President Len Becker serves as an ACEC/Michigan Director and is the chair of ACEC/M’s membership committee.

HNTB Corporation is an employee-owned infrastructure solutions firm. Celebrating a century of service, HNTB understands the life cycle of infrastructure and addresses clients’ most complex technical, financial and operational challenges. Professionals nationwide deliver a full range of infrastructure-related services, including award-winning planning, design, program management and construction management.

ACEC Small Firm of the Year

Providing innovative, practical solutions to its clients’ needs for more than 55 years, Byce & Associates, Inc. (Byce) brings a passion to serving the needs of their clients, employees and neighbors: the community. Byce has been an industry leader in the engineering profession, serving its clients, staff, and supporting industry partners as well as fostering the enhancement and viability of the engineering profession at both a state and national level.

Community involvement is paramount to Byce, both for the company as a whole and for its employees. James Escamilla, P.E., President/CEO, as well as many other employees, sit on many local boards, committees and associations. In addition, Byce actively participates in philanthropic projects aimed to benefit the local community and prides itself on its relationship with local non-profits, providing architectural and engineering services with a substantial portion of the fee waived as a donation.

Byce principals and employees are actively involved in contributing to the success of ACEC/Michigan and the engineering industry as a whole. Mr. Escamilla has served ACEC/M in the capacity of President and National Director. Brenda Longman, Vice President, serves on the Business Practices Committee, and Matthew Norko, Marketing Coordinator, serves on the Engineering & Surveying Excellence Awards Committee. Bryan Webster, PE, Vice President, is actively involved in mentoring senior engineering students through the “Capstone” process.