HNTB Corporation looks to its next 100 years in Kansas City

Kansas City, Mo. — “For more than a century now, HNTB Corporation has helped create infrastructure that best meets the unique needs of our clients and the communities where we live and work,” said Tom O’Grady, P.E., HNTB Central Division president. “Nowhere is that commitment stronger than right here in Kansas City, where the firm was founded in 1914.”

Recognizing its 100th birthday last January was just the beginning of a year-long celebration, which has since included a host of community service programs, moving forward on high-profile infrastructure projects in the region, and the announcement of a long-term lease agreement that keeps the company’s corporate offices in downtown Kansas City, Missouri.

“We are proud of the fact that for 100 years our employees have supported the Greater Kansas City community through their professional, civic and personal contributions,” O’Grady said. “And we will continue to do so long into the future.”

Giving back

Having committed to a target of at least 100 hours of community service throughout 2014 to recognize the firm’s 100 years of existence, HNTB volunteers set to work early and often by actively participating in regional events sponsored by professional organizations, including the Missouri and Kansas societies of professional engineers, the Society of Women Engineers, and the Design-Build Institute of America, as well as other community organizations, such as the Prep-KC, the University of Missouri-Kansas City, KC STEM Alliance, Turn the Page KC, Science Pioneers, Junior Achievement, the Heart of America United Way, and Christmas in October.

The majority of the events have focused on youth education and development, as well as promoting the engineering field for the next generation, with events such as “Introduce a girl to engineering day,” Mathcounts, judging youth engineering competitions, and presentations and engineering activities with students at local schools.

For example, last spring professionals from the firm’s Kansas City office participated in the Youth Minority Engineering Night, hosted by the National Society of Black Engineer's at the Kauffman Foundation in Kansas City, Mo. A presentation and activity introduced civil engineering to high school students from inner city schools. Students also learned about electrical engineering, mechanical engineering and computer science.

A dozen HNTB employees also volunteered for Turn the Page KC, which is Mayor Sly James’ initiative to promote youth literacy and improve reading proficiency for Kansas City, Mo., students in kindergarten through third grade. HNTB volunteers organized a book drive, collecting 279 elementary-level books, then sorted and assigned a reading level to each book at Turn the Page KC’s office.

During the summer, HNTB engineers, architects and other local employees celebrated the firm’s centennial by helping feed the hungry. They collected barrels of food, in total weighing 304 pounds, the equivalent to 253 meals. The team then spent several hours sorting food at the Harvesters Food Network’s distribution warehouse in Kansas City. Paula Pratt, director of community relations at Harvesters said, “Harvesters could not begin to feed the many hungry people in our community without the ongoing support of our loyal corporate volunteers and donors like HNTB.”

As part of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce’s Big 5 Urban Neighborhood Initiative, last summer HNTB also acted as a presenting sponsor for a “Little Free Libraries” event, building and installing boxes full of books in local neighborhoods, where anyone can pick up a book and bring back another to share. Chris Migneron, HNTB’s Kansas City architecture office leader and associate vice president, said “Besides loving to read and wanting to pass that along to kids in Greater Kansas City, promoting literacy and community is in line with HNTB’s core values. As architects and engineers we recognize the value of education.”

HNTB also recently announced the results of its annual United Way pledge drive in Kansas City. To date, employee pledges have raised more than $80,000 and special events this fall raised approximately $6,000.

“All the funds collected will go toward building a better life for families, friends and colleagues living right here in our Kansas City community,” said Mike Hess, P.E., HNTB’s Kansas City office leader. “The encouragement and excitement of this centennial year’s community service efforts has been a big motivator for our employees who have responded by exceeding our original goal. We’re now looking to reach 600 service hours, or more.”

Investing in infrastructure

The firm also is moving forward by contributing to some of the region’s biggest, most complex infrastructure projects.

Phase 2 construction on the Johnson County Gateway project began last spring and will continue through 2016. HNTB serves as the program manager for the Kansas Department of Transportation on the Johnson County Gateway, the state’s first transportation design-build project and the largest undertaking in KDOT history. This major interchange of Interstate 435, I-35 and K-10 is currently used by more than 230,000 vehicles daily. It is being expanded and reconfigured to accommodate current and future growth and development.

Construction also began on the replacement of the Manchester Bridges along I-70, which are a major linkage between downtown Kansas City, Mo., and its eastern suburbs as well as the Truman Sports Complex. On a design-build team with of Clarkson Construction Co., HNTB is designing new bridges that are being built next to the existing ones, which were some of the first pieces of the Interstate Highway System built in the Western portion of Missouri. Construction is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2015.

HNTB also was selected by the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority to provide engineering and architectural services to explore the potential of several proposed transit projects. The first project will explore the potential for two transit centers in the downtown area, which would have a total estimated cost of $10 million. The second is to study a proposed $40 million Prospect MAX bus rapid transit improvement project. It would provide an efficient link for major municipal activity centers while serving as a catalyst for much needed economic development and redevelopment in the community.

Investing in the future

HNTB’s next 100 years in Kansas City also are beginning to take shape. Earlier this year the firm announced a new long-term lease for its corporate facilities, totaling 128,000 square feet, at 715 Kirk Drive in downtown Kansas City, Mo.

“We continue to strengthen our relationships throughout the region, as well as with clients and partners across the Midwest,” said O’Grady. “HNTB is one of the region’s top private employers, and we see tremendous growth potential within the infrastructure industry, especially in the transportation areas of aviation, transit and tolling.”

From the Three Trails Crossing Interchange to the Bartle Hall Convention Center, to Kansas City International Airport, and to many of the region’s iconic bridges and vast network of highways and roadways, the firm helps clients do more with less by developing creative funding, management, technology and public outreach strategies to turn complex projects into reality. The firm is a significant contributor to the transportation market and the economies of both Greater Kansas City and the nation. HNTB employs nearly 3,700 people nationwide, and 555 in Greater Kansas City. HNTB consistently ranks as the No. 1 consultant to DOTs and toll authorities nationwide, serving as the general engineering consultant to more tolling agencies than any other firm.