The strength of McTish, Kunkle and Associates comes from its people, according to John Ryan, Central Pennsylvania Regional Manager.
For over 30 years, the state-wide consulting engineering firm has provided engineering, environmental and construction inspection services to a wide range of clients, Ryan said.
According to its Web site, "each project is designed to meet our clients' needs utilizing cost-effective solutions while providing the very best in customer service."
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John Ryan is Central Pennsylvania Regional Manager for McTish, Kunkle and Associates.
The company employs about 130 full-time professionals state-wide, with offices in Allentown, Montoursville and Pittsburgh. Also, it hires about 70 to 100 seasonal workers, as well, according to Ryan.
Training employees out of college at entry-level positions or through internships allows for a fresh start and clean slate to mold individuals into becoming responsible professionals, Ryan said of the local office.
"It's always been my philosophy to have a small group of senior managers to train people right out of school," he said.
Positions include civil, structural and transportation engineers, designers, environmental scientists and planners, surveyors, construction managers, building code officials and nutrient management specialists, according to Ryan.
Locally, the company has had a hand in the work on the Market Street Bridge, I-80 and major construction projects on Route 15 North, Ryan said.
In many muncipalities, Ryan said the company has provided professional engineering services for numerous roadway, bridge, rail and aviation projects, as well as numerous land development projects for clients.
As a company specializing in transportation, the state Department of Transportation and Pennsylvania Turnpike are two of its biggest clients in construction inspection, he added, by providing 70 and 100 inspectors annually for certain projects.
"All of our inspectors are required to be certified by numerous agencies," Ryan said.
Ryan said the the Allegheny River Bridge Replacement Project is the largest construction project ever awarded by the Turnpike Commission, and considers it a hallmark project.
It has been about a year since McTish, Kunkle began working with the Marcellus Shale formation, a vast source of natural gas resources.
"About 50 percent of our workforce is assigned to that," Ryan said.
Ryan added that working with the gas exploration project has allowed the company to expand and invest in new equipment.
"We've been able to get state-of-the-art field equipment, vehicles and expand our workforce," he said.
About 75 percent of the workforce are graduates from Pennsylvania College of Technology, he said, from which the company typically recruits.
Ryan said that in the engineering field, things can be both stressful and rewarding at the same time. A lot of planning has to be done in the face of deadlines.
"The work has to be done right - thoroughly and accurately," Ryan said.
However, once a project is completed, he said the reward comes from seeing the project's completion.
With the gas exploration project, he said that although there were some struggles in the translation of Texan workers to the Pennsylvania methods of construction, much of that has been alleviated and things are moving much more efficiently now.
Ryan added that the economy hasn't been hurting the company one bit.
"I'm hiring more people. We're working 50 to 60 hours a week - I wouldn't know if there was any trouble or not," he laughed. "Company wide, we're doing great."
For the past seven years, Ryan said that there has been 100 percent retention with its employees.
"People are happy here," he said. "They see the potential for growth."
McTish, Kunkle and Associates Montoursville office moved in July from the Savits Center in Montoursville to the Liberty Mutual building, 1500 Sycamore Road.
For more information, visit www.mctish.com/index.html.
