Largest A&E Company Makes Managerial Moves

by Talk Business & Politics staff ([email protected]) 82 views 

Two longtime employees of Benchmark Group, the area’s largest architectural and engineering firm, have assumed different management roles.

L. Brown Pendleton has been named the company’s new director of design in the architectural department.

He is taking the place of John Roberts, who will enter into semi-retirement in 2012 and assume new responsibilities as director of marketing. Roberts, who turns 65 in November, will continue to work full time until the first of the year before beginning a reduced schedule that focuses on business development.

“I’m leaving the department in very good hands; it’s about as smooth a transition as can take place in this business,” Roberts said.

Roberts had been the architectural department’s director since 1994. Pendleton had previously been a project architect and program manager.

Both men have been with the firm since 1987.

Benchmark Group, founded in 1978 as an electrical engineering firm, has an on-site staff in its downtown Rogers location of about 35, with design capabilities in architecture, interior design and engineering.

About 65 people, including 14 architects, work in the architectural department, which produces anywhere from 75 to 100 projects each year.