Slowdown Hits Architecture And Engineering Employees

(To view a list of the top architects and engineers, click here.) 

A lack of activity in both the residential and commercial sectors has meant fewer jobs for area architectural and engineering firms. And that has meant fewer employees at many firms.

Mike Shupe, a principal with CEI Engineering Inc., said his firm is just one of many that has fallen victim to the decrease in building activity in Northwest Arkansas.

“The slowdown in residential and commercial building has really hurt us,” Shupe said. “Anymore you just don’t know what tomorrow brings. I’ve had to let a lot of people go that I thought would work here for years to come. These are definitely hard times for us.”

According to data collected by the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal for its annual Largest Architectural and Engineering Firms list (p. 19), the number of people employed by firms decreased 9.4 percent from 2007 to 2008. This year, the 44 firms included in the list, employed a total of 1,367 people, a 10 percent decrease from 2007.

Last year the 43 firms on the list employed 1,509 people.

Nearly 60 percent of the firms polled employ fewer people now than they did at this time a year ago.

The decrease in employment hit both architectural and engineering firms, although the number of registered architects at local firms saw a greater drop from 2007 than did the number of registered engineers.

The number of architects employed decreased 14.1 percent from 2007 to 83 architects in 2008.

Engineers at local firms decreased only 8.4 percent from 2007, to 130.

Principals at those firms that gained employees during the past year credited public construction projects and repeat clients as the fuel for their growth.

Brock Hoskins, senior vice president and chief engineer for Garver Engineers LLC in Fayetteville, said the company’s expansion of its industrial consulting work and the construction of its water/wastewater treatment design center both helped the firm continue to land public projects. 

During the past three years Garver Engineers has added 15 local employees, including four registered engineers.

Benchmark Group, which employs 265 people, an 8.2 percent increase from 2007, also gained employees last year and consequently took over the title as largest architecture and engineering firm on this year’s list.

Jim Parks, a principal with Benchmark said he attributes the firm’s growth and continued success to expansion of services, repeat clients and a movement into the public construction sector.

“Fire protection design services is relatively new for us and is continually generating more work for us,” Parks said. “We also have several interior designers on staff, which we didn’t have five years ago. We have moved into some new areas but all of our moves have been natural expansions of services we already offer.”

Brad Hammond, a principal with McGoodwin Williams and Yates Inc. in Fayetteville, said the slowdown in private construction has been somewhat welcomed and has actually helped his firm add much-needed employees.

“I am optimistic that the slowdown is only a temporary thing,” said Owen McAdoo of GA Engineers Inc. “I think it will pick back up, I’m just not sure when.”