ROCK ISLAND, ILLINOIS – KJWW Engineering Consultants announces the opening of a Kansas City office.  KJWW Engineering continues to grow and remain a strong player amidst the tough economic downturn facing many in the design and construction industry.  KJWW, ranked among the Top 10 engineering firms in the U.S., recognized the opportunity to grow and expand its market share in the built environment.

“We are proud to add the Kansas City market to our pursuits and hope to continue growing the office and adding more jobs to the local economy,” says KJWW President, Paul VanDuyne.  “We have remained financially solid through this tough economic time due to good business practices, a highly-skilled workforce, and lots of loyal clients.”   

“Kansas City is a sophisticated market with a wealth of healthcare, higher education, corporate industries, and sports and recreation opportunities,” says VanDuyne.  “This is a perfect fit with our expertise and services as these are our primary target markets.”

In addition to Kansas City, KJWW has seven other Midwest offices, including Chicago, Naperville, and Rock Island, Ill., Des Moines and Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Madison, Wisc., and St. Louis, Mo.  KJWW’s international offices include Dubai in the United Arab Emirates and Ahmedabad, India.

The contact information for KJWW’s Kansas City office is 7381 West 133^rd Street, Suite 210 in Overland Park, Kansas 66213.  Eric Perry is the contact person for the office and can be reached at (913) 956-6636 or perryel@kjww.com.

KJWW is a 400-person mechanical, electrical, technology, structural, and acoustical engineering and medical equipment planning consulting firm specializing in the healthcare, education, government, commercial, industrial, and sports & recreation markets.  KJWW is celebrating its 50^th anniversary and was recently named the ‘2011 Midwest Designer of Year’ by Engineering News Record (ENR), the leadi

Fifty has a lot of meanings for KJWW Engineering Consultants.  The company is celebrating 50 years of business this year and now has even more to celebrate.  KJWW achieved a major milestone in the design and construction industry with 50 LEED certified projects.  Very few firms in the industry have achieved such a high record of sustainable and “green” design projects.

KJWW estimates its LEED certified projects will total somewhere around 60 by the end of 2011, with another 120 pending certification.  KJWW is ranked by Engineering News Record (ENR) magazine among the Top 100 greenest design firms in the country. 

LEED certification is the most recognized in the design and construction industry for sustainability achievement.  LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is an internationally-recognized green building certification system.  Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), LEED provides building owners and operators with a framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations, and maintenance solutions.  LEED certification includes Certified, Silver, Gold, and Platinum at the highest level. 

Many of KJWW’s LEED certified projects are for hospitals, colleges, schools, and corporations that benefit from reduced energy and water consumption, lower operating costs, and healthier and safer environments for occupants.

Some of KJWW’s LEED certified projects include the LEED Platinum University of Illinois – Urbana/Champaign new business instructional facility, the LEED Platinum Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield new corporate headquarters in Des Moines, the LEED Gold Wheaton College new science building in Wheaton, Ill., the LEED Gold University of Wisconsin – Whitewater new 450-bed residence hall, and the LEED Platinum ACT new data center in Iowa City, Iowa.

“Most of our clients are seeking sustainable and “green” design options for their building projects,” says KJWW President, Paul VanDuyne.  “KJWW has promoted innovative, energy efficient technologies long before LEED certification came into fashion as it has today.  It’s been part of our culture because the results are real and they benefit everyone.  We believe education and training are critical to its acceptance.”

KJWW practices what it preaches.  In 2008, KJWW achieved LEED Silver for expansion of its Rock Island headquarters.

“We have over 60 LEED Accredited Professionals on our staff, specifically trained to educate and design for LEED certification.  Combined with our energy

KJWW Engineering Consultants is proud to celebrate its 50^th anniversary this year.

“We are excited to have reached this important milestone,” said Paul VanDuyne, PE, KJWW president. “We are especially thankful to our clients for their loyalty and support throughout these 50 years.”

In 1961, Walter G. Kimmel started the firm, Walter G Kimmel, Consulting Engineer, by providing mechanical engineering design services to architects in the Quad Cities, mostly for Eagle Food Stores, and other small commercial projects.

“Looking back at the firm’s humble beginnings – a couple of former industry engineers start a small business, working out of their house on drawings in an attic – makes our nine offices on two continents today even more remarkable,” VanDuyne said.

Walter Kimmel was soon joined by Ward Jensen, and later Samuel Wray and Vernon Wegerer. At that time the firm was Kimmel-Jensen-Wegerer-Wray Engineering Consultants, and the name was shortened to KJWW Engineering Consultants in 1981. Following Kimmel, Jensen was the firm’s next president, followed by Wegerer and then VanDuyne.

“We have seen significant growth since the early days of just 22 employees in 1980. By 1990, we were at 58, and by 2000, 176. Today we have more than 425 employees, including 150 in the corporate headquarters in Rock Island,” Mr. VanDuyne said.

Larry Pithan, PE, senior vice president, added, “As our employee count grew, so did our number of offices. The first office outside of Rock Island was in Des Moines in1989, quickly followed by the Madison, Wis. office in 1993. In 1999, an office to serve Chicago clients opened in the suburbs, and then St. Louis was added in 2003, and a downtown Chicago office with the acquisition of EME, LLC in 2007.”

KJWW’s first office outside of the United States opened in 2008 in Ahmedabad, India. In 2010, another U.S. of

KJWW Engineering Consultants is pleased to announce Eric Vandenbroucke, PE, LEED AP, has been named an Associate Principal of the firm.

Vandenbroucke has 21 years experience, including six with KJWW. He holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Michigan Technological University and a master’s degree in business administration from the Keller Graduate School of Management.

He currently serves as a Client Executive with a focus on Healthcare in Chicago and the surrounding area. As a Client Executive, Vandenbroucke is a seasoned Project Executive, Project Manager, and Lead Electrical Engineer. He has extensive experience in the design and construction of medium and low-voltage power distribution systems, standby and critical power systems, lighting systems, and various special systems. Vandenbroucke takes a "hands on" approach to projects and is a strong believer in the team approach. He focuses on communication and quality to ensure that all engineering aspects of a project exceed the client’s expectations.

Vandenbroucke has worked on more than $730 million in healthcare projects, including:

·         $175 million expansion and renovation at Palos Community Hospital in Palos Heights.

·         $180 million campus transformation project at Little Company of Mary in Evergreen Park.

·         $129 million bed tower addition and renovation at Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield.

KJWW Engineering Consultants is pleased to be part of the team for the SSM St. Clare Health Center, recently named a 2011 Vista Award winner from the American Society for Healthcare Engineering (ASHE).

The Vista Awards are a national mark of distinction and honor recognizing the importance of teamwork in design and construction of the health care environment in three categories: new construction, renovation, and infrastructure. The St. Clare Health Center was the recipient in the new construction category for the 54-acre greenfield hospital.

“The Vista Award is unique in that it recognizes a team working together with an ultimate goal of designing and developing a healing environment," said Dana Swenson, PE, MBA, senior vice president and chief facilities officer at UMass Memorial Health Care and chair of the 2011 Vista Awards Task Force. “By sharing a common vision and stated goals, each of these teams worked together and overcame challenges presented along the way. The teams recognized this year supported one another, but those who will benefit most from the team's hard work are the people who will use and work at the facilities.”

The Vista award winners were judged on criteria such as pre-planning, development and implementation stages; time management; creative problem-solving techniques; enhancing staff productivity; supporting the needs of the community; and maintaining facility performance during renovation.

SSM Health Care formed a collaborative project team of health, design and construction professionals who worked to create a hospital that was safer, more comfortable and more convenient for patients and loved ones. The hospital has 154 same-handed patient rooms and incorporates evidence-based design.

KJWW Engineering served as the mechanical, electrical and technology engineer. HGA Architects and Engineers were the architects on the project and Alberici Constructors the construction manager.

Becca Frangipane, KJWW Structural Technician, recently provided a software training session for Autodesk University, the premiere provider of 3D software.  Click on the link to view her presentation, "Slope It, Slope It Good: Sloping Framing in Autodesk® Revit® Structure".

KJWW Engineering Consultants is pleased to announce its Business Instructional Facility project, which was designed for the College of Business at the University of Illinois, has received the highest engineering award in the state of Illinois. The project won the Eminent Conceptor Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies of Illinois earlier this month.

The Eminent Conceptor "recognizes an engineering achievement which demonstrates a high degree of merit and ingenuity, contributes to the advancement of the private practice of engineering and enhances the economic and social welfare of the general public," according to the ACEC. KJWW’s project was selected from 12 engineering firms who received Honor Awards.

In the 38-year history of the award, the Eminent Conceptor has been awarded for a mechanical system design just twice, and both times KJWW was the firm that was honored. In 2001, the Eminent Conceptor went to KJWW for the nation’s largest geothermal system at Great River Medical Center.

The Business Instructional Facility is a landmark building, not just for the University of Illinois, but for college campuses around the country. It has set the standard for building sustainability in higher education. The $62-million facility changed design standards on campus, and has achieved the rare LEED Platinum designation.

Extensive collaboration and computer modeling early in the conceptual phase of the facility resulted in its highly efficient designs, including:

• 4,000 sf of photovoltaic panels on the roof to convert solar energy into clean and renewable electricity, producing approximately 8 percent of the building’s total electricity demand.
• A green roof that reduces rainwater run-off that feeds into the drainage system.
• Low-energy-use building design reduces power consumption and cooling power from the campus chiller. Zero use of CFC refrigerants reduces ozone depletion.
• Displacement ventilation system that moves warm and cool air through the building more efficiently than a traditional forced-air system and improves air quality.
• Photo sensors on lights to reduce energy consumption as outside light enters a room.
• Motion sensors turn lights off in empty rooms reducing power consumption.
• Low-volume shower heads, toilets, and faucets reduce water consumption.

Larry was recognized for his exceptional career achievements; outstanding contributions to education, training and mentoring of students and engineers; and his lasting impact on society and the engineering profession.

As senior vice president, Larry has helped guide KJWW Engineering to its Top 10 national ranking. He has worked his entire 36-year career with the firm since graduating from Iowa State University in 1973 with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering.

Throughout his career, Larry has been dedicated to giving back to his community, supporting the institutions that gave him his career start and furthering education opportunities for others. Most recently he was recognized for his endowment of a full professorship at Iowa State University in the Mechanical Engineering Department. In addition, he funds an annual scholarship for music students at Rockridge School District.

Larry was appointed to the Iowa State University Mechanical Engineering Advisory Council from 2005-2007 before being named in September 2007 to the Engineering College Industrial Advisory Council. In this role, Larry joined 30 other members in offering advice to the leadership of the College of Engineering on course content, strategic planning and fund-raising activities. He continues to encourage the career of professional engineering consulting among college students.

As one of the initial members of the Mississippi Valley Chapter of ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers), Larry was instrumental in its development. He served in many leadership roles including Chapter President. Under Larry’s leadership, membership grew and the chapter was granted a Premier Chapter status from ASHRAE for its achievements. Larry also served on the Advisory Board of the Country Bank of Edgington, and currently serves on the Board of Directors of Country Bank in Aledo. He lives in Andalusia with his wife, Pam.