A Message From Our Leadership |
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December is a great time of the year to be mindful of what we experienced over the past 12 months. Helping people we know and meeting new clients...it feels great!
2021 has been a breath of fresh air over 2020 and although the pandemic is not entirely behind us, most of the danger is.
We are blessed with great employees and clients, and lucky to have engaged in many successful projects that are fun and make us proud. Our relationships continue to grow.
The team photo above from our ‘in-person’ Design Conference this year headlines this addition of Plains Talk. Traditions need to remain when they are this good. We have held many Design Conferences over the last few decades, and this was my favorite.
The history of this company expands and becomes more robust each year while we remain humble and thankful to all of you for your support and friendship.
Extending our warmest wishes this holiday season and all the best for 2022,
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Doug Feterl, P.E.
President
West Plains Engineering
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- This year we supported all of you on more than 420 new projects across 12 states;
- And by you, we mean more than 150 different clients. (thank you by the way)
- These projects included exciting new construction for event spaces, innovation incubators, multi-use housing, schools, sports venues, and more;
- It also included creative renovations to breath new life into offices, medical facilities, higher education campuses, and government buildings.
- Fortunately, we were able to add four more team members to help keep production on track;
- And we're looking forward to welcoming another in January!
- 1 in 4 of our team members has been here more than 20 years, and 1 in 3 has joined us in the past 5 years. We think it's a nice mix;
- We gave away more than $8,200 in charitable donations;
- And were able to treat our team to an amazing WPE Design Conference in Deadwood;
We could keep going, but a picture says a 1,000 words so check out the video below for a more visual look a WPE's 2021 in Review!
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West Plains Engineering News |
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David Clark, P.E. celebrated 10 years with WPE in November!
David is a Mechanical Engineer in our Cedar Rapids office and joined the team after graduating from Iowa State University in 2010. Over the past decade, he's earned his P.E. and been involved in nearly 300 projects for our company. Our Iowa team can tell you - he also livens the place up a bit...and makes sure meals and snacks are never missed.
Congratulations David!
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Daren Beckloff celebrating 15 years with WPE, also in November!
Daren joined our crew in 2006, but has 30 years of experience as a consulting engineer. He leads our Power Division, which specializes in medium and high voltage design, and has become our reigning renewables guru working to incorporate solar arrays into both building-level and infrastructure design.
Happy anniversary Daren!
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WPE Makes 2021 Charitable Giving Contributions |
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One of the key pillars of our company culture is a belief in growth and development. We’re invested in the idea that each member of our team should be given an opportunity to shine not just professionally – but as a member of their community as well. One of the ways we support our staff in this effort is through our multi-faceted corporate philanthropy program.
West Plains Engineering Ways to Give is designed to empower employees to make a difference in their local communities on every level. Not only does each have a voice in selecting causes for our firm to support financially, but each is also recognized and rewarded for getting out and participating in local events and initiatives that hit close to home.
There are three tiers to the program:
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Corporate Giving: Our largest single annual charitable donation that goes to an organization or initiative that reflects our firm's culture and values.
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Community Investment: Each of our four markets selects a local program in their community to receive a $1,000 donation.
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Dollars for Doers: By volunteering or making a personal donation, staff can earn matching corporate funds to reinvest in a program that impacts them personally.
Below are our amazing recipients for each tier in 2021!
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The Feeding America network involves 200 food banks serving the entire United States, including South Dakota and Iowa.
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, unemployment and food insecurity has soared, with over 60 million people relying on food banks in 2020 - which means roughly 1 in 7 Americans. Households with children are the hardest hit, and with the holidays approaching, that need only worsens.
$1 = 10 meals for the organization. With our $3,000 Corporate Giving donation, we will be providing 30,000 meals in our region.
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Alzheimer's Association of SD |
Our Rapid City team chose the Alzheimer's Association of South Dakota, which holds a special place in our hearts as several of us have seen the effects of this disease on our friends and family. We're proud to say that our donation officially helped exceed the Black Hills Walk to End Alzheimer's goal!
Pictured above are Leslie Morrow, State Executive Director and Carla Thielbar, Development Director, for the South Dakota Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association.
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Sioux Falls selected the South Dakota Furniture Mission, nominated by Harlan Osterloo.
This organization provides gently-used furniture and household items to help those in need, such as beds, bedding, couches, dinning tables and much more. Each person who receives furniture is referred by a social service agency, school, church or hospital - assuring the organization is supporting those truly in need.
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Willis Dady Homeless Services |
Our Cedar Rapids team selected Willis Dady Homeless Services to receive their 2021 Community Investment donation. Our staff have volunteered with this amazing organization in the past, and were committed to making a financial impact as well.
Becky Kramer, who nominated the group, and Richard Panton stopped by to deliver the check.
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Wyoming Rescue Mission was chosen by our Casper staff to receive their Community Investment donation for 2021.
Mechanical engineer Zane Perez met up with organization leadership to present the check and thank them for the outstanding work they do in Wyoming!
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The amazing team members listed below spent time volunteering or making a personal financial contribution to a non-profit in 2021. Each received up to $150 in matching contributions from WPE.
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We're excited to share the addition of two new team members, one of whom joined us in December and another who will be coming on board in January. Both began as interns with WPE and we're thrilled to have them as full-time teammates! |
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Dalton Buck will join the West Plains Engineering staff as a full-time mechanical designer in January.
Dalton has spent two summers as an intern in our Sioux Falls office and will become a permanent part of our team after finishing his degree at South Dakota State University in December.
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Messo Hekima joined us as a full-time electrical designer this week.
Messo has been an intern in our Power Division since 2019, and recently completed his degree in Electrical Engineering from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology.
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Rapid City, SD | Sioux Falls, SD | Casper, WY | Cedar Rapids, IA |
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