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One of our first staff photos taken in 1991, including a young
Dave Riemenschneider second from the left in the back row. :)
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Honoring Our History & Embracing Our Present | |
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How It Started
In January of 1984, a pair of recent graduates from the South Dakota School of Mines and South Dakota State University bet it all on their dream of starting their own MEP consulting firm. Dave Berg and Bob Thompson set up shop in a small tenant office on Mt. Rushmore Road in Rapid City and began carving out a place in the local AEC community. They were young, energetic, talented - and it didn't take long for their reputation as a reliable, engaging mechanical-electrical team to spread.
In just 3 short years, they were able to open a second location in Sioux Falls, and by 1990, the company staff had more than doubled. Additional offices in Casper, WY, and Cedar Rapids, IA followed, as well as expansion into specialized markets for utility engineering and electrical safety studies.
How It's Going
Today, West Plains Engineering, Inc. has 4 offices, 50 employees, and engineers licensed in more than 20 States. We have a Board of Directors, employee stock ownership, and a corporate giving program. More than 50% of our team has been with us for at least a decade, and we've been fortunate to also continue hiring bright new talent. We support more than 300 projects per year firmwide - from multi-million dollar new construction to single-sheet renovations.
We've come a long way from Bob and Dave's dream (they still stop in to see us by the way), but in a lot of ways, we're the same. We're still proud to be a small business serving the Upper Midwest made up of Midwest people who genuinely like helping others.
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THEN
2-10 Employees
1-2 Offices
1 Email Account Per Office
0 Computers
~ 65 Projects Per Year
1-2 Sheets Per Project
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NOW
50 Employees
4 Offices (and 2 Divisions!)
50+ Email Accounts
50+ Computers
~ 300 Projects Per Year
Dozens of Sheets Per Project
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WPE grew quickly to a staff of around 10 spread out over offices in Rapid City and Sioux Falls. Today, our team of about 50 includes locations in Casper and Cedar Rapids, as well as some remote folks.
40 years ago, that would have been impossible. Communicating and working via email was non-existent and all project correspondence was printed, filed, and mailed. In some cases, redlines came back and forth by bus! Now, our team receives north of 189,000 emails and uses Teams and other virtual platforms to engage in more than 1,300 meetings per quarter.
Since we've started tracking, we've completed more than 12,000 projects. Today, we average right around 300 per year, with project sizes and complexities steadily increasing. Fortunately, we're no longer drafting by hand using pin-bars, slide-rules, and pen plotters! AutoCAD and Revit allow us to more quickly and efficiently create plans, including 3D models and fly-throughs. Redlines and changes can be done on the fly and communicated via PDF or other digital platforms, and project files are easily accessible to the design team on shared servers.
As the years tick by, one thing that has never changed is who we are as a company, teammates, and partners. All firms have engineers, projects, processes, and technology. But what sets us apart are the people behind it all!
Check out a few photos of our awesome team (past and present) below, and visit us on Facebook to see more of our 40th Anniversary Gallery.
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A Message From Marty Christensen, WPE President | |
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I'm now a month into my role as President of WPE, and let me say - I'm so grateful and humbled to honor the legacy of this firm and the trust you've placed in us as your MEP partner. For 40 years, West Plains has been built on the principles of integrity, expertise, and a passion for problem-solving, and I'm excited to witness that same spirit today in our team of talented professionals.
I've spent the past 29 years with West Plains - from a new grad fresh out of SDSU and up the ladder leading design teams, managing projects, and overseeing operations and business development.
As we embark on this new chapter, I'm excited to infuse fresh energy and ideas into our work, while holding steadfast to the values that have made us proud. I'm dedicated to ensuring that our MEP engineering solutions continue to enhance the spaces where people live, work, and thrive across the West Plains region and beyond.
I cherish the relationships we've forged together and the opportunities we've shared. Your success is our purpose, and I pledge to listen, adapt, and innovate alongside you. Together, we'll push the boundaries of sustainability, efficiency, and beauty (yes, I said beauty!) in engineering design, always mindful of the unique challenges and opportunities of the region we call home.
In this next era, I invite you to join me in reimagining what's possible. Let's draw upon the power of collaboration, technology, and our shared values to create a brighter future for our communities and the built environment.
Thank you for your unwavering trust and support. Again, I am honored to lead this extraordinary team that is WPE and to serve as your partner in our many shared endeavors.
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Daren Beckloff, P.E. Named Engineering & Operations Director | |
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We are excited to share that Daren Beckloff, P.E. has been promoted to Engineering & Operations Director at West Plains Engineering. Daren will continue in his primary role leading the Power Division, in addition to expanded responsibilities overseeing and developing client relationships and business operations across our four regional offices.
This position was previously held by Marty Christensen, P.E., who recently took over as President of WPE.
"I am excited to pass the baton I've carried for the past 5 years to Daren," Christensen said. "His talent, insights, and broad range of experience bring a new dimension to our operations which will greatly benefit our entire team."
Daren has been with our firm for 17 years as an Electrical Engineer and has served as the company’s Power Division Manager since 2017. In this position, he has supported projects for many of our clients across the region, including Iowa, South Dakota, Wyoming, North Dakota, Nebraska, and Colorado. A testament to his leadership, this past Fall Daren was also elected to the WPE Board of Directors by our employee stockholders.
Please join us in congratulating Daren!
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Check out some of our projects featured on social media and the news! | |
New year new faces! We've added 5 new team members in 2024.
Join us in welcoming them to West Plains! | |
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Thomas Klock
IT Security Director
Rapid City
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Wade Myrabo, P.E.
Mechanical Engineer
Casper
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Ian Veatch
Mechanical Designer
Cedar Rapids
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Kevin Wake
Mechanical Designer
Rapid City
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Ken Waterson
Electrical Designer
Rapid City
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Honestly, we can't imagine life before Rick! He's a pillar of our Sioux Falls office and we get the privilege of working beside him each day, and enjoying hunting stories and his claims that he is in fact the "good twin".
(We haven't met his brother, but Rick's a pretty good guy...so we're inclined to believe him.)
Congratulations and happy anniversary!
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WPE Presents Ways to Give Donations | |
Each year, the WPE team nominates, votes on, and awards donations as part of our Ways to Give corporate philanthropy program. It was our great joy delivering our 2023 contributions to each of these incredible organizations! | |
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Project Kenny
Ever supportive of our furry friends, the Casper office selected Project Kenny to share in their donation this year. Our own Julie Morton (center) is a volunteer trainer with the organization where she works with incredible folks like Carol and Mike to connect service dogs (like sweet Taylor) with Veterans.
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12-24 Club
Our Casper team continued to show love for their local community as volunteers and donors. CAD Tech Anthony Barella (left) presented Jeremy Jones (right) of 12-24 Club, Inc. with a donation to help his group provide addiction recovery services.
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SD Game, Fish & Parks
Engineering might be our day job, but we're also pretty darn passionate about hunting, fishing, and all things outdoors. Our Sioux Falls team donated to Game, Fish & Parks Outdoor Campus - Sioux Falls to help the organization continue providing hands-on experiences and conservation science.
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Alzheimer's Association
Fighting Alzheimer's is near and dear to our hearts because we've seen first hand how it impacts people we love. Our Rapid City team chose the Alzheimer's Association South Dakota again this year to receive a donation in support of the organization's mission and research efforts.
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Engineer's Week was February 18-24, and this year's theme celebrated today's achievements while paving the way for a brighter and more diverse future in engineering. We celebrated our "today team" all week long, and shared how our engineers inspire the future!
Click the collage above to check out our Facebook page, where you'll find the entries from our coloring/drawing contest where we asked kids how they think "Engineers Inspire the Future." (Their answers did not disappoint!)
You'll also find stories from our team explaining how they try to inspire the future both as engineers and members of their communities.
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Rapid City, SD | Sioux Falls, SD | Casper, WY | Cedar Rapids, IA | | | | |
