This week, we spoke with Larson Design Group, an award-winning, employee-owned company of architects, engineers and consultants that is national in reach and multi-disciplined in scope.
Tell us about Larson Design Group and your role with the business.
My name is Bryan Pauling and I am the Director of Energy and Environmental Services at Larson Design Group (LDG). I am a 1997 graduate of Penn State University with a degree in Civil Engineering. I spent the first 12 years of my career in the transportation sector, starting as a designer and eventually becoming a project manager in our Highway Department. For the last 10 years, I have been working in the Energy sector. In 2010, we started an Energy Department at LDG, with a focus on providing civil design and regulatory compliance services to the oil and gas industry. I am a registered professional engineer in PA, WV, OH, TX and CO, which are the states we primarily work in the energy side. In 2014, I was appointed as Director of the Energy Department, which means I am responsible for the strategy, operations, staff and client development of Energy and Environmental Services.
LDG is an award-winning, employee-owned company of architects, engineers and consultants that is national in reach and multi-disciplined in scope. The company began as a branch office of Hunt Engineers in 1987. In 1993, several of the employees purchased the stock and renamed the Williamsport, PA location to Larson Design Group. At that time, there were approximately 30 employees in one office and today we have over 350 employees in 12 offices.
How does your company support clients or customers in the energy space?
We have a team of about 30 employees that work directly in the energy space. We provide surveying, environmental services, regulatory permitting, civil design, air compliance/LDAR, geotechnical services, and environmental and construction inspection. Our primary clients are energy exploration and production (E&P) companies, developers and contractors. We have several licensed professionals on the team, and we are actively working on projects in PA, OH, WV, TX and NY. We also work in the wind, solar and alternative energy sectors in addition to the oil and gas industry.
What is a key differentiator for your business?
This year, the energy sector is celebrating our 10th anniversary, and I believe that we have been successful because of our commitment to our clients and energy team members. We are focused on communication, right-sized designs, cost-effective solutions and work-life balance. Our clients rely on us to work closely with them to ensure that we are keeping their programs compliant, while being as efficient as possible. They consider us critical to the success of their business and we consider them critical to the success of ours. When we started the Energy Department our goal was to align ourselves with like-minded clients. It is exciting that we are now celebrating 10 years together with several of our clients.
How has MSC membership been of value to your company and the services you provide?
The MSC allows us to work directly with key players to continually move this industry forward. It provides an environment that allows for the opportunity to evaluate the issues and develop solutions that can work for all. The open and honest dialogue about the issues and a focus on making real improvements is a unique format that allows us to work directly with industry representatives, current clients, target clients and competitors, all with the same goal. We have met so many great people over the years that we regularly collaborate with in committees and workgroups.
What is something that you would like a neighbor unfamiliar with the industry to know?
There are still people in Pennsylvania that believe that this industry does not have to comply with regulatory guidance or environmental oversight. There is a belief that this development occurs with no pre-planning and with no regard to the potential impacts. I would like more people to understand that we all work together to minimize the impacts of this development and that it can be done responsibly. At LDG, we are proud of the work that we do and proud of the relationships that we have developed over the years.
