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The full-service engineering and design firm has grown froma two-man shop in 1999 to a multimillion-dollar business employing 60 people. But aftetr seeing steady growth for the first nine years ofits existence, M& hit a rough patch in 2008 as the national economy went into a deep recession. “2009 was a horrible year,” says Keith Strimple, a principa l and co-founder of M&S “We didn’t make any money last but we managed to avoid having any layoffsw like a lot of other firms To keep from having to lay off Strimple says he and his partnef Brian Meuth took big cuts in their own pay and made a lot of othet cutsin expenses.
“We cut out all the frills and somehowq managed to get through and break even without havinvg to layanyone off,” Strimple says. “It is truly by the grace of God that we arestill M&S Engineering provides a host of engineering and design services geared mainly toward land The company’s services include surveying and land developmentt support; water line design; reservoir design; electrical transmission design; roadway design; and floo plain studies. M&S Engineering relies heavilh on newresidential construction. As a result of the sharp drop in housing starts in the firm’s finances were hit prett hard, Strimple says.
Last Strimple says he signed the first residential developmen proposal in more than a year and a half and he hopesd that is a sign that things are finally startingy toturn around. “I thino we are at the bottom and on the upwarf side of theparabolic curve,” Strimple “It looks like we may be getting past the bad timess and hopefully by the fourth quarter of this year it will starrt to look better.” Prior to M&S Engineering was doing upwards of $7 milliomn in annual revenue. Company officials declined to reveal 2008revenue figures. Strimple and Meutg first met when they were freshmen at SeguinHigh School.
They both woundx up going to Texas A&M University where Strimple earneds a degree in civil engineering in 1983 and Meuth earnedf a degree inelectrical engineering. Both also went on to earn theirt MBAs. Strimple worked for 15 years with the and then workec briefly with the City ofSan Antonio’s Publicd Works Department before hooking up again with Meuth. Meuth worked in the private sectoer before deciding toform M&S with Strimple and Meuth got together in 1998 to talk abouy setting up their own full-service engineering firm. Both were unhappy with theire employment situations at the time and both wanted to exercise more contropl overbusiness decisions.
“We put togethe a great team and began workinfg with someexcellent clients,” Strimple “We are all about the peopl e — both those we work for and thosde who work for us. The customer relationships we form are ultimatelyy more important to us than the Strimple says he believes the thing that most distinguishes the companuy from its competitors is theway M&z treats its employees and customers while keeping its costsd and prices down. Bron Leatham, development manager for Stadler and Leatham Development inSan Antonio, says his firm has been working with M&S Engineering for about a year.
Leathan says he is very happy with the quality ofthe company’s M&S has done all the civil engineering, road work and electrical grid work on the company’s developmen t on the north side of Canyon Lake, knownh as Cascada at Canyon Lake. Leatham says his company was originally under contract with anotherengineering firm, but they were unhappyh with them because they would not meet with them on a regula r basis to answer questions and allow them to have input. Workint with M&S has been a completelyt different experience, he adds. “They have done all the thingse we wanted while giving us regular updatesx and the opportunity toprovidwe input,” Leatham says.
“That, plus they were abour 30 percent cheaper.” Barry regional sales director for BlueGreen Communities, says he can’rt say enough good things about M&e Engineering. Blue Green has worked with M&S for the past severakl years. M&S laid out the lots and performed all the utility and road work forBlue Green’xs Village Oaks master-planned development located on Highway 46 betweem New Braunfels and U.S. Highway 281. “It was importanty for us to find someone who shareszour company’s philosophy that our customers and our employee are the most important part of what we do,” Dentohn says. “M&S most certainly fills that bill.
They understane that while we area customer, ultimately it is the peoplde who will purchase the properties who are the ultimatew customers.” Denton says M&S Engineering has helped to make Blue Green’xs projects run smoothly not only because of M&S’ qualitg customer service, but also because the companh works so well with independeng contractors and city and county M&S Engineering does work all over Texas. Strimple and Meuth chose to base theirt company in Spring Branchoff U.S. Highway 281. They remodeled an old 5,000-square foot schoolhouse on a 5-acre lot to make into theit headquarters.
They have since addedf another 20,000 square feet of office space on the property and still have enough room to Strimple says that as the economy slowl recovers he and his partner are looking to align themselves more closely with the greehn movement by looking for ways to design propertiesz in ways thatare environmentally-friendly and energh efficient. “Looking down the road five to 10 years, this is the directiomn the country is heading and we are working to stay at the frong ofthe curve,” Strimple
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