July 6, 2020
by Marketing Services
Comments Off on Social Media Snippet – Meet Our Interns!

Social Media Snippet – Meet Our Interns!

Welcoming our summer interns is something we look forward to every year! This year, we started the #MeetOurInternMonday initiative on social media to show off some of the talented minds that chose American Structurepoint for their internship experience.  If you don’t already, go follow American Structurepoint on social media so you can check out the weekly intern introductions! Better hurry – our final summer intern social media post is set for August 3.

Social Media Links

Twitter: @AmericanStrpnt

LinkedIn: American Structurepoint, Inc.

Instagram: @americanstructurepoint

Facebook: @AmericanStructurepoint

July 6, 2020
by Marketing Services
Comments Off on Get Out Challenge Top 10 List

Get Out Challenge Top 10 List

Here’s a big shout out to all those who participated in the GET OUT challenge to get people moving. Check out our top 10 finishers. A special kudos goes to the first four people listed who came into a four-way tie for first place!

  • James Finnigan
  • Jeffrey Reeves
  • Justin Soltesz
  • Ben Wagner
  • Jerica Barlow
  • Don Gillie
  • Lauren McDade
  • Liza Trant
  • Dawit Fitru
  • Ijaj Mehboob

 

Be on the lookout for our next corporate challenge. Additionally, you can do personal challenges any time. Once you log into the portal, you can add them from the homepage and select from over 100 challenges.

July 6, 2020
by Marketing Services
Comments Off on American Structurepoint Makes Headlines

American Structurepoint Makes Headlines

American Structurepoint people and projects appeared in the media a whopping 33 times in June! Read on for this month’s recap.

  • Confirmation of $77.5 million in funding from the US Department of Transportation for the Blue Line bus rapid transit project made news via The Indianapolis Star and President Donald Trump’s Twitter account. We are providing comprehensive program management services as the owner’s technical representative for the Indianapolis Department of Public Works for the project that will link the City of Lawrence to downtown Indianapolis.
  • The Current in Carmel reported that the grand opening of the 122-room luxury Hotel Carmichael will occur in early August. We provided structural engineering services for the hotel that saw its scheduled May opening delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • The anticipated July opening of a 100,000-sft Amazon fulfillment center in Whiteland, Indiana, for which we provided civil engineering and land surveying services, attracted much media attention. Inside Indiana Business, Johnson County Daily Journal, WRTV Channel 6, and WXIN Fox 59 all shared news about the opening.
  • Columbus Director of Business Development and External Affairs Conner Brintlinger wrote a first-person reflection of his trip to Normandy, France, that The Columbus Dispatch published on the 75th anniversary of D-Day. (Please see the article elsewhere in the newsletter.)
  • Athletic Business Magazine published a two-page spread complete with photos touting the amenities and community benefits derived from the Hammond Sportsplex & Community Center. We provided architecture, interiors, structural engineering, and civil engineering services for the $20 million project. (Please see the article elsewhere in the newsletter.)
  • The Princeton Daily Clarion reported that American Structurepoint President and COO Rick Conner spoke at the June 8 Gibson County Council meeting regarding the Gibson County Jail project. We have been hired to study and design either a new jail or expansion of the existing jail.
  • A second cost estimate for a new Noble County Annex Building is in the works, according to The Albion New Era and KPC News. We are designing the new annex project.
  • The Hilliard, Ohio City Council approved the development agreement for Alton Place, a nearly $300 million, 354-acre mixed-use development for which we are doing civil engineering, land surveying, and utility infrastructure work. Columbus Business First reported the project is moving forward after three years of development.
  • Multiple news outlets and trade publications reported on the groundbreaking of a 1 million-sft warehouse for Cooper Tire in Whiteland, Indiana for which we are doing civil and site engineering. The project attracted the attention of the Commercial Property Executive, KPC News, Connect Media Chicago, and the Supply Chain Council of the European Union.
  • Radio Station WBIW and Indiana Media published info about three virtual public hearings during June for the Bloomington 7-Line that will provide a protected east-west bicycle lane and improved bus corridor along Seventh Street. We are providing engineering design services for the project.
  • Columbus Business First reported about a 4-story mixed-use development of condos and retail space being developed in the Grandview Heights area of Columbus, Ohio. We provided civil engineering and land surveying services for the development.
  • The Chicago Tribune and The Northwest Times of Indiana reported on several updates about the Merrillville Community Recreation Center currently under construction. We are designing the facility. (Please see the article elsewhere in the newsletter.)
  • Features and benefits of Glasswater Creek of Plainfield, Indiana, an assisted living community we designed, caught the attention of Seniors.com.
  • Columbus Business First and The Columbus Underground reported on an updated plan for a mixed-use development project in the Short North area of Columbus, Ohio. We are providing civil and site engineering services for the project.
  • The Hamilton County Reporter and the Larry in Fishers blog covered news that the SR 37 Corridor improvement project’s budget increased by $42 million and that the City of Fishers is moving forward with interchange construction plans as originally planned. American Structurepoint is responsible for managing the entire design team for the corridor, the design of the 126th Street interchange currently under construction, and the 131st Street interchange.
  • The Athens Reporter in Athens, Ohio told its readers that American Structurepoint would have staff in that city to conduct annual bridge inspections.
  • The opening of a new apartment building in the Franklinton area of Columbus, Ohio, was noted by the Columbus Underground. We provided civil engineering and land surveying services for the project.
  • Approval of spending $578,198 to install a state-of-the-art video board for the under-construction Loeb Stadium in Lafayette, Indiana, attracted the attention of The Lafayette Journal & Courier and WLFI Channel 18.
  • Building Indiana Magazine and Inside Indiana Business shared the news that award-winning architect Joe Rebber has joined our healthcare architecture practice as a project architect.

July 6, 2020
by Marketing Services
Comments Off on Community Service News

Community Service News

The Community Service fund has 129 employee contributors who contributed $3,102.50 in June 2020.

The COVID-19 virus has brought a lot of uncertainty to our world, and some temporary changes have been made to our Give Back campaign in response.

  • First, the company match to employee donations has been temporarily suspended; we will be relying on your generous contributions.
  • Secondly, we are prioritizing contributions to the American Structurepoint family. Immediate consideration will be given to requests for assistance for employees and their families. Requests for contributions in the other five giving categories (families/children, elderly, education, armed/civic services, and emergency/shelters) will be held for consideration after the health and economic crisis has passed.
  • As always, commitment forms are available via Pinnacle if you would like to begin contributing, or make a change to your existing commitment.

Recent Donations

Please be assured that all employee assistance requests will be kept confidential.

July 6, 2020
by Marketing Services
Comments Off on Round of Applause Roll Call for June

Round of Applause Roll Call for June

Here’s a salute to the 18 employees who went above and beyond for their co-workers in June.  Remember to recognize those who do a great job for you in July by nominating them for a Round of Applause.

  • Amy Anderson
  • Jordan Barker
  • Ted Bleicher
  • Scott Crites
  • Justin Hofman
  • Bri Hope (2)
  • Adam Hunley
  • Megan King
  • Eric Kuntz
  • Will Lyon
  • Kayla Martisek
  • Tanner McKinney
  • Anna Skelton (2)
  • Jessica Stapleton
  • Maya Quandt
  • Alex Varney
  • Eric Wolverton
  • Rich Zielinski

June 1, 2020
by Marketing Services
Comments Off on Celebrating May’s Big Wins

Celebrating May’s Big Wins

Since we had so much fun celebrating big wins in April, we decided to continue the celebration throughout the next several months. Here’s a recap about big wins occurring in May.

  • Hendricks County Wastewater Treatment Plant Phase VI Expansion – American Structurepoint was selected with design-build partner Bowen Engineering for this project. It includes an innovative biological treatment process, optimized hydraulics and operations, and complex sequencing of construction. This is a strategic win positioning us for future significant alternative delivery projects in the utility world.
  • Indianapolis Academic Health Center for Indiana University – American Structurepoint is part of the winning Browning Day team for this project. We will be providing all the structural design for this facility that will be located just north of downtown Indianapolis, near Methodist Hospital.
  • Fiber Optic Installation, Elkhart Indiana – We will provide construction inspection services for installation of 63,000 lft of fiber optic lines, including 150 hand holes, among all Elkhart Community Schools. The lines will provide broadband service to 12 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, and 1 high school in Elkhart.
  • Hamilton Road, Columbus Ohio – American Structurepoint was selected for traffic analysis, preliminary engineering, and detailed design plans for roadway, storm sewer, shared-use path, street lighting, and traffic signals improvements to 1.5 miles of Hamilton Road on Columbus’ east side. The work includes reconstruction and widening, curbs, sidewalks, shared-use path, storm sewer, street lighting, and traffic signals. This is the biggest project for the Columbus Department of Public Safety for 2020.
  • Tennessee Board of Regents SCC – This is a win for our Investigative group to investigate, recommend, and design modifications to prevent water intrusion occurring through the building masonry and windows on the Center for Business, Industry and Health building at Chattanooga State Community College in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
  • Kirlin On-Call – American Structurepoint is providing structural engineering, MEP, and architectural design services for John J. Kirlin Special Projects, LLC, a firm dissolving its MEP and architectural designers. The project will include multiple task orders completing several projects at federal government facilities throughout the US.

June 1, 2020
by Marketing Services
Comments Off on Planning Group Reaps Two APA Indiana Awards

Planning Group Reaps Two APA Indiana Awards

It’s another winning year for the Planning + Economic Development Group at the APA Indiana Hoosier Planning Awards. American Structurepoint is receiving the top award for outstanding economic development planning and an honorable mention for comprehensive planning. We’ve now won 12 awards in five years! Congrats to everyone who contributed to producing planning documents that drive results for our communities.  Here’s the details.

The Our Region Our Plan Regional Economic Development Plan won the first-place award. The plan, commissioned by the Our Southern Indiana Regional Development Authority, is a suite of seven documents complementing one another. It contains one regional plan, one RDA organizational work plan, and five county-specific work plans for Clark, Floyd, Jefferson, Scott, and Washington counties. The plan is a clearinghouse for 47 projects that address regional needs and provide economic impact to any of the region’s 22 incorporated cities and towns. It also identifies four projects that the RDA may lead as staffing and funding becomes available.

 

The Richmond Rising: Community Action Plan received an honorable mention award. The plan became a catalyst to define an entire movement that allows for reinvestment, refinement, and revitalization that provides opportunities for people, agencies, and organizations to make a difference in the community. It also contains 12 critical-path strategies that address Richmond’s top priorities and needs. The City has already begun to implement one of the critical strategies – creating a parks and recreation master plan – and we are helping craft that plan as well.

June 1, 2020
by Marketing Services
Comments Off on Walid Gemayel Advises Ohio Communities

Walid Gemayel Advises Ohio Communities

Count published author among the many talents of Senior Vice President, Partner, and Executive in charge of Ohio Walid Gemayel. He wrote a membership insight column for the Columbus Chamber of Commerce advising Ohio communities how to prepare for possible future federal infrastructure stimulus funds.

Walid points out that the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) currently grades the nation’s roads, bridges, water systems, and other critical infrastructure with “an abysmal D+.” He also says that multiple public- and private-sector associations have urged Congress to provide emergency aid to states and local communities to meet critical infrastructure needs. Walid suggests communities review, update, or develop the following planning documents to be prepared if and when additional stimulus help emerges:

  • Capital improvement plans
  • Long-range transportation plans
  • Long-term control plans
  • Comprehensive plans
  • Asset management plans.

He concludes the column with this guidance. “These small upfront investments in planning and design will ensure that their communities are best positioned for potential future infrastructure funding and construction.” You can read the entire article at this link.

June 1, 2020
by Marketing Services
Comments Off on PPE, Meals For Healthcare Workers Continue

PPE, Meals For Healthcare Workers Continue

The Architecture + Interiors Group’s efforts to make PPE and coordinate meal delivery for frontline doctors and nurses caring for patients at Indiana hospitals continued throughout May.  By month’s end, the group had provided 1,000 meals to 10 healthcare systems across the state. In total, the company will provide 1,200 meals by mid-June to thank, encourage, and support hospital staff during the COVD-19 pandemic.

The group also has continued to provide ear guards to healthcare systems and to our own employees. Steve Albright and Steve Hanscom ran the department’s 3D printer to print ear guards and face shields to be donated to nurses and doctors. Approximately 125 ear guards have been printed since April. About 50 ear guards were given to Melody Niquette at our Indy design center front desk so she can distribute those to American Structurepoint employees.

Check out the pictures that healthcare systems have sent us as a thank you.

Hancock Regional Health nurses

Decatur County Memorial Hospital

Nurses at Riley Hospital for Children say thanks for ear guards

June 1, 2020
by Marketing Services
Comments Off on Company’s ENR Midwest Ranking Remains Steady

Company’s ENR Midwest Ranking Remains Steady

ENR Midwest Magazine released its rankings of top design firms for 2020. We ranked at 12th overall and number one in Indiana, just as we did in 2019. We topped the second-place Indiana company, HNTB, by $20 million in revenue. The publication also reported that the SR 37 Corridor Improvement Project in Fishers ranked as our largest Indiana project to break ground in 2019 by project value. Check out the entire list at this link.

June 1, 2020
by Marketing Services
Comments Off on Portage WWTP Makes Cover Model Status

Portage WWTP Makes Cover Model Status

One of our Utility Infrastructure projects is a cover model! An aerial photo of the City of Portage Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) adorns the cover of the Spring 2020 Issue of The Digester magazine, published by the Indiana Water Environment Association. An article submitted by Project Manager Karen Saavedra on page 4 of the magazine gives an overview of the WWTP’s history from 1971 to present day. In 2018, American Structurepoint provided preliminary and final design plans, along with construction inspection, for a new biosolids handling facility. The plant replaced blowers, added a gravity belt thickener, replaced the diffusers in their aerobic digester, and installed a 220-foot x 220-foot sludge drying pad. The plant also was rerated for 5.3 MGD with peak flows up to 14 MGD. You can read the entire write-up at this link.

June 1, 2020
by Marketing Services
Comments Off on Architecture Experts Participate in Virtual Healthcare Forum

Architecture Experts Participate in Virtual Healthcare Forum

Healthcare Practice Lead Rob Schoeck and Director of Business Development Carrie Semershein represented American Structurepoint well in a virtual panel discussing how health organizations are managing the COVID-19 pandemic.

More than 100 people from throughout central Indiana attended the Zoom meeting hosted by the Executive Women in Healthcare professional organization. Carrie served as the panel moderator, and Rob spoke for the architecture profession. Panel participants also included Dr. Amanda Dean, interim dean at the Marian  University College of Osteopathic Medicine (MU-COM), and Robin Parsons, chief clinical officer at Fairbanks.

Rob shared insights regarding how hospitals will need to adapt to ever-changing situations as the pandemic unfolds and enters new phases. “The hospital of the future must be malleable and flexible to a variety of conditions overnight,” Rob said.

He also challenged those on the call to use their creative talents to address issues created by COVID-19 so that the patient experience will ultimately improve. Carrie fielded questions submitted during the presentation and made sure all panelists participated equally. Great job, Rob and Carrie!

June 1, 2020
by Marketing Services
Comments Off on From Oasis to Mirage, Thanks To American Structurepoint

From Oasis to Mirage, Thanks To American Structurepoint

Even demolition plans need a structural engineer to make sure the demo doesn’t turn into a disaster.  Project Manager Ryan Wagner did just that for a client receiving industry recognition for its work tearing down the O’Hare Oasis in Chicago. The project received an Excellence in Demolition Award from the National Demolition Association in the $500,001 to $2 million category.

Client Alpine Demolition Services hired American Structurepoint as the demolition plan’s structural engineer of record for the oasis on I-294 just south of O’Hare International Airport. Oasis structures, scattered throughout Chicagoland, are pavilions offering food and retail options built within bridge structures spanning over various Illinois Tollways. Wagner performed a pre-planning walk-through with our client to understand the project scope, provide consultation on demo sequence options, and most importantly, to verify the framing and girders did not exhibit deterioration that would require special considerations. During the design phase, Wagner reviewed the client’s formal demolition procedures and drawings. He also developed our own written demolition guidelines substantiated by calculations verifying that slabs, girders, roof trusses, or other framings would not be overloaded by moving demolition equipment, changes in wind pressure as the building’s cladding was gradually removed, or during girder lifting operations.

Wagner proposed alternate solutions when his calculations revealed a roadblock. Key to a quick approval by IDOT/Tollway was a face-to-face client meeting near the design phase’s conclusion. Wagner and the client went through each project step to ensure the plan was coherent, maintained safety goals, and to anticipate 11th-hour “surprises” by plan reviewers. “We were fortunate to work with a client team with vast expertise in the demolition arena, but who was also easy to work with and open to suggestions and new ideas,” Wagner said. An article on Construction and Demolition Recycling.com details the entire project.

June 1, 2020
by Marketing Services
Comments Off on The Point Lights Up in Neon

The Point Lights Up in Neon

With so many Indianapolis design center employees working remotely, few have had the opportunity to see our awesome, new signage in the café! Check out the work of our very own Dhane Thomas (Graphic Designer, Marketing Services) who created the design that now makes The Point more lively and more neon. Great job, Dhane!

June 1, 2020
by Marketing Services
Comments Off on ACE Mentor Program of Indianapolis Finishes Strong Despite COVID-19 Impacts

ACE Mentor Program of Indianapolis Finishes Strong Despite COVID-19 Impacts

ACE Mentor Program of Indianapolis finished strong this year despite having a school year cut short by COVID-19.  This year’s project, a community-based student housing and residential life facility in Indianapolis, was developed with fervor by the students from Arsenal Technical, Ben Davis, Decatur Central, Lawrence Township, North Central, and Warren Central high schools.  As part of the program, students toured AEC offices and jobsites as well as Butler University, participated in activities meant to develop their communication, problem-solving and collaborative skills, and designed the year’s project.  Even during the COVID-19 pandemic ACE Mentoring marched on with all six local school teams developing their project to a stopping point and presenting to a select group of board members and mentors via Zoom.  The Lawrence Township team, supported by American Structurepoint, presented their project on Wednesday, May 13, when the team also received their scholarships (approximately $10,000 value).  Overall, ACE Indy distributed close to $50,000 to students this year through donations by AEC companies and partners throughout Indianapolis. Vanessa Shumate, who coordinates our company’s participation in the Indianapolis program, thanks employees and company leadership for their support. “I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the American Structurepoint employees who participated in the ACE program this year, as well as thank company leadership for continuing to sponsor this wonderful program.  Next school year will be even better as we come out of the COVID-19 restrictions and get back to our students.”

June 1, 2020
by Marketing Services
Comments Off on Thirst Project Video Features Our Eighth Well

Thirst Project Video Features Our Eighth Well

Seth Maxwell and the team at The Thirst Project sent us a new video of the eighth well funded by American Structurepoint. The video features a well in the Sitseni village in the Kingdom of eSwatini, the country formerly known as Swaziland. The video shows the old water source villagers previously relied on, the new well we funded, and community members verbally thanking us by name. Check out the video on our YouTube page.

June 1, 2020
by Marketing Services
Comments Off on Get Moving – Join Get Out Challenge

Get Moving – Join Get Out Challenge

If you’re yearning to venture away from your stay-at-home quarantine lifestyle, WellPoint has the perfect remedy – join the Get Out Challenge. All you have to do is go outside and walk for at least 20 minutes each day between now and June 30. Be sure to sync your fitness tracker to the portal.  You can view your results on the calendar to get a monthly overview of your steps and more. You also can get daily text reminders by clicking on the “i” on the Get Out tile to keep you motivated. Now go to the WellRight portal, get moving, and enjoy the summer weather!