Engineering Firm Celebrates Anniversary with Growth in Mind 

Grindley Williams Engineering is celebrating its five-year anniversary in style, moving into a new building to accommodate its growing number of employees now serving five southern states.

The company’s new office at 4175 S. Pipkin Road, Suite 210, in Lakeland was designed by The Lunz Group and incorporates the space Grindley Williams Engineering (GWE) has been working out of, said Brett Blondell, business development associate. “Our old office was a part of the new redesign and build-out. We did the remodel because of our growth over the last few years and the need to expand our space for new hires.”

GWE was founded in October 2015 when the owner of Lake Wales-based MCD engineering firm approached Dave Grindley and Jon Williams about buying the company. They agreed, moving the office and 11 employees to Lakeland, Blondell said.

With 70 employees, most based in Central Florida, the consulting firm specializes in forensic engineering, structural design, geotechnical engineering, mechanical/electrical/plumbing and fire protection design engineering, geology, geophysics and 3D Site Scanning.

“We are Polk County’s one and only firm offering MEP + FP services all under one roof,” Blondell said. “By offering multiple engineering disciplines in one office, we can be more cost-effective, our stream of communication to clients can be much clearer, and our ability to problem solve is quicker and more thorough.”

Blondell said the largest sector of the business is in forensic engineering, “which deals with the assessment of cause, origin, duration and reparability of property damage from natural and unnatural perils.”

The company has spread beyond Florida, and further expansion is on the way. Some of the projects it has worked on:

• The company’s structural design team has worked on many large projects, including the College of Physical Therapy and the new Roberts Academy building on the Florida Southern College campus, as well as the new office building next to The Joinery on Lake Mirror with The Lunz Group.
• Its design team completed the structural design for The Yard on Mass with CMH Architects.
• The MEP team just completed a project at Draken International for Register Construction.

GWE is constantly looking to hire more professional engineers and support staff, Blondell said.

Their New Digs

GWE selected The Lunz Group to design its new office because they had worked together before. “Our structural design team has done a lot of work with The Lunz Group and have valued their communication, expertise and work ethic with clients, so it made perfect sense to us to have them do the design.”

“Having worked together in the past made working on this project much easier,” said Maggie Briggs, marketing director for The Lunz Group. “Our continued working relationship translated to a natural fit in terms of designing their new office space.”

The engineering firm wanted to “create a space that brought the comforts of home into a modern office setting. They chose a resimercial design – a combination of residential and commercial – that combines a comfortable, relaxing work environment with cutting-edge office space. The interiors mix mid-century modern elements with a bit of industrial appeal.”

They also needed to include a lot of flex space because most of GWE’s employees work remotely, Briggs said. “There needed to be a lot of flex space and seating for all incorporated. Everyone has an option for a stationary or sit-stand desk, depending on needs.”

“The level of detail in the interiors really shines through,” she said.

View photos of GWE’s new office here.

Active In The Community

GWE actively supports several local organizations, including the Art Crawl to introduce emerging and innovative artists to wide audiences. “We’ve also done a lot of work with Habitat for Humanity,” Blondell said.

It’s clear he’s proud of the company he works for. “In just five years we’ve gone from a company of 11 to over 70, with 30+ professional engineers. We hold licenses and currently do work in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Louisiana and Texas,” and soon will be adding Alabama and Mississippi.

“We are a rarity in that we offer a full gamut of engineering services under one roof,” Blondell said. “We do our best to listen to our clients and give them exactly what they need when they need it.”