San Diego, CA – Burkett & Wong Engineers, Inc. announced last week that the firm has changed its name to BWE, Inc. and will do business as BWE / Burkett & Wong Engineers.
Late last year the BWE Board of Directors voted unanimously on the name change and new logo to coincide with a fresh start in a new office, but more importantly, a new attitude that had been cultivated over the past few years. “We are not the same firm we were 20, ten or even five years ago. Our current team has brought fresh new ideas, abilities, and insights that are moving this company towards a more vibrant future,” Board Chairman and President Tom Newsom says about the change. “We want this new name and logo to be an external representation of what we have been a part of for years. At the same time we want to respect our heritage. I believe our new identity does that.”
For over 43 years BWE / Burkett & Wong Engineers has been a stalwart in the San Diego building industry, providing structural engineering, civil engineering, land surveying, land planning, and forensic engineering. The firm’s extensive portfolio of projects includes Petco Park Garden Buildings, San Diego County Operations Center, UCSD Jacobs Medical Center, San Diego New Central Library, SDSU Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union and over 12,000 other projects, spread across 16 states and five foreign countries.
Within the past few years BWE has welcomed a new President, became an employee-owned company, moved to a new office, and implemented numerous internal improvements. But even before this recent wave of change, the founding Principals knew that change was inevitable and invested in the younger engineers and surveyors.
“The founding Principals believed that it was important to invest in the next generation, finding the young talent and then developing that talent into individuals to lead the firm.” Newsom continues, “That is what makes BWE special. We pass on the great lessons learned from those that preceded us but are not afraid to incorporate new ideas. It is what keeps us relevant and always looking over the horizon.”
Two years ago the firm became an ESOP because the leadership wanted to leverage the greatest asset – our employees. “By giving all the employees ownership and being more open about our finances, the hope was to increase employee engagement,” said Newsom.
The firm’s recent move in September of 2014 was as much strategic as it was practical. “The previous location in Bankers Hill/Hillcrest was our home for a long time and a landmark in its own right but it lacked some of the amenities that our employees wanted. Plus we had out grown that space long ago.” BWE’s new office, located at 9449 Balboa Avenue in the Kearny Mesa area of San Diego, has a custom layout designed to improve both productivity and collaboration with a mix of offices, traditional cubicles and multiple gather spaces. “It has only been a short time but everyone loves the space. It seems like employee morale and productivity are both up,” said Therese Hunt, BWE’s Human Resource Generalist.
Newsom concludes, “We want everyone to know that these and other changes have made us a more exciting, progressive, thoughtful company while still staying true to our roots as fiscally sound, service oriented, and employee driven. The one thing that will not change is our commitment to live up to our motto: Engineered to Exceed Expectations.”
BWE / Burkett & Wong Engineers is a consulting design firm with offices located in San Diego and Las Vegas. Founded in 1971, the firm provides structural and civil engineering design services, land surveying, land planning, expert witness consultation, and project administration. More than 12,000 projects have been completed for the public and private sectors throughout the Southwestern United States and beyond. More information about the firm can be found at www.bwesd.com.
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