Wilson Engineering

Specialty:Civil engineering, land and hydrographic surveying
Management: Margaret Curtis, majority owner
Year founded: 1967, sold to current owners in 2000
Headquarters: Bellingham
Current projects: Wastewater re-use projects in Blaine and Lake Samish; a 900-residence water meter and main installation project in Kendall, Whatcom County; Bellingham Technical College campus expansion projects

Margaret Curtis, a majority owner in Bellingham’s Wilson Engineering, said that although business this year is just slightly up, projects have become more complex and interesting.

“Basic municipal services are necessary for increasing population,” said Curtis. “Aging utility systems require constant replacement or rehabilitation, and the rehabilitation can frequently be coupled with a capacity increase.”

The firm is working on a $1.3 million sewer rehab project, using trenchless technologies in Bellingham, and two wastewater treatment plant expansions for the city of Moses Lake. On wastewater projects, the firm typically represents clients through all phases of planning, design and construction on new or upgrade facilities.

She said engineers at the firm have to stay on top of stormwater regulations for their work on projects such as comprehensive plans and collection systems. The firm also employs the newest GPS systems in its surveying and topographic mapping.

Curtis said the firm is not pursuing new strategies to drum-up business, but rather focusing on fundamentals such as accuracy, innovation and responsiveness.

“Almost all of our work is new projects from existing clients or referrals from those clients or contractors who build our designs,” she said.

The firm has recently increased staff levels, “adding more depth to our senior professional engineering and surveying roster,” she said.

That bodes well for 2006. “With projects already in the works and our new staff, we’re hoping for a 10 to 12 percent increase in revenues,” she said.