Redefining What an Engineering Company Can Be
( 304 ) 435-8828 | arwcg . com | info @ arwcg . com 1459 North Willey Street , Morgantown , WV
How does one innovate a profession that is nearly as old as civilization itself ? That was the problem faced by Arrow Engineering ’ s founder , Mike Howell , as his small start-up structural engineering firm in Morgantown began to grow . Howell knew he wanted Arrow to have a bigger presence in the area , but as a newer business , he needed to find ways to make his company stand out from the competition .
Howell ’ s solution was to focus on one aspect that changes from project to project : the people involved .
“ The foundation of what we do is the quality of our staff and the stories we get to help tell through our clients ’ projects ,” says Howell . “ What we do and the decisions we make can be very difficult . You can ’ t really get away from that . The construction industry can sometimes be a high-pressure scene , but when you step back and see just how many interesting projects we are involved with , and who the people are that are behind those projects , it humbles you and makes you realize just how lucky you are to be part of it . Almost every day , we work on someone ’ s dream ; that ’ s a pretty awesome feeling .”
Arrow ’ s focus on people starts with equipping its staff to meet the challenges of a 2022 workplace . Arrow ’ s engineers are armed with the latest 3D and 4D design software with mobile access to project files from anywhere in the world . Two of its senior engineers have been full-time remote employees working in different states .
“ Working remotely has been a wonderful experience . It requires extra effort to build connections with clients and colleagues , but the flexibility is very beneficial ,” says Jillian Maston , Arrow ’ s senior structural engineer who resides near Raleigh , NC , with her family .
The focus on people extends to how Arrow ’ s engineers work with their clients as well .
“ We always start by asking questions ,” says Howell . “ Far too often , engineers only want to give answers ; we never
give answers until we know what question the customer is really asking .”
For Arrow , that means a focus on the little things like responding back quickly , meeting deadlines and getting out on-site .
“ Sometimes , you just have to get out in the field to understand what works , what doesn ’ t work and what just doesn ’ t make sense for our clients . It ’ s tough to design behind a desk all the time ,” says Howell .
Arrow will mark its three-year anniversary this summer . While Howell is grateful for the opportunities he has been given over that time period , he knows there is more work to be done . No matter what the next year will bring for Arrow , one thing is certain : Arrow will always seek to put its people and clients first .
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