Solid, steady leadership
with close attention
to clients and results
Barber & Hoffman's reputation has been
earned through teamwork and expertise
Barber & Hoffman Inc. has built its client base on the reputation it has created over the years and prides itself on its stability and conservative approach to growth. This stance has allowed it to have little turnover during its long history, with a “lean and mean” structure and close strong contact with principals for its clients. Each of its projects is managed by one of these five principals, Robert E. Jordan, PE, Halim M. Saab, PE, LEED AP, Ronald M. Czaplicki, PE, Richard A. Christ, PE, and Michael R. Miller, PE which have a combined 137 years of experience. They give each of their projects their own personal attention, “from inception to occupancy, and beyond,” says Jordan.
The firm originally began with only architects as
clients, and these professionals still represent the backbone of its work. However, direct calls from owners, construction managers, general contractors, and from attorneys, have led to a more diverse client base.
Service-orientation
“Our reputation is as problem-solvers,” says Czaplicki. “We stay with a problem until it is resolved, to come up with an efficient and practical solution. We are in it for the long haul. It is service-oriented responsiveness—get it done and get it done right. Structural engineering," he adds, “is the profession of the unsung heroes. You only hear about us if something goes wrong. If it goes right, there’s rarely a word.”
Barber & Hoffman specializes in work for prestigious clients, including the healthcare and education market niches. Clients include the Cleveland Clinic (where B&H was called in during the early years of the Clinic to shore up the foundations of the original building, allowing for what became the Clinic’s vast expansion), University Hospitals
(it helped Rainbow Babies’ and Children’s Hospital with its structure’s move), Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, Cleveland State University, Cleveland Institute of Art, Cuyahoga Community College and Case Western Reserve University. Other clients include the Great Lakes Science Center, Sea World, and the Cleveland Botanical Garden. Many of these were designed by out-of-town architects, such as Cesar Pelli, Rafael Vinoly and Graham Gund who knew of Barber & Hoffman’s reputation for excellent work.
A breadth of work
Structural engineering has been the firm’s mainstay, but through the years the firm added other services. These include façade repair and restoration, added in 1980 after a late ‘70s multitude of façade failures in the industry caused by faulty products and an aging façade infrastructure. Two early such projects: the Central National Bank and the US Post Office (from which a gargoyle fell on New Year's Day to the sidewalk beneath). This is still a strong area of expertise, as the problem of deterioration of our nation’s structural exteriors is still an ongoing one–and Barber & Hoffman is still on the case, most recently in its restoration of the 80-year-old Terminal Tower.
Former B&H president C. Lal Lalwani, PE, AIA , points out that the internal continuity of the firm has contributed greatly to its stability, as there is no one individual who maintains its operation, but rather a close-knit family of principals and staff. It is managed in such a way as to keep its people long-term. Adds Saab, “We recruit people who want to stay, to establish
a career here.”
Still learning and growing
“Barber & Hoffman supports that staff with
great attention to professional development,” notes Christ, “with professional registration a goal for all our engineering staff.” According to Saab, “We were into continuing education before it was mandated by the state.”
Also vital is keeping up with new technologies: Saab notes that building information modeling (BIM) is now a driving force at the firm. According to Saab, “We know that the market is changing, and we are changing with it.” In addition to BIM, he also touts change such as more and more design/build work, especially in public work. One other area of specialty: because of its reputation, Barber & Hoffman gets called in when there is need
for a quick response.
The firm is also active in supporting its profession with ties to local, state and national associations including the Cleveland Engineering Society and Cleveland Restoration Society, Cleveland Society of Professional Engineers, Structural Engineers Association of Ohio, American Society of Civil Engineers, American Institute of Steel Construction, American Concrete Institute, American Council of Engineering Companies and others. BXM
