Not even the economy can keep a good company down.
In an effort to stay competitive, Cincinnati-based PEDCO Engineering and Architecture instituted
a year-long training program, aggressive networking efforts and a
proactive business development strategy as well as a commitment to raise revenue from $9.3 million to $15 million by 2011.
Towards this end, eight to ten employees are now engaged in networking, developing relationships and expanding PEDCO's client base.
As challenging as PEDCO's goals are, President William Giesler believes because of the firm's proactive approach "we have far more projects on the books today than if we hadn’t set such ambitious goals. We’ve been really good about finding new opportunities out there and have a half million dollars on the books with new clients that we didn’t have a year ago," Giesler says. “That is due to the business development initiative we implemented."
Among PEDCO's current line-up of projects are renovations of Evanston's recreation and family aquatic centers, construction of a
YMCA in Fort Wayne, Indiana; renovation of a building on the
Ball State University campus dating from the 1920s, and an icing system study with
NASA at the
Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, the second largest aerospace employer in Ohio after
GE,.
PEDCO also completed a noteworthy project in late 2008: the $55 million 230,000 square foot
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center's Liberty Campus facility in West Chester, for which PEDCO assisted with site selection, due diligence services, rezoning, and designed the site, mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems.
Yet, PEDCO is doing more than expanding business. The firm is also busy adopting cutting edge technologies and doing its part to reduce the region's ecological footprint.
Radiant cooling is chief among PEDCO's innovative technologies.
"We are on the forefront of radiant cooling technology in the U.S." Giesler says.
In 2007 PEDCO designed a chilled beam cooling system for a 376,000 square foot investment firm in Covington, Kentucky – the first and largest to integrate passive chilled beam technological wizardry with under-floor air delivery (UFAD) on such a large scale.
This winning combination reduced the firm's heating and cooling costs by 43 percent in its first year of operation.
"This is a significant savings for a building owner, as well as a responsible use of our natural resources," Giesler says. "We are working to train our clients and potential clients on active and passive radiant cooling and geothermal systems as a whole."
PEDCO also launched a training program on sustainable design and LEED accreditation and increased its commissioning services, which strive to ensure buildings run at maximum efficiency. Giesler notes that commissioning is especially important in the health care and data collecting industries where down-time can become a financial strain.
With a growing number of universities vowing to achieve LEED certification for new campus buildings and an increasing number of governments at all levels instituting LEED initiatives, Giesler assures that this is not a passing trend.
"Green is not a fad that is going to die," Giesler says. "It’s expected and being built into everyone’s designs. It’s here to stay. From a business perspective, there are owners out there saying that this is the right thing to do, not only for their businesses, but for their employees and for the longevity of the planet.”