By Salvatore V. Conti

March 2011

July 15, 2011 will mark the 30th anniversary of the founding of what is now CJG Engineers.  As I look back over the past 30 years the changes in the way we do our business are mind boggling to me.  Things I would not have imagined 30 years ago are now our everyday reality.

When we started this company in 1981 we borrowed some money to buy the necessities of the profession at the time, a drafting board, a parallel bar, a drafting stool and a desk lamp.  All this equipment cost about $500 per work station and had a life expectancy of well beyond 30 years.  As an employer we supplied the drafting lead for drafting pencils owned by each employee and calculation pads for the engineers.  The engineers came with their own calculators and in some slide rules.

We embraced the PC for engineering and drafting in the mid-80’s and were forever caught up in the cycle of constant upgrades in computer equipment and software.  Today the life cycle of a computer is barely 5 years before it is not fast enough or big enough to handle the latest software.

Between new computers, plotters, printers, software and software maintenance fees it costs several thousand dollars per year per work station.  That is a far cry from $500 lifetime set up cost in 1981.

On the bright side, we can now analyze structural systems quickly and right at our desk top in ways that were of unheard of 30 years ago. Building structures can be modeled in 3D in a fraction of the time it took us to hand draw the structural frame 30 years ago.

I can only imagine…..or maybe I can’t…..the changes that are in store for us over the next 30 years.

At CJG Engineers, our focus is on providing the highest level of service and best structural designs for our clients. Our website and marketing material can say that, but the real story comes from our clients. Here is a peak at what a few have to say. 

“[The employees at CJG Engineers] all are terrific team players who have the skills and experience to be hands-on creative  participants during the achitect’s design work. This make the process more efficient and valuable for all.”

-Jack Downing, Principal, Downing, Ferguson, Peeples, LLC

“Over the course of the last 20+ years I have had the pleasure of working with [CJG Engineers] on a number of projects and through these experiences I have come to trust that you will always put your client’s interests first. Your designs are thorough, well detailed, budget conscious and your delivery timeframes are unsurpassed. Our designers, architects and engineers are unanimous in their appreciation to us in having brought you on as team members. It is my pleasure to recommend CJG Engineers to any and all of our clients whenever structural engineering is needed.”

-Eric Carville, Senior Vice President, Jones Lang LaSalle Americas, Inc.

Throughout this year, we will look back into our history at the projects and people that have defined our company through the first 30 years.

The construction industry has evolved many times, in many different directions. From hand drafting and bluelines to CAD and Revit, the changes have been enormous. Even our name has been a victim; it has changed five times in the history of the company before settling on CJG Engineers in 2009.

Just as the industry (and our name) has changed, CJG Engineers has continuously adapted through the years to be ahead of the curve with early adoption of new technologies. Thanks to the company culture of embracing market changes, and the dedication of our employees to master these new technologies, CJG Engineers is poised to continue striving for efficient and integrated structural solutions for our clients for years to come.

Even with all the changes, on thing remains constant to this day. The leadership of Salvatore Conti has been unwavering since 1981.

Sal co-founded the company with Jim Cagley and John Martin as Cagley, Martin & Conti. Since then, he has been involved with projects in almost all sectors: transportation, parking garages, education, sports, healthcare, hospitality, commercial, religious, light industrial, retail and other specialty types. The diversity of his experience has led to a profound knowledge of building material selection and structural system performance.

Sal is involved in many professional chapters, and was a past chapter President of the American Concrete Institute and the Structural Engineers Association of Texas. He is also involved in the American Consulting Engineers Council, the American Institute of Steel Construction, and the Council of Educational Facility Planners International.

Above all, though, Sal’s constant commitment to excellent customer satisfaction is what has driven this company to success in structural engineering.

For more information, see Sal’s profile on our website, or email him at sconti@cjgengineers.com.