A Conversation with Ken Rudolph President & CEO, Nolte Associates Inc.

Nolte Associates Inc. recently named Ken Rudolph its new president and CEO.

Rudolph had been serving as the firm’s managing principal for the Rocky Mountain region.

Nolte is a Denver-based civil engineering firm that specializes in water resources, technology, transportation, structural engineering, surveying and mapping, land development and program or construction management.

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Rudolph immediately filled the role of president and will take over the role of CEO in October. He replaces George S. Nolte, who has led the firm since the early 1980s when he acquired it from his father, who founded it in 1949. Nolte will stay on in the role of chairman of the board of directors, be accountable for discharging the duties of the board and provide task support at Rudolph’s direction.

Colorado Construction magazine talked to Rudolph about his new position and what he sees for the future of Nolte Associates.

Colorado Construction magazine: How long have you been with Nolte Associates and what attracted you to the company?

Ken Rudolph: I have been with Nolte for 20 years, since 1988. My joining Nolte Associates came through Nolte’s acquisition of the Jack G. Raub Co. from Mission Viejo Co. The Raub Co. was the engineering group subsidiary of Mission Viejo Co. that provided engineering services for the development of Highlands Ranch in Colorado and Mission Viejo and Aliso Viejo in California. I was director of engineering for the land development and metro district groups.

My decision to stay with Nolte was based upon the opportunity to become a part of the ownership group in a mid-sized engineering consulting firm. The company had the values and career opportunities that resonated with my professional goals. It also has been and will continue to be a privately held firm. We believe that being a privately owned firm makes us more flexible and directly accountable to our clients.

CCM: What are some key projects that you have worked on throughout your years with the company?

Rudolph: Projects of recent note include the Gates Redevelopment for Cherokee Partners, the Lowry Bombing Range project for Lend Lease, historic Manitou Springs Downtown Redevelopment, program management services for the city of Colorado Springs RTA program, and a number of residential and commercial development projects in Northern Colorado around the intersection of I-25 and Highway 34 in Weld County.

I would also say that being involved in the expansion of Nolte’s Rocky Mountain region from one office in Denver to adding offices in Colorado Springs, Fort Collins and most recently in Cheyenne, has also been key throughout my tenure.

CCM: Considering the state of the economy, how is business? What is the firm completing throughout the region?

Rudolph: Currently all five of our regions, Northern California, Southern California, Utah, Rocky Mountain, including our Mexico operations, are exceeding their bookings projections for the fiscal year, which will end on October 2. We feel fortunate that our marketing tactical maneuvers allowed us to be flexible and diversified in the marketplace, which has served us well. We have not been immune to the downturn in the housing market. However, the impact has been minimized by our staff being flexible in the type of work they do and our efforts over the last several years to diversify our client portfolio in anticipation of the housing market downturn.

In addition to those previously mentioned, we continue to work on the Banning Lewis Ranch development in Colorado Springs, with McStain Co. in Northern Colorado, and for downtown revitalization projects in Monte Vista, Colo., and Raton, N.M.

We also continue to team with our client, Denmark-based Grontmij/Carl Bro, a subsidiary of the Dutch firm Grontmij, servicing European clients in the U.S., and expanding our sustainable design and renewable energy related support services. The goal across the entire organization has been to work for clients that have similar values to ours, which has been very important in a soft economy.

CCM: What can the industry expect to see from Nolte Associates in 2009?

Rudolph: We will continue our efforts to diversify our client and services portfolio. Our current revenue projections for next year support our objective to “Grow our Future.”

Nolte’s visibility in all our current market places will increase and we will continue our commitment to advancing sustainable solutions. We are in a very strong position to advance in the industry despite a soft economy. Our success is founded on finding and building relationships with great clients and that will continue to be the cornerstone of our business philosophy.

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