A young engineer named Ralph Modjeski established the firm in 1893, in the prominent Monadnock Building of Chicago. Through the contributions of Mr. Modjeski and countless talented engineers, including co-founder Frank Masters, Modjeski and Masters has been built into a nationally recognized engineering firm specializing in all things bridges – from the very simple to the very complex.
“When Ralph Modjeski founded our firm more than a century ago, he knew the company, like bridges, needed a strong foundation,” said Michael Britt, president and CEO of Modjeski and Masters. “He also knew that integrity in business, as in engineering, is the key to longevity and excellence. As we enter our 125th anniversary year, these core tenets live on, and the legacy of Ralph Modjeski and co-founder Frank Masters endures.”
The firm is now headquartered in Mechanicsburg, Pa., and has 10 regional offices in: Charleston, W.Va., Edwardsville, Ill., Littleton, Colo., Mount Laurel, N.J., New Orleans, Philadelphia, Poughkeepsie, N.Y., Raleigh, N.C., St. Louis, Mo., and Washington D.C. These strategic locations have allowed Modjeski and Masters to thrive, in part, by being locally responsive to our clients’ needs while remaining flexible enough to take on infrastructure challenges nationwide and around the world.
Modjeski and Masters also completed its first acquisition in the firm’s history in 2015, by acquiring Summit Engineering Group, based in Littleton. Summit has an excellent reputation for being one of the best in the business at successfully partnering with owners, fabricators, and contractors. As its industry evolves, these contractor/engineering relationships become more important. This acquisition allowed Modjeski and Masters to leverage this ability, expand its business, and provide even higher levels of service to its clients.
With all the success enjoyed by Modjeski and Masters over 125 years, the firm has not lost sight of its greatest engineering resource – its staff. The company takes great pride in the talents and accomplishments of each employee and fosters a dynamic, creative atmosphere that facilitates the complete understanding of both applied bridge design technique and engineering theory. The firm also recently converted its Employee Stock Ownership Plan to 100 percent employee-owned, meaning that all staff share in the firm’s success.
“Spanning more than 125 years is not an ordinary accomplishment in today’s world, where mergers and acquisitions seem to be more of the industry standard,” said Britt. “However, Modjeski and Masters has stood for more than a century and a quarter years in an ever-evolving market.
All of us at Modjeski and Masters take great pride in the accomplishments of the firm and look forward to many more successful years.” Join Modjeski and Masters Inc. in celebration of this milestone, as the company will post exciting things throughout the year! Look for #ModjeskiMasters125 in its social media posts.