TOLEDO, Ohio, February 21, 2012

Sonny has over 25 years of experience in the architecture and construction field. His experience includes managing and operating architectural operations, marketing and client relations, project design and layout, constructability reviews, construction administration, project management, and the management of multiple design teams.

“We are excited to have Sonny join our team at a time when SSOE’s business continues to expand and grow.” said Dave Verner, Senior Vice President, Life Sciences SBU. “His extensive background and experience will allow him to further assist SSOE with our growth objectives for our Life Sciences practice. Sonny’s particular emphasis will be on higher education, science and technology, and continuing care.”

Sonny comes to SSOE from Poggemeyer Design Group (PDG). There he was the Sr. Vice President and Integrated Design Division Manager for all vertical designs which includes Architectural, Interior Design, Mechanical/Plumbing Engineering and Structural Engineering disciplines. There he worked for higher education clients such as Bowling Green State University, Eastern Michigan, Kent State University, Owens Community College, and The University of Toledo, as well as healthcare clients such as HCR-Manor Care, Community Health Services, and Oriented Senior Centers where he completed projects in Florida, Ohio, Michigan, Texas, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Indiana. Some of his most recent projects include the Allied Health and Public Services building at Northwest State Community College, the School of Nursing and Music at Terra State Community College, and the Blakely Care Center in Bowling Green, Ohio.

Sonny received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Architectural and Environmental Design from Bowling Green State University. He also has an Associate’s Degree in Architectural Design from Monterey Peninsula College in California.

TOLEDO, Ohio, February 20, 2012 –

The “Engineer for a Day” program is a part of the agenda for the 2012 Toledo Engineer Week and will be held on February 22, 2012 from 1:00 until 3:30 PM. Students will attend a luncheon at The University of Toledo College of Engineering before meeting at SSOE. While there, they will experience first-hand what it takes to become an engineer and potentially an employee of SSOE.

To start the afternoon, students will get an overview of project management. This will include a brief discussion on the role of a project manager. It will be followed by a team building activity featuring Legos which will allow the students to demonstrate project management principles.

The second topic of discussion will cover electrical engineering. SSOE presenters will discuss their roles within the company followed by an interactive activity in which hot dogs and pickles will be cooked with just a few wires and a battery. Once complete, the students will be able to taste test the end result. The day will wrap up with a demonstration of industrial control systems from two SSOE food and beverage process experts.

During the program students will also learn about SSOE’s student co-op internship program. This program provides college students with resume building experience, a competitive wage, and college credits. On average SSOE employs 40 co-ops / interns at any given time.

For more information on the census data indicating a decline in of the share of science and engineering professionals click here: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204059804577227462520514538.html

TOLEDO, Ohio, February 20, 2012 –

“Adrienne Taylor is a bright, talented, and versatile engineer. In her six years at SSOE, she has quickly risen from a supporting role on large projects to leading them. She is the subject matter expert for many different platforms and has become a coach, teacher, and trainer for both younger and more experienced staff,” stated Brad Galliers, PE and Section Manager for SSOE’s Industrial Process division.

As a current member of The National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE), Ohio Society of Professional Engineers (OSPE), and The Toledo Society of Professional Engineers (TSPE), Adrienne has been actively involved within the community. In 2011 she became the leadership co-chair for organizing SSOE’s annual Engineer for a Day Program – part of National Engineer’s week , where students from local high schools are invited to explore the career path of engineering.

Taylor is a 2003 graduate of The University of Dayton with a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering and has been with SSOE since 2005. With a strong commitment to both personal and professional development, Adrienne earned her Professional Engineering (PE) license for the state of Ohio in 2011.

Nominees for the award were judged in seven categories: technical knowledge, professional interest and habits, personal character, leadership, public relations, civic spirit, and contributions to the community, state, and or nation. The award will be presented today at a luncheon held at The Hilton Garden Inn in Perrysburg, Ohio in honor of Engineer’s Week.

Toledo, Ohio, February 16, 2012

Betsy started her marketing career at SSOE nearly 12 years ago as a marketing intern through an internship she received through The University of Toledo. Betsy has held positions of increasing responsibility from her days as an intern including Operations Marketing Coordinator for the Industrial Process Team, Corporate Marketing Coordinator, and most recently Corporate Marketing Manager.

Betsy received her MBA from the University of Toledo in May 2007 and was Valedictorian of the College of Business in May 2001 when she graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration. Both degrees were earned with concentrations in marketing.

In Betsy’s new position, she is responsible for creating and administering marketing plans for our key sectors and leading the teams needed for implementation. In addition, she will now be responsible for the management of SSOE’s research function.

“Betsy’s focus on driving the business, continuous improvement, and openness to change has allowed her to easily transition into her new role and responsibilities. She has been a great asset to SSOE’s past growth and no undoubtedly will continue to be in the future.” said Catherine Malicki, SSOE’s Vice President and Global Director of Marketing / Public Relations.

Chattanooga, TN, February 7, 2012

SSOE has successfully performed design work for more than 50% of all automotive assembly plants built in the United States over the last 10 years. Based on that experience, Volkswagen called upon SSOE to oversee the architecture, engineering, and construction management for this $1 billion+ production facility which produces the all-new 2012 Passat. Once it was determined to pursue LEED, SSOE performed the role of Project Team Administrator (PTA) and Design Lead for all LEED credits with Vertegy provided commissioning and third-party verification.

“Think Blue is Volkswagen’s commitment to reach the highest level of environmental protection and corporate social responsibility in everything we do. It was this commitment that drove the team to strive toward designing, constructing, and applying for LEED accreditation. Being the first automotive plant worldwide to receive a Platinum certification is an enormous accomplishment and wouldn’t have been possible without the innovative design and construction management of SSOE. Their LEED knowledge and expertise supported us in moving forward with the certification process and achieving the Platinum certification successfully,” said Dr. Jan Spies, Head of Factory Planning, Volkswagen AG.

The Volkswagen manufacturing plant earned 52 points out of the 69 possible to earn the Platinum title in October. Sustainable highlights of the plant include:

• Certification of the paint shop facility. Previous assembly plants have excluded their paint shop in the LEED certification process due to the complexity of the manufacturing process and the challenge of getting them certified. VW’s sustainably designed paint shop will save more than 50 million gallons of water a year.
• The construction team salvaged or recycled nearly 78 percent (4,602 tons) of construction and demolition waste.
• 48 percent of total building materials were manufactured using recycled materials.
• Through low-flow water closets and urinals, the plant achieves a 58 percent reduction in potable water used for sewage conveyance. Additionally, the plant harvests rainwater from its roof that is collected for use in the sanitary waste system. Together, these strategies save 1.7 million gallons of potable water each year. Low-flow showers, lavatory and kitchen faucets further decrease potable water usage, resulting in total savings of more than 3 million gallons of potable water each year.
• A white, reflective roofing material was installed on 100 percent of the roof area of the building, which reflects heat, lowering cooling costs and saving energy.
• All exterior lights at the facility provide only the minimum lighting required for safety to ensure that light does not spill into the night sky, adversely affecting the surrounding nocturnal environments through excessive glare.
• Measures to promote environmentally friendly commutes include the provision of bike racks for visitors and employees, availability of showers and lockers for employee use and preferred parking for those driving low-emitting and fuel-efficient vehicles and for those who carpool to the site.

The Volkswagen Academy was also certified by USGBC as a LEED Platinum facility earning 54 points of out 69 possible and received this designation in November. The Volkswagen Academy is used to train new employees for work at the plant.

In addition to the Volkswagen Chattanooga manufacturing plant, SSOE is also responsible for the first Gold LEED certified facility in the state of Ohio and first Gold LEED certified central utility plant in the U.S. Currently, SSOE has more than a dozen projects underway at various stages of the LEED certification process around the world and was ranked first nationally among green industrial and manufacturing design firms by ENR magazine.

About Volkswagen Chattanooga
Volkswagen will invest $1 billion in the local economy for the Chattanooga plant and create more than 2,000 direct jobs in the region. According to independent studies, the new Volkswagen plant is expected to generate $12 billion in income growth and an additional 9,500 jobs related to the project. The Chattanooga manufacturing facility builds the all-new 2012 Passat sedan, specially designed for the North American market and winner of the Motor Trend magazine 2012 Car of the Year award.

Toledo, Ohio, January 27, 2012

SSOE’s lead architect for the Performing Arts Center, Tim Swartz, is proud to bring additional recognition to the architectural capabilities of SSOE. “SSOE is often times thought of as only providing engineering and construction management services, so it is great we can also be acknowledged for our achievements in architecture,” Swartz said. The new Performing Arts center sits on the bluff of the Ottawa River allowing for dramatic views of the building which enabled SSOE architects to take advantage of natural topography of the site.

Upgrading a building of that age and comprehensively addressing the needs and requirements of the school, while working within a limited site, brought a number of challenges. “It was very rewarding to overcome those challenges to allow teachers and students to enjoy a customized learning environment to continue their prestigious performing arts program,” noted Ken Schumaker, SSOE’s Design Architect for the project. The renovated Performing Arts Center is three times the original building size.

In addition to the Northview High School Performing Arts project, SSOE is also responsible for the renovations and additions to Southview High School, McCord Junior High, Arbor Hills Junior High, the new Maplewood Elementary, Hill View Elementary, Central Elementary School, and a new administration office. These projects include new science laboratories, a cosmetology laboratory, and classrooms.

For additional information on this project click here.

Nashville, TN, January 26, 2012

SSOE was responsible for design of the nearly $2 million renovations of the Austin Peay Hemlock Building – a 5,000 SF student training laboratory built to simulate the lab of a working facility. With a compressed schedule of only seven weeks to complete this installation, SSOE and contracting company, The Comfort Group, worked around the clock to deliver the project on time.

Working with local Tennessee contractor, Robins & Morton, SSOE also performed the design of the new Tallahassee Memorial Cancer Center. Many sustainable features, including the use of 92% recycled structural steel, were incorporated into the 52,000 SF building which was awarded LEED^® Silver certification in April 2011.

The ABC Excellence in Construction Award seeks to recognize the entire construction team – construction owners, designers, and contractors–working in collaboration to successfully complete a project on-time, with exceptional quality, and in a cost-effective manner. Entries were submitted by providing a project narrative and detailed description of the construction process used – with specific attention to new processes, time, and space restrictions, and special challenges faced to complete the project. The awards were presented to both project teams at the annual Awards of Excellence Banquet held on Thursday, November 10, 2011 in the Nashville Airport Marriott. Award recipients at the chapter level were then eligible to enter projects in the ABC National competition which is to take place in February, 2012.

Toledo, Ohio, January 23, 2012

SSOE was recognized for this award based on their corporate-wide commitment to work-life balance. The company’s mission includes an Employee Value Proposition (EVP) which was a key factor in being honored. SSOE’s EVP emphasizes: wealth sharing, skill development, career progression, total compensation, and total benefits – including health and wellness. “Our Employee Value Proposition is a commitment to the full range of offerings our employees seek—going beyond a simple compensation number. It includes a promise to employees that they can enjoy a balanced and flexible work experience and includes the practical programs and practices that give them the choices they need to accommodate their lifestyle. Whether an employee is new to SSOE or close to retirement, there are programs suited to all life stages,” said Lisa Estep, Manager, Employee Benefits at SSOE.

In the area of work-life balance, SSOE offers flexible work arrangements or flextime and a strong PTO program which allows employees to take time off by the quarter hour when needed. Kate Lister, one of this year’s judges and president of the Telework Research Network stated, “My hat is off to all the great nominees for their commitment to helping their employees lead a balanced life.”

Another important component of SSOE’s EVP, and their commitment to work-life balance, is a proactive approach to wellness through preventative health benefits. Some of these benefits include: gym membership subsidies, fruit of the week, free flu shots, smoking cessation, on-line health enhancement programs, biannual chair massages, Weight Watchers subsidies, and on-site health assessments and exercise programs. In addition, SSOE recently developed an Employee Health and Wellness Committee. The committee’s mission is to drive a wellness culture throughout the organization by coordinating events and providing wellness related tools and information to empower employees to take responsibility for their own health.

In order to be considered for this award, the company’s human resources department must
submit a nomination to Constangy, Brooks & Smith. Nominations are then reviewed by an independent panel of judges and the winner is selected. For more information on the Work-Life Balance Award, please visit the Constangy website: www.constangy.com/balance.html

In addition to being recognized by Constangy, SSOE has also been named “Best AEC Firm to Work For” (Building Design + Construction), a Crain’s “Cool Places to Work”, an Ohio Psychological Association’s Psychologically Healthy Workplace, and was a recipient of the United Way’s Parent Friendly Workplace Award.

About Constangy, Brooks & Smith, LLP
Constangy, Brooks & Smith, LLP has counseled employers on labor and employment law
matters, exclusively, since 1946. A “Go To” Law Firm in Corporate Counsel and Fortune Magazine, it represents Fortune 500 corporations and small companies across the country.  Its attorneys are consistently rated as top lawyers in their practice areas by sources such
as Chambers USA, Martindale-Hubbell, and Top One Hundred Labor Attorneys in the United States, and the firm is top-ranked by the U.S. News & World Report/Best Lawyers Best Law Firms survey. More than 130 lawyers partner with clients to provide cost-effective legal services and sound preventive advice to enhance the employer-employee relationship. Offices are located in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin. For more information, visit www.constangy.com.

Toledo, Ohio, January 23, 2012

Headquartered in the “rustbelt” city of Toledo, Ohio, and largely reliant on manufacturing clients, SSOE may not seem the most likely candidate to be a progressive model of success. The company attributes this success to the building blocks of all successful business—Great Client Service and long-term relationships. However, its unique perspective on things like international presence may serve as a model for companies looking to take the next big step in growth.

One perspective shift SSOE has is how it looks at its international office locations. Widely perceived as a source of cheap labor costs, SSOE’s offices in places like China, India, and Brazil were not only put in place to increase revenue internationally but to grow revenue and add jobs here in the U.S. SSOE has been in Shanghai since 2006 and in Beijing since 2010. This year it opened offices in Tianjin, China; Sao Paulo, Brazil; and Mumbai, India. “Looking at these countries as sources of inexpensive labor is an antiquated view of the world. These countries are strong consumer markets and are some of the fastest growing
economies. That’s why our manufacturing clients are moving there, not for cheap labor. The same is true for us.” said SSOE’s CEO, Tony Damon.

In order to jump start the current operations in India, SSOE recently acquired d-Tech, a design and construction management firm headquartered in Mumbai, India. Damon says, “In doing this, we’re able to expand our consumer base and provide work sharing resources to our India clients which creates work for our employees here in the U.S.” SSOE performed an extensive search for the right acquisition target in India using in-country resources as well as testing out potential targets through partnerships. SSOE and d-Tech have a history of partnering together. In addition, SSOE and d-Tech formed a minority owned joint venture (C2C, Coast to Coast Engineering, LLC.) in 2007 and successfully completed a number of projects together. Because of this venture, SSOE is comfortable and confident in the quality of d-Tech’s output, processes, financial stability, and management as well as their ability to work for U.S. clients with projects in both the U.S. and India.

Niki Shah, Operations Manager for SSOE’s Mumbai operations said, “The fact that SSOE
is a known entity to d-Tech was significant. We are very comfortable with the way SSOE works, their integrity, and that together we provide a good match in both capabilities and culture. We are confident this partnership will be successful and be a positive experience for all involved.” d-Tech’s current portfolio in India will help SSOE market to their western clients and their international portfolio and extensive capabilities will strengthen SSOE’s position with existing clients. Some of their recent clients include Procter & Gamble, both in the U.S. and India, as well as Key Bank, J.C. Penney, General Dynamics, and the City of Cleveland.

SSOE has also found its international locations to be a strategic advantage in winning projects here in the U.S.—but not because it cuts their fee. “Our clients are typically on tight schedules. The sooner we can get them up and running, the sooner they can start putting out product and pulling in revenue. Our ability to work on their project 24-hours a day by having offices in different time zones can make a big difference in a project schedule.” said Damon.

Additional facts:

• With 1,000 employees, SSOE has already grown its workforce by 5 percent in the last year and has nearly 100 open positions
• SSOE’s recruiting strategy include unique ways to reach the best and the brightest
  which includes extensive benefits packages that statistics seem to indicate are
  lacking in recently created jobs
• 125 of SSOE’s existing clients have been with them for more than 20 years
• SSOE supports science and technology education as a key factor to enable their
  continued success. As a result they are committed to giving back 10 percent of
  their earnings—much of that focused on things like engineering schools and
  scholarships to encourage females and minorities to enter the profession.

TOLEDO, Ohio, January 9, 2012 –

Registrations

Nicholas Hogrefe, RA, LEED AP recently earned his architectural license. Hogrefe was required to pass the Architect Registration Exam, have a professional degree from an NAAB-accredited program, and complete the Intern Development Program (IDP). The IDP is approximately three years of on the job experience consisting of training units in 16 different categories. The Architect Registration Exam evaluates candidate’s knowledge, skills, and ability to provide the various services required in the practice of architecture. Hogrefe is an architect for SSOE’s Life Sciences division in Toledo, Ohio and has seven years of experience.

Certifications

Dwain Hibdon, PE, PMP recently earned his certification as a Project Management Professional (PMP). This certification, awarded by the Project Management Institute (PMI), indicates that the individual possesses the knowledge and skills necessary to lead and direct project teams, and deliver project results within the constraints of schedule, budget, and resources. Hibdon is a senior project manager in SSOE’s Nashville, Tennessee office and has 27 years of experience.

Daniel Clark, MCTS, MCITP and Joe LeBlanc, MCTS both recently earned their certification as Microsoft Certified Technology Specialists (MCTS). This certification, awarded by Microsoft, signifies that the individual has proven the ability to successfully implement, build on, troubleshoot, and debug various Microsoft technologies. Clark also earned his certification as a Microsoft Certified IT Professional (CMITP) in the first quarter. This certification, also awarded by Microsoft, builds on the technical proficiency measured in the MCTS certification and indicates the aptitude for successful technology implementation projects. Clark and LeBlanc are computer systems technicians in SSOE’s Toledo, Ohio office, Clark has eight years of experience and LeBlanc has seven years of experience.