In-Depth Biz Profile: Fisher Associates
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"Citizens want their voices heard. They expect that their tax dollars are going to be well spent and prudently used."
Twenty-eight years ago, Fisher Associates was Claire Fisher and $500 in revenue. Today, the civil engineering firm has more than 100 employees in Rochester, Buffalo, Syracuse, Erie and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and $13 million in revenues.
As the firm has grown, its mission and values have stayed the same.
"You should be able to expect, and reasonably so, that when you travel on that bridge, that it’s going to be there for a long period of time, 20 or 30 years, that it’s going to have adequate capacity for the traffic and certainly that it’s going to hold up,” said Claire Fisher, president, Fisher Associates.
Fisher says about 60 to 70 percent of Fisher Associates contracts are related to transportation. Major customers include; municipalities, the State Department of Transportation, Thruway Authority, and State University Construction Fund.
"We’re working more with private developers. We’re working a lot with energy and utility companies. We’re designing wind turbines, expanding gas and electric distribution lines."
Fisher says her civil engineering firm has a number of high quality local competitors. She believes her team wins large contracts because they offer local governments more than technical skill.
"It’s on their commitment to the project, the way that they work as a partner and advisor, not just with municipal officials but also with the residents of that particular neighborhood,” Fisher said. "It’s very satisfying to be able to see the residents of that neighborhood enjoy and use what you’ve designed."
Whether its traffic flow, trails, wind turbines or college site plan design, Fisher believes the future is positive for Fisher Associates, its clients and engineers.
"We have good people working for us. We have a good business strategy. We have a great reputation. So, we feel that with continued hard work and diligence, that we also will be able to maintain and thrive in the coming years."