Author: Janel Brubaker

  • New Hire: Janel Brubaker

    New Hire: Janel Brubaker

    R&W is excited to announce another new team member! Janel Brubaker has joined our company as an Energy/Mechanical Technician. Ms. Brubaker graduated from Clackamas Community College with an A.S. in English. She then went on to Marylhurst University where she obtained her B.A. in English Literature and Writing. Ms. Brubaker has worked on several projects at R&W in a support and data entry capacity. The scope of her experience includes working on load calculations for a variety of different projects, providing QA/QC for project reports and proposals, as well as assisting the Marketing Director to enhance R&W’s proposals, content, and social media.

    In her free time, Ms. Brubaker loves to write and read. She spends hours most days working on her fiction and nonfiction, as well as reading books for school and her own personal enjoyment. She also loves to hike, camp, and spend time surrounded by trees. Mt. Hood National Forest is currently her favorite place to hike and camp, though Ms. Brubaker loves finding new favorite spots to spend time out of doors. We’re excited to have her on our team!

  • Owner Profile: Greg Robertson

    Owner Profile: Greg Robertson

    Author: Janel Brubaker

    The culture, atmosphere, and values of a company are exemplified and upheld by its leadership. Because of this, owners, managers, and other leading personnel set the tone of a workplace through their actions, attitudes, and personal commitments to the rest of the staff, as well as to the company as a whole. R&W is lucky to have so many incredible leaders and one of them is Greg Robertson.

    Mr. Robertson began his career in the engineering industry in 1979. He started as a drafter for an electrical manufacturing company. But after a time, he decided he needed something more. So, he joined a newly formed local consulting engineering firm. When asked what he liked most about engineering, he said, “I liked that I could work independently on projects, and that I could see a project all the way through to its final construction.”

    In 1998, Mr. Robertson left a large national company which offered commercial, mechanical, and electrical engineering services because it was going out of business. He and several others approached R&W and offered to expand their company’s engineering services to include commercial engineering. Because R&W hadn’t yet branched out to that market, the whole group joined the R&W family. Fun fact: another member of this group moving over was Ed Carlisle, R&W’s current Vice President! Mr. Robertson said the transition into R&W was incredibly smooth. “We were coming from a typical big business, impersonal company into a more community, family focused company,” he said. “It was a nice change.”

    After the transition into R&W, Mr. Robertson continued expanding his skills. Because of this, he progressed from being a junior designer to becoming a senior designer and project manager working primarily on cell sites. He spent years managing projects and building client lists. And as a result, after several years, he was asked by Mark Wirfs, one of the founders of R&W, if he would become a partner. Mr. Robertson’s devotion to both the clients and the company proved his reliability, trustworthiness, and commitment. These are only a few of the qualities that make him an exceptional leader in our company.

    Mr. Robertson has worked on various types of projects, but cell sites are his favorite. “I love the trips,” he said, “There are so many diverse locations for cell sites. We build them on mountain tops and I get to look out for miles at the different landscapes. It’s beautiful.” Because of this, Mr. Robertson has travelled to many places for work on such projects. Some have been in National Parks. One project was done at Crater Lake National Park. He said of the experience, “I felt guilty that I was being paid to go there!” And his favorite project locations have been on the coast, at Timberline Lodge, and other mountain ranges.

    In his downtime, Mr. Robertson loves spending time with his family. He has four children and 21 grandchildren. All of them live close by, so every summer, he and his wife take their grandchildren camping in groups of two. A favorite camping site of theirs is at the coast near Nehalem Bay. There, they ride bikes, have a campfire, and make s’mores. Mr. Robertson also enjoys taking photographs of wildflowers and waterfalls with his wife. “It’s another way to enjoy the outdoors,” he said.

    R&W appreciates all that Mr. Robertson has done for us. We’re lucky to have him on our team!

  • New Hire: Will Schlotfeldt

    New Hire: Will Schlotfeldt

    R&W is excited to announce a new member of our team! Will Schlotfeldt was hired on as a mechanical/energy designer. A graduate of the University of Portland, Mr. Schlotfeldt obtained his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering. Mr. Schlotfeldt works on HVAC system designs under the guidance of the project engineers. Types of projects include working on installing new duct connections at a papermill to maximize efficiency and cut down on waste, and an old Safeway that is being converted into a corporate headquarters for a credit union. He is EIT certified in Oregon. His education, his previous work experience, and attention to details make him a reliable addition to our team.

    In his free time, Mr. Schlotfeldt enjoys spending time outdoors. Biking and hiking nearby trails with his wife and their dog, Goose, is a particularly favorite pastime. He also enjoys playing board games/tabletop games, such as Dungeons and Dragons, with friends. He recently got back into reading for fun and is currently working through his backlogged to-read list. Mr. Schlotfeldt has also been experimenting with new cooking recipes with his wife and other family members for cuisine theme nights. We’re so glad to have him onboard!

  • New Hire: Isaac Schultz

    New Hire: Isaac Schultz

    R&W Engineering is excited to announce the addition of a new team member! Isaac Schultz has joined our company as a Mechanical and Energy Designer. Mr. Schultz completed his M.S. in Mechanical Engineering at Portland State University in 2016. He also has a B.S. in Applied Physics from the State University of New York. He has worked on several projects and conducted energy studies for educational buildings, religious institutions, and office spaces, among others. He has worked alongside project managers on different aspects of each project and has experience visiting project sites, working on proposals and reports, interacting with clients and others involved in the project, and supporting other members of the R&W team. His education and experience make him an absolute asset to our team.

    In his spare time, Mr. Schultz is all about music. He’s played drums his whole life and is a member of a local band. He loves to see other musicians play live and often travels to do so. Before joining the R&W team, he spent a year studying atmospheric science and weather prediction at the University of British Columbia. His other interests include camping, board games, outdoor activities, bowling, snowboarding, and spending time with friends and family. We’re thrilled to welcome him to our company!

  • New Hire: John Wells

    New Hire: John Wells

    R&W Engineering is pleased to announce the addition of a new team member! John Wells has joined R&W Engineering as a senior electrical designer. A graduate from University of Portland, Mr. Wells holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering. He has worked on various projects including design work for commercial buildings and industrial facilities. He has substantial experience as a controls designer, integrator, and programmer. His years of experience and detail-oriented approach to projects make him an essential member of the R&W team.

    In his spare time, Mr. Wells enjoys being out of doors. He particularly loves foraging and spending time on and around bodies of water. He is an explorer and saltwater fisherman. He loves to birdwatch, particularly seabirds. Mr. Wells is also an avid reader and major history buff. He loves to learn new languages. We’re excited to include him as part of our team!

  • New Hire: Michael Foster

    New Hire: Michael Foster

    R&W Engineering is pleased to announce the addition of a new team member! Michael Foster has joined us as an Electrical and Tech Designer. A graduate of Oregon State University, Mr. Foster has a B.S. in Electrical Engineering. He has worked on several projects for our company, the bulk of which includes lighting design, power design, and utility coordination.

    Mr. Foster has worked on several different types of projects including utility coordination for cell sites throughout Oregon, Washington, and Idaho, street lighting throughout Oregon and Washington, and lighting for various types of spaces including warehouses, offices, storage spaces, industrial facilities, churches, and others. Mr. Foster has also worked on projects for a hemp oil extraction facility, a wastewater treatment plant, dormitories for a summer camp, and a large apartment complex. His education and diverse range of experience makes him an asset to our team.

    In his free time, Mr. Foster loves to be active as well as relax. For more active free time, Mr. Foster enjoys skiing in the Oregon mountains. For relaxation, he loves to play board games, video games, and card games, as well as enjoying both reading and cooking. We’re thrilled to have him on our team!

  • New Hire: Scott Reimer

    New Hire: Scott Reimer

    R&W Engineering is excited to announce the addition of a new team member! Scott Reimer has joined R&W Engineering as a Mechanical and Energy Designer. A recent graduate from Oregon State University, Mr. Reimer has a B.S. in Energy Systems Engineering. He has worked on various types of projects including energy studies, HVAC design, and commissioning, among others. The scope of his experience so far includes working alongside R&W’s project managers in each phase of the project to deliver the best possible result to the client. His dedication to learning and detail-driven attitude have made him an asset.

    In his spare time, Mr. Reimer enjoys hiking, backpacking, and listening to music. His favorite hiking locations are Yosemite and the Wallowa Mountains. He also enjoys watching and playing soccer; he’s a Portland Timbers fan and was the captain and leader on his soccer club in college. He has an eclectic taste in music, enjoying Folk, rock, hip hop, and different electronic styles. He’s also passionate about the environment and increasing sustainability practices. We’re glad to have him here!


  • Owner Profile: Harry Reeder

    Owner Profile: Harry Reeder

    Author: Janel Brubaker

    R&W Engineering has seen some incredible milestones in the last couple of months. From reaching 100 projects with CIDA to celebrating our 41st anniversary, 2019 has already been a fantastic year. As we reflect on all we’ve accomplished, it’s clear that none of it would have been possible if not for our founders. With this post we’d like to honor one of them, Harry Reeder.                                                  

    Mr. Reeder has been in the engineering and construction field for 64 years. He graduated from Oregon State University with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering. He also has an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering. When asked why he chose such a degree, Harry said, “Because I loved airplanes and wanted to work in the airplane industry.” And he did! Mr. Reeder worked for Boeing for 11 years before he left and worked another 11 years as a mechanical engineer for a consulting engineering firm. “The big changes in my life have occurred in cycles of eleven years,” he said.

    One of the most challenging aspects of starting R&W, he said, was the finances. Finding clients so they could make enough to stay open was a concern for the first two years. “So we just had to keep on working,” Mr. Reeder said. Because of this, he and the co-founder, Mark Wirfs, decided to focus the company on electrical engineering, instrumentation, and control systems. The Portland area was already saturated with mechanical engineering firms and other engineering needs were given less attention. Mr. Reeder and Mr. Wirfs saw in that an opportunity to meet a need in the area and bring in more clients simultaneously.

    As they focused their initial efforts on establishing themselves as an electrical engineering, instrumentation, and control systems firm, they also worked hard to launch a mechanical engineering side. These different services allowed them to generate a diverse list of clients who could come to R&W for a variety of engineering needs. Because of this, the company became financially solid after two years and by the five-year mark, had an excellent client list.

    “The most rewarding part of being an owner of R&W has been watching it grow and watching the employees grow,” said Mr. Reeder. He described R&W as being a culture of honesty filled with respectable people. “I always tried to hire people smarter than me,” he said. “So I think we’ve built a company we can be proud of.” Mr. Reeder has been a pillar of strength for R&W. His leadership, his unwavering dedication to the company, the employees, and the clients, and his love for the industry are part of what has made R&W so successful.

    Harry Reeder loves to play golf and he’s an Elder in his church. Mr. Reeder was very active in the American Society of Mechanical Engineering where he served in several positions, including as member of the Governing Board. He has travelled for a lot of different jobs, relocating to several states, though Oregon has always called him back. Also, he was the 30th President of The Consulting Engineers of Oregon (now called the American Council of Engineering Companies of Oregon). Mr. Reeder likes to read historical novels and is currently working his way through Churchill. Harry played football, basketball, and baseball in high school. When he worked for Boeing, he played in their company’s softball league.

    We love and respect him as a person and for all he’s done for R&W, and find great value that he still visits the office and mentors us in his free time. Thank you, Harry!

  • New Hire: Jonathan Lilly

    New Hire: Jonathan Lilly

    R&W Engineering is pleased to announce the addition of a new team member! Jonathan Lilly, P.E., has joined our company as an Electrical Engineer. He graduated from West Virginia University with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering, a B.S. in Computer Engineering, and an M.S. in Electrical Engineering. Mr. Lilly specializes in lighting, power, and control design. With more than 10 years of experience in the industry, he has managed the design and implementation of electrical systems on a variety of projects. Mr. Lilly’s attention to detail and commitment to delivering quality solutions to meet specific and often complicated electrical needs make him a vital part of our team.

    In his spare time, Mr. Lilly enjoys touring Oregon. He likes hiking and visiting parks around Portland. He also loves to read science fiction and fantasy. He’s currently on book four of Game of Thrones, but also enjoys Hyperion, Ringworld, and the works of Karl Edward Wagner and Robert E. Howard. He enjoys yard work and is trying to start a small vegetable garden of his own. He also likes to cook Chinese and other Asian foods.

    Mr. Lilly brings so many essential skills to our projects. We are better for having him as part of our team!

  • Our 41st Anniversary

    Our 41st Anniversary

    Today, May 1st, is R&W Engineering’s 41st anniversary! On this day in 1978, R&W’s professional journey in the engineering and construction industries began when our founders, Mark Wirfs and Harry Reeder, had an impromptu elevator discussion. Over the years, this company has had to adapt to meet the demands of an ever changing and challenging industry. And we’ve been able to do so because of the tremendous support we’ve received from our clients and our incredibly loyal staff. Reflecting back, it’s easy to see how much we have to be thankful for. R&W’s staff and clients are the reason we celebrate four decades of accomplishments. These relationships have been vital to our success. So, as we look forward, we hope they will continue to support us into an even stronger future.

    Read our 40th Anniversary DJC Publication below:

    [embeddoc url=”https://rweng.com/images/DJC%20Milestones_RW.pdf” download=”all”]