Our Story
Driven by community
Since 1973, Fehr Graham has grown by focusing on what matters most: listening to clients, solving practical problems and improving the communities we call home.
What started as a small engineering and surveying firm in Freeport, Illinois, has become a multidisciplinary engineering and environmental firm with 260+ employees across Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin. Through decades of growth, new offices, expanded services and changing client needs, our work has stayed grounded in the same purpose – helping communities move forward.
The milestones below tell the story of how Fehr Graham grew, the people who shaped us and the moments that helped define who we are today.
Our next chapter
In 2023, we joined Trilon, opening new opportunities for our employees, clients and communities while continuing to operate as Fehr Graham. Our name, relationships and commitment to service remain the same – now strengthened by the collaboration and resources of a broader infrastructure consulting network.
Learn more about Fehr Graham's history by hovering over the plus signs and clicking the forward and backward buttons below.
1973
September 15, 1973
Fehr Graham is born
Fehr Graham’s first office opens at 660 W. Stephenson St. in Freeport, Illinois, with five employees. “We were competing with each other and decided we would just be better off together,” said Joe Graham. “We had complete trust in each other,” Al Fehr said. When asked why Fehr came before Graham in the new company’s name, both said it was simple: Fehr came before Graham alphabetically.
September 16, 1973
Landing our first municipal client
It doesn’t take long for Fehr Graham to get its first municipal client. A day after opening, the Village of Lena, Illinois, hires Fehr Graham to do curb work on Railroad Street.
October 1, 1974
Erwin "Win" Toerber becomes owner
After three months working as an Engineer, Erwin “Win” Toerber becomes an owner. “You had to buy in, so right away you had some skin in the game,” he said. “You were an owner so what you did was try to recruit clients and be a good engineer.” Fehr Graham continues to follow this seller-doer model.
1981
January 1, 1981
Quentin Davis becomes owner
Joining a team of five technicians and three partners, Quentin Davis becomes an owner, four years after joining the firm as a Graduate Engineer.
January 1, 1982
Mark Young joins ownership team
The Fehr Graham team continues to grow as Mark Young becomes a partner. Mark brought mechanical engineering skills to the firm, eventually leading a project to reduce the energy consumption costs for the State Bank Center of Freeport. His team saved the company 20% in utility costs by performing an energy cost reduction study and updating the all-electric, multistory, commercial building from planning to post-construction monitoring.
March 1, 1987
Changing names helps build business
After 13 years in business, Fehr-Graham & Associates Consulting Engineers becomes Fehr-Graham & Associates Engineering and Science Consultants.
December 31, 1987
Joseph Graham leaves a legacy
Co-founder Joseph Graham retires. When he retired, Fehr Graham provided only engineering, environmental and surveying services. Thirty years later, Fehr Graham had grown from one office to 10 and three services to dozens. “Adding services is the natural way to grow,” he said in 2017. “I am proud that these fellas are doing as well as they are.”
May 12, 1989
Business expands to Wisconsin
Fehr Graham begins its first project in Wisconsin for an international cannery in Markesan. Owner Al Fehr helped the facility apply for air permits, calculate plant emissions and submit information to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to ensure environmental compliance.
1990
December 31, 1990
Allen Fehr retires, leaves behind
strong firm foundation
Co-founder Allen Fehr retires, ending a successful career as a land surveyor and Professional Engineer who specialized in municipal sewer and water development.
January 1, 1992
Hans Anderson joins as partner
Hans Anderson becomes a partner, joining the Fehr Graham team after serving as a City Engineer for municipalities in Illinois and Wisconsin. Hans joins as an expert planner and designer of water and wastewater facilities, treatment plants, collection and distribution systems, lift stations, and supply and storage facilities.
January 1, 1992
Todd Weegens becomes owner
Lena, Illinois, native Todd Weegens becomes a partner, bringing expertise in underground storage tank remediation projects. “During my time with Fehr Graham, I wanted to make sure the firm grew to be the best it could be,” said Todd in 2017. “While I am proud of the growth, I am most proud of the relationships that were developed over the years.”
September 15, 1993
Fehr Graham turns 20,
opens Rockford office
On the same day Fehr Graham celebrates its 20th anniversary, the firm opens its Rockford, Illinois, office.
December 31, 1996
Mark Young retires
Partner Mark Young retires after 16 years at Fehr Graham.
2000
January 1, 2000
Mick Gronewold becomes partner
Fehr Graham rings in the new year, and Mick Gronewold becomes a partner after seven years with the firm. Still with the firm today, Mick serves as Board Chairman and Managing Member.
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February 2000
Partnership with Jane Addams Trail in Freeport begins
Fehr Graham starts working on the Jane Addams Trail that runs 14 miles north to the Illinois-Wisconsin border where it connects to the Badger Trail leading to Madison, Wisconsin. Our team secured $1 million in grants from IDNR and we engineered design services including rehabilitating 13 bridges along the trail route. Part of the project was also in Freeport as a connection point for the Pecatonica Prairie Path. This portion of the trail was possible with a $2.1 million grant from IDOT through the Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program. We helped secure funding and oversaw construction for the 4.5-mile section. This project spanned more than a decade and was finished in February 2014.
December 31, 2000
Erwin "Win" Toerber retires
after securing specialty
One of Fehr Graham’s first employees, partner Erwin “Win” Toerber, retires. Win helped make wastewater design and operations a Fehr Graham specialty during his time at the firm.
January 1, 2002
Ken Thompson becomes owner,
spearheads environmental compliance
Environmental Project Manager Ken Thompson becomes a partner 13 years after joining Fehr Graham. Ken worked on mechanical engineering and HVAC projects, which led to helping clients with their environmental compliance needs. “HVAC eventually led me to air permitting work, and I really liked that side of the business,” Ken said. “So, that’s when I started to get interested in environmental compliance,” he said.
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2002
October 1, 2002
Freeport office moves
Fehr Graham moves its Freeport, Illinois, office to 221 E. Main St. The firm’s leadership team assisted local investors in remediating the complex, a brownfield at the time, at the suggestion of Freeport Mayor Jim Gitz. The building was later deemed free of all contaminants by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, allowing Fehr Graham to become the first tenant in the historic Rawleigh complex.
March 25, 2003
New proposals bring new propositions
Fehr Graham submits its first wind energy proposal for the Navitas Energy/Mendota Hills Wind Farm in Lee County, Illinois, thanks to the strategic efforts of partner Todd Weegens.
September 15, 2003
Happy 30th Birthday, Fehr Graham
Fehr Graham turns 30 and celebrates by continuing to run at full force, helping local communities and industries.
October 1, 2003
Opportunity spurs office in Wisconsin
Fehr Graham sees an opportunity to create and grow relationships with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation and the people of Green County. The result is a new office in Monroe, Wisconsin.
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December 31, 2004
Quentin Davis announces retirement
Partner Quentin Davis retires after nearly three decades with the firm. He excelled in many areas, including industrial wastewater treatment design, hazardous waste regulations, site development, street and storm sewer design, water system planning and water quality studies.
2005
January 1, 2005
Adam Holder joins ownership Group
Adam Holder becomes a partner at Fehr Graham, the only place he’s worked after graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. “Our team is adaptable and family-oriented,” said Adam, who serves as a municipal engineer. “Just giving back, having a leadership culture, being around youth and helping improve the communities where we work and live makes Fehr Graham great.”
January 3, 2005
Fehr Graham secures first acquisition
Fehr Graham makes its first acquisition with Simmons & Associates in Rochelle, Illinois. Owner Mick Gronewold moved from the Freeport office to the Rochelle office to oversee operations.
May 1, 2006
Acquirement encourages government projects
Fehr Graham acquires Ozyurt & Stone in Springfield, Illinois. Owner Gunes Ozyurt stayed with Fehr Graham after the acquisition and managed the Springfield branch for seven years until his retirement in 2013. The acquisition provided many connections with county highway and state departments, encouraging Fehr Graham to pursue and land more governmental projects.
May 2005
Creating connections in Freeport, Illinois
Fehr Graham works with the City of Freeport, Illinois, on its first brownfield grant project. The former CMC Heartland railyard site sat on 18 acres and was turned into a segment of the Grand Illinois Bike Trail connecting the Jane Addams Trail to the Pecatonica Prairie Path. The site was assessed and contained several potentially dangerous Underground Storage Tanks that were safely removed along with petroleum impacted soils. The site was freed for development with the help of a USEPA issued Petroleum Cleanup Grant.
April 2008
Rock River project turns eyesore to asset
Fehr Graham begins work with the City of Rockford to help redevelop the former Amerock building that became an eyesore along the western banks of the Rock River in downtown Rockford, Illinois. Fehr Graham first worked for the City of Rockford to assess the site and the later was engaged by developer Gorman & Company to complete the environmental work and site design engineering as part of an $87.5 million redevelopment of the site into a hotel and convention center. The hotel opened in July 2020.
2010
August 31, 2010
Hans Anderson retires
Partner Hans Anderson retires after two decades with the firm, including 18 years as an owner.
January 1, 2011
Joel Zirkle becomes owner
Joel Zirkle, who joined the firm in 2003, becomes a partner. Joel, who also managed the Rockford office at the time, helped develop the firm’s environmental remediation division. He later began finding ways to use grants for brownfield remediation projects.
March 5, 2012
Fehr Graham lands largest project
As part of Move Illinois, a $12 billion capital improvement program, the Illinois Tollway hires Fehr Graham for a joint venture with H.W. Lochner and McClure Engineering Associates to design a 7.4-mile stretch of Interstate 90’s Jane Addams Memorial Tollway. The project includes replacing a pavement structure, widening the roadway to add a third lane, creating an Intelligent Transportation System, adding lighting, improving drainage, replacing five overhead road crossings, adding an interchange ramp, and renovating ramps to oases and toll plazas. Fehr Graham provides a significant portion of the engineering for contract plans, specifications, cost estimates for the interstate widening and reconstruction, and quality control and assurance reviews for other structures in the project. Today, the Jane Addams Tollway is eight lanes from the Kennedy Expressway to Randall Road and six lanes from Randall Road to Interstate 39, improving the link between Rockford and O’Hare International Airport. The project was awarded the Illinois Engineering Excellence Honor Award by the American Council of Engineering Companies.
July 2012
Park grows Manchester community
Fehr Graham helps create and enhance Manchester Whitewater Park. Over the course of a decade, we helped promote, fund and provide professional services on the development beginning with the river features and to the development and design of a new park entrance, shelter with restrooms and exterior showers, parking, kiosks, featuring historic facts, points of interest and wildlife information and open space amenities. Since it opened in May 2015, the park has attracted visitors from every county in Iowa, from the surrounding states, and visitors from around the world which helps the local economy grow.
2012
July 17, 2012
New name, same game
What was known as Fehr-Graham & Associates Engineering and Science Consultants since 1987 becomes Fehr Graham Engineering & Environmental.
January 1, 2013
Environmental growth spans to southern Illinois
Fehr Graham acquires Sodemann and Associates in Champaign, Illinois, leveraging the firm to build relationships with engineering and environmental clients in the central and southern parts of the state.
January 1, 2013
Firm acquires TeKippe Engineering in Iowa
Fehr Graham acquires TeKippe Engineering, an Iowa-based company with offices in West Union, Manchester and Cedar Rapids. Lyle TeKippe still works for Fehr Graham as a Project Manager in our West Union office.
June 3, 2013
Rockford office gets new home
More than 20 years after opening an office in Rockford, Fehr Graham’s commitment to the revitalization and economic development downtown drives the decision to move from 1920 Daimler Road into the renovated Prairie Street Brewhouse, a former brownfield site, on the east banks of the Rock River.
January 8, 2013
Allamakee County Visitor Center overhauled
Fehr Graham starts working with the Allamakee County Conservation Board to build a 10,000-square-foot visitor center featuring interactive displays on geology, limnology, archeology, conservation and wildlife studies, river town industries and economies, Native American cultures and local history. Federal, state and local entities supported the project, including being awarded a highly competitive Community Attraction and Tourism grant. Fehr Graham was the prime consultant and worked with the Iowa Department of Transportation.
2013
September 15, 2013
Fehr Graham marks four decades
Fehr Graham celebrates 40 years in business.
November 2013
Pump station design helps campustown
Fehr Graham begins working with the Urbana & Champaign Sanitary District and the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign to design a pump station to handle excessive overflows in Champaign’s Campustown. Fehr Graham designed and integrated the largest capacity diesel pump (475 horsepower) of its kind in the Midwest at the First Street Pump Station to handle the additional flow from the Second Street Pump Station. These changes, along with decommissioning a pump station and improving a public park, came in on time and under budget. The design allows the Sanitary District to choose what level to maintain in the sewers during moderate storms and how much flow to receive at two treatment plants during major storms. Our team integrated two treatment plants and 29 pump stations through effective SCADA system upgrades.
January 1, 2014
Noah Carmichael joins leadership team
Noah Carmichael becomes a partner after a decade of working as an Engineer and two years as Rochelle’s Branch Manager. Noah has spent his entire civil engineering career at Fehr Graham.
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January 1, 2014
Acquisition melds with core values
Fehr Graham acquires Alpha Terra Science in Plymouth, Wisconsin, allowing Fehr Graham to expand its environmental health and safety services into the Wisconsin market. “Our core values of family, teamwork, accountability, ethics and commitment meld well with those of Fehr Graham,” said Alpha Terra Science co-founder Don Becker.
April 1, 2014
Acquiring longtime firm allows services to expand
Fehr Graham acquires 80-year-old Rockford engineering firm Arnold Lundgren Associates. “The combination of our survey clients and Fehr Graham’s resources make a perfect fit for providing expanded services to our clients,” said Dan Kasten, an owner of Arnold Lundgren Associates who still works for Fehr Graham.
2014
June 2014
Community leads Krape Park improvements
The Freeport Park District receives an Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development Grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to improve Krape Park. We begin to prepare plans for sewer system improvements, restroom buildings, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-accessible trails with extensions and patio construction. Fehr Graham used community feedback which led to regrading an observation deck and shelter to view the waterfall, a new concrete patio to match and a path designed in a pattern for ADA compliance.
May 20, 2015
AECOM and Fehr Graham join forces
Fehr Graham provides work for Mercyhealth’s $585 million, 265-acre campus, the largest construction project to ever be built in the Rockford, Illinois, area. AECOM hires Fehr Graham as a subcontractor to design the roads and paths near the hospital, complete survey work, flood studies, traffic impact studies, landscaping and environmental studies, and oversee construction. The 500,000-square-foot, eight-story Javon Bea Hospital-Riverside opened in 2019.
January 1, 2014
Funding makes a difference
The Village of Shannon, Illinois, hires Fehr Graham for help overcoming challenges with its water supply system. Our team worked with Village officials to secure funding through an Illinois Environmental Protection Agency loan, and later helped reduce the interest rate, for more than $4 million over 30 years so they ensure safe drinking water for citizens for decades.
October 1, 2015
Acquisition adds landscape architecture services
Fehr Graham acquires Thomas Graceffa and Associates in Rockford, Illinois, offering more comprehensive solutions to clients and adding landscape architecture to Fehr Graham’s services arsenal.
October 1, 2015
Champaign office relocates
Fehr Graham’s Champaign, Illinois, office moves from 340 N. Neil St. to 1610 Broadmoor Drive.
2015
December 1, 2015
Fehr Graham welcomes Coombe-Bloxdorf
Fehr Graham acquires Coombe-Bloxdorf. Initially established as a two-person engineering and land surveying firm, Coombe-Bloxdorf grew into a multidiscipline engineering consulting firm over 25 years. Owners from both companies quickly realize their similarities after working together as Allen Fehr and Joseph Graham once did.
January 2016
Project bridges the gap between states
Fehr Graham bridges the gap between Savanna, Illinois, and Sabula, Iowa, after providing auto surveying services for a major bridge project on the Mississippi River.
March 2016
Downtown Durand gets facelift
The Village of Volunteers, also known as Durand, Illinois, begins working with Fehr Graham to make its downtown more welcoming. The block-long Village Square houses storefronts facing a wide roadway corridor with traffic lanes that will turn it into a more welcoming streetscape design that’s cohesive, accessible and functional.
October 11, 2016
Fehr Graham honors
longest employee
Senior Engineering Technician Gay Broocks celebrates 40 years with Fehr Graham. Originally hired as a Computer-Aided Design Draftsman in Freeport, Illinois, Gay enjoys how much Fehr Graham helps its clients make their operations and communities better.
2016
December 16, 2016
Cedar Rapids office moves downtown
Fehr Graham’s Cedar Rapids, Iowa, office moves downtown. After a massive flood devastated the area in 2008, restoration efforts created downtown restaurants, businesses and other venues. The City was coming back to life, and Fehr Graham wanted to be a part of the action. “We wanted to hire more people, but for our office to grow, we needed more space,” said Cedar Rapids Branch Manager Nate Kass. “With all the improvements and revitalization happening downtown, it seemed to be the only logical place to go. The space we have now meets our needs and gives us plenty of room to continue to grow.”
January 2017
Say cheese!
Hispanic Cheese Makers – Nuestro Queso looked to Fehr Graham, a partner since the company’s beginnings, when it needed to expand its wastewater treatment operations. Fehr Graham completed the design of a 22-million-gallon wastewater lagoon that included a spray irrigation system for the final disposition of the wastewater. Our services also included obtaining necessary permits from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and providing construction management. Construction was completed in fall 2018.
January 2017
Wastewater treatment plant upgrades
focus on the future
Fehr Graham teams up with the City of South Beloit, Illinois, after its Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) reaches a critical point of capacity needs. Our design upgrades include new treatment facilities and allow the plant to produce a higher quality effluent complaint with Illinois Environmental Protection Agency nutrient removal requirements. The WWTP was improved with state-of-the-art water treatment processes and an increased capacity while reducing energy consumption by 15%.
February 2017
Accessibility for all
After the Department of Justice mandated the City of Cedar Rapids to make all sidewalk ramps compliant with ADA-accessible regulations, Fehr Graham stepped in to help take on the big task. We designed approximately 250 intersections that included more than 1,100 individual curb ramps.
2017
February 2017
Keeping water clean in Villa Grove
Fehr Graham works with the City of Villa Grove, Illinois, to redesign and replace its Water Treatment Plant from the 1930s. Production wells were refurbished with new pumps and motors and new raw water mains were built to connect to the new plant. The project had numerous treatment improvements including an updraft forced aerator with detention tank, high-service pumps to move water from the detention tank to the pressure filter, an ion exchange softener and storage facilities. Finally, the plant plans included chemical rooms for the addition of chlorine and fluoride to the finished water. The community was excited to eliminate the ongoing water quality challenges. The project was completed in summer 2019 and provides clean drinking water.
March 2017
Fehr Graham helps navigate Dixon, Illinois
Fehr Graham starts work with the City of Dixon and through an Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program grant to make its downtown more navigable for residents and tourists. We designed 1.5 miles of multiuse bike path extensions along the downtown Riverwalk after extensive site remediation.
April 24, 2017
Springfield office relocates
Fehr Graham’s Springfield, Illinois, office relocates from 755 S. Grand Ave. to 2060 W. Iles Ave.
December 31, 2017
Todd Weegans bids adieu
After 28 dedicated years at Fehr Graham, partner Todd Weegens retires. “I would be remiss not to acknowledge the work that Joe Graham and Allen Fehr did when they founded this company,” Todd said. “I learned so much from not only the framework that they put up, but also working closely with Al for a year.”.
2018
February 2018
Reimagining Rockford's Public Library
The Rockford Public Library begins a $33 million redevelopment project along the Rock River in downtown Rockford. The main library branch built in 1903 was demolished, and the site was remediated because it sat on land that was once home to a manufactured gas plant. Fehr Graham coordinated with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to complete the site design on floodway designated land, and our team consulted with the library during the remediation phase. Construction to replace the library with a state-of-the-art facility is expected to begin in 2021. Next door a $22 million mixed-use development with high-end apartments is planned. The project was awarded the first Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity Shovel Ready grant.
July 13, 2018
Office Opens in Sheboygan
Fehr Graham’s Plymouth, Wisconsin, office relocates to Sheboygan, Wisconsin, in anticipation of more growth. The new office on North 8th Street is in the heart of downtown Sheboygan.
April 24, 2018
Partners prepare for longevity, sustainability
The firm’s five owners sign a new operating agreement to help ensure the longevity and sustainability of Fehr Graham. The partners - Noah Carmichael, Adam Holder, Ken Thompson, Joel Zirkle and Mick Gronewold - agree to create more ownership opportunities beyond what was originally negotiated by Allen Fehr and Joe Graham in 1973. “By making this change, we believe that it will help Fehr Graham continue to attract and retain quality managers, high-level technical experts and top-level performers well into the future,” said Mick, who serves as Board Chairman. “We also feel that this will help provide for a better transition to the board level as members and future members retire.”
September 15, 2018
Fehr Graham celebrates 45 years
Fehr Graham celebrates 45 years in business. After decades of expansion, Accounting Manager Lori Willging says the biggest challenge for the 10 offices is learning how to work together. “We’re 10 times larger in staff size than when I started in the late ‘80s. We have 10 offices instead of two, more reporting and regulation,” Lori said. The workload has increased and is more complicated. Luckily, the owners have kept on top of staffing needs to deal with the increased workload.”
2019
January 1, 2019
Nate Kass joins ownership team
Nate Kass becomes an owner after working with Fehr Graham for seven years. Nate focuses on leading projects that make the quality of life better in the Cedar Rapids area, such as designing 1,100 accessible crosswalk ramps on the City’s southwest side, Cubby Park, a three-diamond baseball and softball facility in West Branch, and the Coggon Wastewater Treatment Plant.
January 1, 2019
Matthew Johnson welcomed as partner
Matthew Johnson, who joined Fehr Graham in 2014, becomes an owner. Matthew leads a team that has completed civil and structural engineering projects in Champaign, Urbana, Savoy, Mahomet, Monticello, Villa Grove, and on the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign campus. Matthew specializes in water and wastewater treatment plant design and construction, most recently designing a $35 million wastewater treatment plant in South Beloit, Illinois.
January 1, 2019
Champaign merger allows more services
Fehr Graham acquires Phoenix Consulting Engineers in Mahomet, Illinois, whose staff joined the firm’s Champaign office the next day. Owner Tom Overmeyer employed six people at Phoenix Consulting Engineers and wanted to provide more services to his clients, leading to the merger with Fehr Graham. “Fehr Graham was the most like us. They had the same kinds of clients, staff and projects. This was a good match from a cultural standpoint, too,” Tom said.
2020
January 2, 2020
Jason Stoll joins ownership team
Jason Stoll, who joined Fehr Graham in 2016, becomes an owner and continues to serve as Branch Manager of the firm’s Rochelle office. Jason’s expertise lies in municipal and site development engineering, notably designing water distribution and sanitary sewer collection systems, pedestrian walking and riding facilities, and roads.
January 1, 2021
Expansion follows accelerated growth
In response to rapid growth, our Rockford, Illinois, office in Prairie Street Brewhouse expands by more than 3,000 square feet, making it 11,385 square feet.
January 29, 2021
Freeport headquarters changes location
Fehr Graham’s Freeport, Illinois, office moves from 221 E. Main St. to 101 W. Stephenson St. Rapid growth prompted the move to the new space, which is five blocks from Fehr Graham’s first office at 660 W. Stephenson St.
February 21, 2020
Manchester office changes location
Fehr Graham’s Manchester, Iowa, office moved 1.5 miles down the road for a bigger space in the heart of downtown. The new digs on the third floor of Community Savings Bank at 221 E. Main St. give the office room to grow. In two short years, the office would grow from seven employees to 12. Fehr Graham has been in Manchester since 2013 when the firm acquired TeKippe Engineering, which had an office at 1919 210th St.
September 15, 2021
Freeport office celebrates new location
On the same day Fehr Graham celebrates 48 years in business, the Freeport office holds a grand opening at its new location, just five blocks from where the company was founded. "We wouldn't have been able to do this without the support from our ownership group, our great staff and especially our clients," said Adam Holder, one of the firm’s owners.
October 31, 2021
Fehr Graham co-founder passes
Fehr Graham Co-Founder Allen E. Fehr dies at age 87. He and Joseph Graham started Fehr Graham at 660 W. Stephenson St. in Freeport with five employees on Sept. 15, 1973. The pair were competing for work when they decided to join forces. Many at the firm have memories of Al as a leader with an infectious laugh and a heart of gold who crafted a business model the company still follows. “Al was instrumental not only in creating and growing the business but played a key role in what I feel is one of Fehr Graham’s biggest differentiators. His vision has been key to our long-term success and is one reason we continue to grow after great owners like him retire,” said Mick Gronewold, Board Chairman.
2022
January 1, 2022
Matthew Johnson joins board of directors
Matthew Johnson is invited to join Fehr Graham’s Board of Directors. Matt joined the firm in 2014 and became an owner in 2019. He leads professionals who have completed significant civil and structural engineering projects in Champaign, Urbana, Savoy, Mahomet, Monticello and Villa Grove. He has also led many engineering projects on the University of Illinois campus. Matt is a licensed civil and structural engineer who specializes in water and wastewater treatment plant design and construction. He notably designed the $35 million wastewater treatment plant in South Beloit and has helped dozens of communities reimagine water and wastewater infrastructure. Matt also manages the firm’s Champaign, Illinois, office.
December 31, 2021
Ken Thompson retires
Ken Thompson retires after three decades with Fehr Graham. In 2002, he became the first non-engineer invited to join the ranks as a Fehr Graham owner. He leaves behind a legacy of formalizing the firm’s environmental compliance department, developing strong relationships with clients and mentoring employees. “I’ve been blessed,” Ken said in 2021. “Our business is set up and made to hand it off and offer opportunities to others. But it’s hard to let go.”
January 1, 2022
Seth Gronewold joins ownership team
Forreston, Illinois, native Seth Gronewold becomes an owner. Seth, who joined Fehr Graham in 2016, manages several municipal and private projects and has taken the reins on large street reconstruction and water supply and treatment projects that improve the quality of life for people in the Rock River Valley. He works in the firm’s Rockford, Illinois, office.
November 1, 2021
Deuchler joins forces with Fehr Graham
Deuchler Engineering, founded in 1916 in Aurora, Illinois, joins the Fehr Graham family. Fehr Graham expands its mechanical engineering and ecological services and strengthens its water, wastewater and structural engineering and environmental regulation, compliance, assessment and remediation services. With the addition of Deuchler’s 23 employees, Fehr Graham now employs nearly 200 people. “We looked at the Fox River Valley market and liked what the Deuchler team has done to improve the quality of life in and around that region,” said Fehr Graham Board Chairman Mick Gronewold. “Also, the Deuchler team is a good match culturally for Fehr Graham. Their technical skills and engineering and environmental know-how complement our diverse staff.”
2022
January 1, 2022
Ryan Wicks joins ownership team
Ryan Wicks, who excels at building relationships and designing and planning private and commercial site development projects, becomes an owner. As an effective planner and goal setter, he leads a team of engineers and works with multiple communities and developers. Ryan also serves as Branch Manager of the firm’s Manchester and West Union, Iowa, offices.
January 1, 2022
Todd Shankland joins ownership team
Fehr Graham’s Chief Financial Officer Todd Shankland joins the ownership team. As the firm’s first nontechnical owner, Todd paves a path for other employees to find their way into the ownership circle. He joined the firm in September 2020. Shankland helps the firm with financial forecasting and performance optimization and strategic acquisitional and organic growth execution.
May 19, 2022
Manchester office celebrates with grand opening
After a two-year delay because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Manchester, Iowa, office finally celebrates its grand opening. “As Fehr Graham grows, it is important to us that we not only provide more room for staff, but to be in our business district,” said Ryan Wicks, a Professional Engineer, Branch Manager and one of the firm’s owners at the open house. The office, on the third floor of the Community Savings Bank building, is in the heart of downtown Manchester’s business district. Since moving to the larger space on Feb. 21, 2020, the office grew from seven employees to 12.
2023
March 6, 2023
Fehr Graham opens office in Marion, Illinois
Fehr Graham continues to grow and opens an office in Marion, Illinois, at 103 Airway Drive, where Illinois Routes 148 and 13 meet. The location signals our commitment to southern Illinois where we have strong client relationships and connections. “We couldn’t be more excited to continue our strategic expansion in Illinois with the Marion office,” said Fehr Graham Board Chairman Mick Gronewold, PE. “Our firm was founded 50 years ago with the mission to improve the quality of life in the communities where our clients live and work. This expansion allows our team to better accomplish that in Marion and the surrounding communities.”
May 2023
Fehr Graham joins the Trilon Group
Fehr Graham joins the Trilon Group, a family of infrastructure consulting firms across the country. This strategic partnership allows the firm to expand its services, better serve clients and create more opportunities for employees. Our shared vision to offer clients that small firm feel while providing the capabilities of a large firm is the key reason Fehr Graham joined forces with Trilon. Under this partnership, Fehr Graham remains Fehr Graham.
Sept. 9, 2023
Joe Graham dies
Fehr Graham co-founder Joe Graham died a week before the firm’s 50th anniversary. He was 96. Graham and Allen Fehr started the firm with five employees in Freeport, Illinois, on Sept. 15, 1973. People at the firm remember Joe as someone who was meticulous, talented and jovial. His deep, hearty laugh was his trademark, and he was actively involved in the community. “Joe was always more than a co-founder. He was instrumental in setting the cornerstones from which we were built. His legacy will continue to inspire us to get it right, mentor the next generation and work to make a positive impact in the communities we serve,” said Mick Gronewold, CEO.
Sept. 15, 2023
Fehr Graham marks 50 years
On the same day Al Fehr and Joe Graham started the firm 50 years earlier, the company brought 200+ employees from 12 offices to its Freeport location, 101 W. Stephenson St., to celebrate. The carnival-themed event centered around one of the firm’s Core Values, “Have Fun.” CEO Mick Gronewold announced a recurring scholarship program aimed to help high school seniors pursuing degrees in STEM-related fields. Freeport Mayor Jodi Miller proclaimed Sept. 15 as “Fehr Graham Day” and presented Gronewold with a symbolic key to the City. “On this day we honor the legacy of Fehr Graham and applaud Fehr Graham on the remarkable achievements and milestones of 50 years of excellence and growth,” Miller said.
2024
Dec. 20, 2024
Joel Zirkle retires
After 21 years, former owner Joel Zirkle retires at Fehr Graham, leaving behind a powerful legacy in brownfield redevelopment. Joel built the firm’s brownfield program from the ground up, securing more than $26 million in Environmental Protection Agency grants for communities and nonprofits. His visionary approach turned abandoned sites into community assets, including high-impact projects in Rockford, Springfield, Ottawa and Sterling. His influence continues through the many projects he helped launch and the leaders he inspired.
April 1, 2024
Fehr Graham Aquires Midwest Engineering Associates
Midwest Engineering Associates, which served the Peoria, Illinois, area for 14 years, merges with Fehr Graham. The partnership allows Fehr Graham expand its municipal, transportation, structural and water engineering services. With the addition of Midwest, Fehr Graham now provides mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering services. “When we saw the level of services and expertise Midwest Engineering brought to the table, we knew they would be a perfect addition to our team,” Fehr Graham President Mick Gronewold said. “Their culture fits seamlessly with ours, and together, we’re stronger.” Fehr Graham now employs 240 people with the addition of 34 Midwest Engineering employees.
2025
Jan. 1, 2025
Kyle Saunders becomes President
Kyle Saunders succeeds Mick Gronewold, PE, as Fehr Graham’s President. Saunders joined Fehr Graham in 2024 as Chief Strategy Officer, where he led key growth initiatives and implemented performance-driven strategies. He brings more than a decade of experience in municipal leadership and water infrastructure, including serving as Director of Public Works for the City of Rockford. Known for his collaborative leadership style and ability to connect with clients and staff, Saunders is well-positioned to guide Fehr Graham.
Jan. 1, 2025
Mick Gronewold promoted
Fehr Graham President Mick Gronewold, PE, was promoted to the Midwest Platform CEO of Trilon Group. In his new role, Gronewold leads the combined operations of Fehr Graham, Gonzalez Companies and Mannik & Smith Group – three firms with 48 offices and more than 1,000 employees across the Midwest. Gronewold joined Fehr Graham in 1993 and helped shape the firm’s growth, culture and reputation. As Midwest Platform CEO, he applies his decades of leadership and engineering experience to advance Trilon’s vision of building community-focused infrastructure solutions. Trilon Group CEO Mick Renshaw praised Gronewold’s strategic mindset and commitment to innovation, calling him the ideal leader to guide the Midwest Platform’s next chapter.
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