About
Our Philosophy
We build relationships that better the built environment.
Building lasting relationships is at the core of who we are. We support and empower our team to reach our full potential and use our expertise to solve complex problems. We engage and collaborate with the entire team to better ourselves and provide quality solutions to today's challenges. We recognize that every relationship with our team and clients is vital, and we make positive impacts on those relationships every day with our actions and attitude.
Driven By Core Values
Relationships
Relationships
Through dedication to our employees, clients, and community we strive to engage on a personal level.  We respect and value our employees, encouraging one another to develop to our full potential and continually improve. We become long-term business partners and trusted advisors to our clients by providing creative, collaborative solutions that leverage the expertise of our employees. Responsiveness
Responsiveness
We recognize that timely and respectful communication leads to better outcomes for our business, our clients, and our projects. We care about the entire team and project and strive to appropriately prioritize needs so that we provide value-driven solutions that satisfy individual stakeholder desires within their schedule.Reliability
Reliability
We are dependable personally and professionally.  We take ownership of our individual performance and are vested in producing high quality work together as a team. We hold ourselves and each other accountable to follow through on our tasks and honor our commitments.Leadership
Andrew M. Rauch, P.E., S.E., LEED AP
President
Andrew M. Rauch, P.E., S.E., LEED AP
President
Andy is committed to meeting client needs, defining and managing quality of work, and understanding the unique risk management issues of an engineering firm. Andy is no stranger to unusual or uncommon questions that come up during the course of design — in fact it's his personal mission to answer them for all of the firm's clients in the most thorough way possible.
Tina A. Wyffels, P.E.
Principal
Tina A. Wyffels, P.E.
Principal
Tina is always thinking about constructability when designing a project, and considers her organizational skills, responsiveness, caring attitude, and attention to detail as the benchmarks of her success. These qualities are central to BKBM's core values. "I firmly believe we deliver great value to the project team, especially with our responsiveness during construction when time can have a significant impact on project costs. BKBM has a great team of people that respect each other and are continually collaborating with one another and sharing expertise to produce great work for our clients and building owners."
John C. Timm, P.E.
Principal
John C. Timm, P.E.
Principal
John is a creative problem solver who approaches each project with an open mind and flexibility to solve its unique challenges. He works hand-in-hand with design teams and contractors to deliver projects on time and on budget, recognizing the expertise each collaborator brings to find the best solution for clients' needs. "Building close relationships makes work fun, especially when you feel driven by a common goal and build trust that everyone is working together," he says, adding that "It's very satisfying when we get the opportunity to come together and celebrate a completed project."
Matthew J. Ricker, P.E.
Principal
Matthew J. Ricker, P.E.
Principal
Matt finds great fulfillment in coming together as a team to deliver a successful project for an owner and is most proud "when we've surpassed a client's expectations and see or hear sincere gratitude for the service we've provided." He also enjoys building a personal relationship with his clients and becoming their go-to person for engineering needs. He says, "When a client calls me out of the blue for structural advice, I know my past responsiveness has established a relationship that provides trustworthy value and expertise."
Christopher R. Plessel, P.E.
Principal
Christopher R. Plessel, P.E.
Principal
Chris's technical background and expertise in new construction as well as older materials and methods make him perfectly suited to lead BKBM's restoration projects. With project experience primarily focused on the renovation and adaptive reuse of historic buildings, he supports clients' visions to reuse older buildings whenever possible. Chris works hard to understand a client's vision by asking comprehensive questions to get a fuller perspective of the overall goals. His attentiveness and responsiveness add great value to the teams he leads, and in return, he finds that this engaged collaborative process pays off in successful projects, happy clients, and long-lasting relationships.
Ronald J. LaMere, P.E.
Principal
Ronald J. LaMere, P.E.
Principal
Ron believes the only way to deliver on every relationship every day is to empower each member of the firm with education and decision-making capabilities.
Kevin A. Bohl, P.E.
Associate Principal
Kevin A. Bohl, P.E.
Associate Principal
Kevin brings an affable demeanor and collaborative spirit to project teams, and always manages to have fun while getting the job done. As a result, he maintains excellent relationships with colleagues and clients alike. Kevin appreciates that BKBM provides an open atmosphere that allows everyone to voice their opinion and grow as employees. "I have always felt that the success of a company comes from the ground up. Without dedicated and experienced employees, a company cannot be successful. This is why BKBM has always maintained a culture focused on relationships, both internal and external, and empowering our teams to reach their highest potential."
Lucy M. Boston
Associate
Lucy M. Boston
Associate
Lucy is an approachable leader who balances technical know-how with quick wit and humor. She has been with the firm since 2015, demonstrating her mastery of Revit workflows in her roles as Senior Structural Designer, Development Leader, and Associate. Her prowess for selecting the perfect gif for any situation is unparalleled, and she brings this affability to the office Employee Engagement Group.
Chad A. College
Associate
Chad A. College
Associate
As an Associate, Chad brings nearly thirty years of drafting and design expertise to the BKBM shareholders. He joined the firm during the halcyon AutoCAD days of 1999 and has been a respected technical resource for the company ever since.
Tim Derrick
Senior Associate
Tim Derrick
Senior Associate
A former reinforced-concrete special inspector, Tim provides a wealth of knowledge to precast concrete projects. In addition, he brings a specialized proficiency in the layout of parking structures and a focus on buildability to all of his project types. He is proud of the respect he has gained from his clients and colleagues through his commitment to delivering quality projects on time and on budget. Tim says, "Prepare a well detailed and buildable project and the rest will take care of itself."
Tim Ernest
Project Development Manager | Denver
Tim Ernest
Project Development Manager | Denver
Tim is the Project Development Manager for BKBM’s Denver office and is a people-oriented collaborator who has become a trusted advisor to internal team members and industry partners alike. “Trust takes root on a personal level,” he says.
Tony R. Foggia, P.E.
Associate | Structural Group Manager
Tony R. Foggia, P.E.
Associate | Structural Group Manager
Tony believes that anything worth doing is worth doing well. As a project manager, he combines this willingness to go the extra mile with his technical specialties in concrete design to provide tremendous value to clients. Approachable and collaborative by nature, Tony has become a trusted adviser to project partners. He says, "I always strive to be extremely responsive to our clients and the entire design/construction team. This encourages a collaborative environment and really helps build lasting relationships."
Erik D. Godfrey
Associate | BIM Manager
Erik D. Godfrey
Associate | BIM Manager
Erik brings a wealth of technical knowledge to his position as BIM Manager. He joined the BKBM in 2008 and has been guiding the office's team of designers ever since in roles such as Senior Structural Designer, Development Leader, and Associate. As BIM Manager, he prioritizes continuous process improvement and optimization while being responsible for maintaining and updating the company's BIM and 3D production technology standards.
Knute K. Hinderlie
Associate | Director of Information Technology
Knute K. Hinderlie
Associate | Director of Information Technology
Knute brings his technical expertise to life as an Associate and Director of Information Technology. Always looking for alternate and creatives approaches, Knute relishes in custom cost-effective solutions to make technologies fit the needs of the firm. He has been helping BKBM avoid blue screens of death since 2003.
Tyler H. Johnson, P.E.
Associate
Tyler H. Johnson, P.E.
Associate
A member of the BKBM family since 2011, Tyler brings tremendous dedication, leadership, and experience to his roles as Project Engineer and Associate. He offers expertise in many structural systems, but his talents particularly shine in navigating the complexities of post-tensioned concrete designs.
Joel W. Maier, P.E.
Senior Associate | Civil Group Manager
Joel W. Maier, P.E.
Senior Associate | Civil Group Manager
Joel's design philosophy stems from keeping things simple and being honest with clients, coworkers, and contractors. Adaptability and being responsive to clients' needs are keys to BKBM's success according to Joel, who uses his technical expertise to collaborate with project teams and contractors to achieve everyone's common goal. Even as industry trends shift and turnarounds are accelerated, he resolves challenges in a timely and common-sense manner.
Keith A. Matte, P.E.
Associate
Keith A. Matte, P.E.
Associate
Keith brings a balanced approach to civil design and works hand-in-hand with clients to develop feasible budgets and timelines to ensure BKBM's design standards and quality of service are always maintained. As urban sites and stormwater management requirements become more complex, BKBM's technical expertise and ability to work with local governing agencies will become essential in delivering successful projects on time and on budget.
Anthony M. Radtke, P.E.
Associate
Anthony M. Radtke, P.E.
Associate
Anthony enjoys the collaborative process of working with architects, owners, and contractors, and empowers all parties to have a voice on the project team. He considers balancing the needs of all stakeholders to find a middle ground that makes everyone happy the most exciting challenge of being an engineer. "I enjoy working with people to solve their problems, big or small. Whether it's a structural problem or not, sometimes we can provide new ideas that change how the rest of the team sees a problem."
Corey A. Schlosser, P.E.
Associate
Corey A. Schlosser, P.E.
Associate
As a Project Engineer and Associate, Corey takes an active role in collaborative training and mentorship. He brings this collective spirit to both internal and external project teams, offering guidance and expertise in solving complex problems. He has been with BKBM since 2018.
Brady K. Shelbourn, P.E.
Associate
Brady K. Shelbourn, P.E.
Associate
As a Project Manager and Associate, Brady proactively collaborates with internal and external team members to remain organized and process-oriented while delivering projects on time and on budget. Adopting real-time collaboration tools using Revit and BIM has allowed Brady to remain an adept problem-solver in light of ever-changing products, materials, and techniques in the construction industry.
Alex H. Smith, P.E.
Associate
Alex H. Smith, P.E.
Associate
Alex has been with BKBM since 2016 and joined the company shareholders as an Associate in 2022. He also serves as Digital Design Lead, a role in which his technical wizardry in the Revit-Bluebeam-Excel trifecta can especially shine.
Catie Wheeler
Marketing Director
Catie Wheeler
Marketing Director
Catie brings over 15 years of marketing for professional service engineering and construction firms in the Twin Cities. Driven by process and committed to delivery, she is responsible for external communication and brand management for BKBM.
Expertise
Your Design Navigator and Collaborator
At BKBM, we navigate the complex. We’re challenged and put to the test every day when building or reusing structures and developing or redeveloping sites. This is our world, our business—where we excel. We tackle design problems daily and rise to meet challenges unheard of yesterday. When we collaborate with you, we help produce technologically advanced, practical designs; on time and within budget at the speed of today’s business.
Buildings and structures have to stand the test of time and be structurally sound and meet strict building codes and standards. They must be functional and aesthetically pleasing, reuse materials and be environmentally friendly, and protect the public’s health and well-being. Site design is also becoming more complex as regulatory requirements evolve to keep up with ever-changing water quality standards and shifts in global climate. And then coordinating communication among multiple teams that must fit within budget and schedule - designing is no small task.
We meet these challenges daily with architects, building owners/end users, developers, and contractors. It’s an enormous responsibility. Something we relish and thrive on. And we’ve been doing it well for new and historic structures and new and redeveloped sites for over 50 years. From skyscrapers to parking structures, from stormwater ponds to site development, we ensure your project correctly and efficiently uses design elements and materials to achieve your building’s structural and site requirements.
Test and Validate With Confidence From Start to Finish
As a multi-discipline, professional engineering firm, our engineers are trained to calculate, test and validate our designs. We use industry-leading computer design programs, advanced project management tools, and a management structure that leads to enduring and positive project outcomes. As a result, we’ve earned a national reputation for innovative design solutions and proactive project management.
Like many in our industry, we adopted and enhanced our ability to improve project collaboration within the design team of architects, clients, and staff using Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Civil 3D software. We can better coordinate structural and civil designs and communicate using a familiar, multi-discipline 3D environment with the project team. This results in streamlined communication along with better visualization and documentation.
Our role doesn’t end when the plans are approved. To minimize surprises and costly re-design before, during, or after the project is complete, we’re with you at every step of the construction process. We emphasize quickly resolving construction issues throughout the construction phase while assisting in maintaining project quality control. We can also be helpful managers, special structural inspectors, or civil or structural forensic specialists throughout and after the construction process.
Everybody On the Project Team Has a Voice
At BKBM, we listen to our partners and work with everyone on the team, not just who directly hired us. This includes the contractor and sub-contractors to try to achieve the best possible project outcome. This is an important distinction. We may not have all the answers, but by working with the entire team and listening… we can fine-tune the solution or make something even better during the project. We have countless examples of this in action. (See Projects)
A great indicator that our collaboration model builds trust is the continued growth of our business and the long-standing relationships we have formed over the years. It works!