News

Tony L. Taylor, project manager at Frederick, Seibert and Associates recently earned his professional land surveying license by passing the examination administered by the Maryland Board for Professional Land Surveyors. Tony began his career with the company's founder, Mr. J. Harold Seibert, as a field surveyor and has been employed by FSA for over 25 years. Tony took his expertise to from the field to the office and began to study as an engineer as well. He obtained a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Maryland and has continued to work as a surveyor and engineer since. Congratulations Tony for achieving this milestone and obtaining your license.

FSA was recently recognized by the Boy Scouts of America - Mason-Dixon Council for volunteer work that will eventually assist the organization in constructing a new administration building at Camp Sinoquipe in Fulton County, Pennsylvania. FSA agreed to provide a site plan and process it through local and state agencies at no cost to the Boy Scouts. The relationship we have with local organizations is so valuable to the team at FSA. We appreciate the opportunity to serve the Boy Scouts as they continue to invest in our local youth.

David H. Harman, manager of the house location department at Frederick, Seibert and Associates, recently earned his professional land surveying license by passing the examination administered by the Maryland board for professional land surveyors. He has been employed by FSA for 20 years, performing a variety of duties in the field of land surveying. Harman is a lifelong resident of Washington County, a graduate of Hagerstown Community College and Leadership Hagerstown. Congratulations to Dave for passing the exam and obtaining your Surveyors License!

As many small business owners will attest, the last couple of years have been financially woeful. The construction industry has taken quite a hit. Amidst economic turmoil, FSA has remained strong and continues even to grow.

For the last year now, FSA has begun its expansion into the greater Carlisle, PA region. While FSA has been working in Pennsylvania for over 20+ years, this year has been especially fruitful in the south-central Pennsylvania region. We have multiple clients and many prospects in the area already. Taking a greater interest in the community, FSA has joined the Greater Carlisle Chamber of Commerce and has had representation at many recent events. The relationships which have grown within the Chamber have been invaluable. Team members at FSA hope to continue to grow and be active within the community of Carlisle and surrounding townships.

FSA is proud to announce that we have recently joined the Central Pennsylvania Murata Business Center in Carlisle. FSA has an associate membership with Murata and will be able to utilize facilities as needed. With a P.O. Box within the center and access to conference rooms, etc., FSA hopes to utilize this valuable resource to grow this branch of the business. The Murata Business Center typically assists startup companies in their infancy by providing office space, resources and business mentorship in order for these entrepreneurial businesses to expand. While FSA is an established company with nearly 70 years of experience, we are consistently looking for new opportunities to expand our horizons. We are seeking new strategies to improve designs and expand our Green Initiatives such as Stream Restoration, LEED Designs and Environmentally friendly site planning. Our associate membership with the Murata Center will benefit FSA with a place to call home in Carlisle and we hope that we can benefit the center through our experience.

Progress is always exciting and FSA will continue to grow and expand in the next few years. We are excited to be able to offer our services to the greater Carlisle area.

On January 19, Keith Moore of FSA and Stream Restoration colleague, Doug Hutzell of ESI, presented to the Hagerstown Rotary Club. The presentation was well received and provided the members of the club with a comprehensive understanding of the process and benefits of stream restoration and dam removal.

We at FSA are very enthusiastic about stream restoration and hope to expand in this growing field. Stream restoration has vast ecological and water quality benefits. It is the hope of those in the industry that stream restoration will become a quantifiable means to address issues with water quality management.

The editors of the weekly Rotary publication, "The Rotograph," wrote a summary of the presentation:

"Doug and Keith, and their respective companies, have been working together on several local & regional stream restoration projects, including Beaver Creek and Raven Rock Creek.
Stream restoration can include dam removal and restoration of the dam site, but it can also include restoring streams without any dam structures to eliminate bank erosion and stabilize the stream structure. They work closely with the Department of Natural Resources. Oftentimes, stream restoration after a dam removal will allow the original native fish population to repopulate the stream. They often work with Trout Unlimited to help accomplish such a result.
There were one or two questions about the Devil’s backbone dam, and the speakers thought that a more thorough approach might have resulted in a different decision than to restore the dam."

The FSA extended family expanded during what has been referred to as a "Boy Baby Boom." During 2010, five FSA employees' wives gave birth. All five families welcomed boys into their lives. Congratulations to Adam, Jason, Justin, Jeff and Brett on the birth of their sons! FSA continues to be a family friendly company and looks forward to continued growth.

Congratulations to Shannon Stotler and Pam Mohn of FSA for passing respective professional examinations.

Pam Mohn took her Principles and Practices of Engineering Exam in the State of Maryland in the spring. She passed the exam and is now eligible to be a licensed Professional Engineer (P.E.) in the State of Maryland.

Shannon Stotler is a licenced Land Surveyor in Maryland and West Virginia and recently passed his exam as a licensed surveyor in Virginia. Because of the diversity of survey law from state to state, a licensed surveyor must take an exam in each state that he/she would like to practice surveying. FSA is continuously growing and expanding into Virginia. Shannon and Pam have exemplified professional growth by passing these professional exams. Congratulations again.

Congratulations to Keith Moore for being recognized by the good people at COPT Property Management Services, LLC. Keith has been recognized for going above and beyond the minimum requirements to ensure that the needs of COPT are met and even exceeded. William D. Hofmann, Senior Property and Environmental Services Manager for COPT presented Keith with a letter of recognition and a service award for his constant dedication to excellence. Mr. Hofmann graciously acknowledged Keith and the team at FSA for coming through in a pinch and for going 'above and beyond when the going is tough.'

Frederic M. Frederick was recently appointed to the Board of Directors for The Hagerstown-Washington County Economic Development Commission (EDC).

The Hagerstown-Washington County Economic Development Commission welcomes Mr. Frederick to the Board of Directors as a City of Hagerstown representative. He will serve the unexpired term of R. Michael Deming, ending June 30, 2010, at which time Mr. Frederick will be eligible for reappointment to serve his first three-year term.

The Hagerstown-Washington County Economic Development Commission is a county agency that provides assistance to new and expanding businesses throughout Hagerstown and Washington County, Maryland. The EDC interacts with a vast network of public, private and nonprofit organizations to address the business needs of the community, as well as attract new companies to the county.

Mr. Frederick believes community involvement is extremely important not only for himself, but for the team members at FSA. Joining the board of directors for EDC is just another example of personal, company and community growth through volunteerism.

Nikki Eichelberger, the office manager here at FSA, recently obtained an AMA Certificate in Management and an AMA Certificate in Human Resources Management through Hagerstown Community College Continuing Education office and in cooperation with the American Management Association. Congratulations, Nikki!

Brett Whorely, a Landscape Architect for FSA, was recently inducted into the Hagerstown Beautification Advisory Committee. The Hagerstown Beautification Advisory Committee consists of citizens and professional who are dedicated to the development and enhancement of the City of Hagerstown. The Committee wants to make the City of Hagerstown a better place to live, work, play and visit by promoting various beautification efforts such as: façade improvements & signage, sidewalk plantings & window boxes, debris elimination & litter control, landscaping & fencing, and gardens & murals.

FSA recently teamed with Environmental Services, Inc. to remove an abandoned mill dam in Sperryville, VA. Thornton River’s headwaters originate in the Shenandoah National Park and feeds a productive trout fishery in Rappahannock County. The property owners, Cliff Miller and John Genho with Eldon Farms, worked with Nat Gillespie, Director of Eastern Lands Protection for Trout Unlimited to fund the fish passage project. FSA and ESI began site surveys in the spring of 2009. The team prepared the design documents using Natural Channel Design principles. State and Federal permits were obtained to allow construction to begin in the fall. ESI and Shenendoah Streamworks, LLC started construction in the beginning of December. The project was completed on December 17th, 2009 which created additional fish habitat and removed migration barriers on this beautiful trout stream.

Keith Moore of FSA recently attended the Municipal Engineers Fall Education Seminar in Reading, Pennsylvania. The day was dedicated to discussing the issues that face municipal engineers across the state of PA.

Of particular interest was the topic of Full Depth Reclamation. The idea behind this concept relates to road repair and allows the engineer to essentially reuse pavement and base material for pavement reconstruction projects. The process saves on material costs and on the costs of hauling base material.

Frederick, Seibert and Associates, Inc. represents the Borough of Greencastle as the Borough Engineer and is frequently involved in projects involving borough roads, infrastructure and stormwater management, amongst other things.

On October 5, 2009, the US Green Building Council (USGBC) awarded the Fort Ritchie Community Center the LEED Gold certification for the development of a more sustainable building. Corporate Office Properties Trust (COPT) is now responsible for ten LEED certified buildings and six of those have been given the gold designation.

LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and its rating system judges a new construction project based on a list of criteria established by the USGBC. The rating system is established based on the number of pre-determined criteria met. Ratings include LEED Certified, LEED Silver, LEED Gold, and LEED Platinum.

A gold rating is a phenomenal achievement for any construction project and the team at FSA is proud to have been part of this endeavor. FSA in conjunction with COPT and the other members of the design team will continue to work diligently in this green building effort. Frederick, Seibert and Associates, Inc. strives to work with developers, local governments and organizations such as the USGBC to achieve more environmentally friendly and sustainable designs.

Rob Holmes of Frederick, Seibert & Associates, Inc. has been recently recertified as a sewage enforcement officer (S.E.O.) by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. Rob is a project manager for FSA and works in the Greencastle, PA office.

An S.E.O. is responsible for site evaluation, overseeing or performing site testing, reviewing designs, issuing permits, inspecting installations and evaluating malfunctions for on-lot sewage systems.

Fred Frederick, president of Frederick, Seibert & Associates, Inc. stated that every township is required to have a primary and secondary S.E.O. Employees at FSA continue to broaden their scope of experitise through continued education and certifications.

The Mayor and City of Hagerstown, through the Hagerstown Beautification Advisory Committee, has awarded Frederick, Seibert and Associates with a 2009 Highlight Hagerstown Award for Non-Residential facilities. The award is given in appreciation for efforts in beautifying the property. The aesthetically pleasing facade of 128 S. Potomac Street has been described as enhancing the streetscape of the City of Hagerstown. FSA proudly accepted the award at a banquet ceremony on August 25th.

Frederick, Seibert and Associates, Inc. made the news in May concerning a design for multiple rain gardens at Mount Aetna Adventist Elementary School in Hagerstown, MD and at Greenbriar Elementary School in Boonsboro, MD. The projects were funded by the Chesapeake Bay Trust and The Beaver Creek Watershed Association (BCWA). They were overseen by the BCWA. See the complete Herald Mail article at: http://www.herald-mail.com/?cmd=displaystory&story_id=223675&format=html

Frederick, Seibert and Associates, Inc. team members have joined forces with Axis 80 Interactive to develop a new website. Utilizing the latest in website development software, Axis 80 provides a new twist on the classic FSA look. Because FSA is a company that is continuously growing and changing, the website will evolve as well. Keep your eyes open for news and project updates as we continue to grow!