From Ireland to A&A
     Greensboro Project Engineer, Joe Fogarty joins A&A from the Cork Corporation, Cork City, Ireland. He earned his engineering degree from the University of Wales, College of Cardiff, one of Britain’s top civil engineering schools. When he left Ireland to be near his wife’s family in North Carolina, he found A&A online. "The company’s approach seemed progressive and covered many aspects of civil engineering, so I immediately sent off a letter," he said. The rest is history.

     Fogarty specializes in road construction, from small city streets to large urban renewal projects. His most interesting project before joining A&A brought him to numerous archeological survey sites in the City of Limerick, Ireland. "It was fascinating to see old city walls and monasteries uncovered along with literally hundreds of skeletons," said Fogarty. In his spare time he enjoys spending time with his wife, Sharon, and their one-year old daughter, Ciara.

Quality Service Builds Quality Relationships

     Whether the project involves wireless facilities or car washes, A&A’s services lead to more than just finished products—they lead to good working relationships with clients. This is what happened when engineers in the Greensboro office met Randall Kaplan and Bill Cassell, partners in the Capsule Group, LLC. The Capsule Group’s upscale Golden Touch Car Washes focus on high-quality customer service. A mutual friend and client recommended A&A to Capsule, and what started as a few conceptual layouts has led not only to a variety of engineering projects, but also to a relationship built on service.

     "A&A has benefited Capsule by the quality of its site engineering and its responsiveness to our needs," said Kaplan. With A&A’s input, Capsule has been better equipped to negotiate land deals, assess difficult zoning and land use issues, and evaluate site feasibility. "Our relationship works because Keith Price [Greensboro Branch Manager] always makes you feel like you are his most important customer, and that the office will always do its best to meet our time demands," Kaplan added.

     Price enjoys his work with Capsule as well. "Working with Bill and Randall is truly one of the more enjoyable parts of my job—they really make a project both fun and productive," said Price. In addition to their work with Capsule, both men are active in a number of civic organizations. Cassell, for example, co-chairs the North Carolina-Israel Partnership and serves on the Board of Directors for the American Hebrew Academy (described below). It was his recommendation that first drew attention to A&A as a candidate for this one-of-a-kind project.

Environment Promotes Academic Vision

     One hundred acres in Greensboro, North Carolina, will soon be home to one of the world’s premier educational institutions, the American Hebrew Academy. A residential preparatory school, the academy will provide 800 students with the opportunity to live and learn in an atmosphere designed to cultivate knowledge, maturity, and respect for the environment. "The facilities will be world-class," said Greensboro Branch Manager, Keith Price. "This project is truly one of a kind." A&A was chosen to provide all survey, site, and civil engineering services for the school’s synagogue, academic buildings, athletic facilities, and student and faculty residences.

     Designed by Aaron Green, the protégé of famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright, the master plan shows a unique design philosophy. "The campus will be very energy and environmentally sensitive," explained Price, and the site will be carefully integrated into its wooded surroundings. For example, all buildings will be below the tree line, and only electrically-powered service vehicles will be allowed on the premises. Instead of cars, the layout emphasizes walking and biking as the primary means of transportation. The institution will also incorporate several alternative energy sources, including an innovative geothermal heating and cooling system. All of these decisions reflect Judaism’s emphasis on the sacredness of the natural world.

     A&A’s reputation in the community, performance on past projects, and several relationships with long-standing clients all came into play when the company was selected for this job. The company’s responsiveness also stood out. "We have been working on the site and involved in the master planning from the outset, so we understand the issues and the owner’s goals better than our competitors," said Price. The Greensboro office has, and will continue to lead this effort, but it is truly a companywide job. Project managers and teams from Blacksburg, Middletown, and Tennessee have been instrumental in securing the contract and will all contribute to completing the project.

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