Butler, Rosenbury cuts jobs in Springfield office

Butler, Rosenbury & Partners Inc. principal Tim Rosenbury said the move was a “belt-tightening effort” led largely by steadily declining billings since August. He said total billings took a sharp decline in January and February, forcing the firm’s hand.

“All of our studios were impacted by the reduction; it was really across the firm,” Rosenbury said, noting that all of the cuts were in the Springfield office.

BRP also has a three-person office in Phoenix, and an employee stationed in China. Individuals were notified directly this morning, before an all-staff meeting to announce the decision, Rosenbury said.

“We’ve made it clear to every one of the people that we met with one-on-one this morning that they are eligible for rehire,” he said. “These were fine talented people that we have a great deal of respect for, and we hated to do what we had to do.”

As of Feb. 11, BRP employed 79, 15 of whom were registered architects, according to Springfield Business Journal’s 2008 Book of Lists. The next largest architectural firm on the list is Lohmeyer Russell Architects with eight registered architects.

Founded in 1978, BRP offers architecture, interior design, structural engineering and landscape architecture services. Some of the firm’s recent projects include College Station, Wanda Gray Elementary School and the Park Central Square redesign.