Inspiration can come from anywhere, at any time and at any age. When Jonathan Peitz was a child, he loved racing Hot Wheels on the elaborate tracks he imaginatively constructed. He took that childhood inspiration and turned it into a career, and now he helps design and construct roadways throughout the Ozarks as a project engineer for the nationally recognized engineering and design firm, Olsson.
“I kind of feel like putting those tracks together is what led me, in a roundabout way, to consider roadway design as a career path,” said Peitz. “So, when I went to college, I knew I wanted to explore that.”
Peitz graduated from Republic High School, and when it was time to leave for college, he chose to attend Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla where he received a civil engineering degree. His first professional position was working for the City of Springfield as a professional engineer on numerous capital improvement projects. He joined Olsson in 2021 and now manages similar roadway projects for Olsson teams in the southwest Missouri region who are working for various clients, including municipalities, the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT), and private clients.
Most recently, Peitz has been working with the Olsson transportation team on future improvements to Highway 60 and the Route MM corridor, both in Republic. “I’ve been fortunate to work with the City of Republic and MoDOT on various projects, taking into account how the City of Republic is just going to continue to grow,” said Peitz. “Being able to circle that all back to where I grew up is a pretty cool feeling.”
Peitz said he enjoys working at Olsson because there is a real sense of community and belonging. “There’s just a great vibe in the office. Everyone is really talented and truly enjoys what they do.” When he’s not at Olsson, he loves all things outdoors and, in true Ozarks fashion, likes to spend his free time hiking, hunting and fishing.
Founded in 1956, Olsson’s mission is to improve communities by making them more sustainable, better connected and more efficient. The company has offices in Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas.
