Olsson’s Aim to Improve Communities is a Selling Point for Rasmussen

Jared Rasmussen loves taking a drive by Sequiota Park. Growing up in Springfield, he used to spend time at the park, and now, as a civil engineer with Olsson, he was part of a team that fixed a drainage issue plaguing the park.

“Whenever the family goes past the park, my kids will say, ‘That’s dad’s park,’” Rasmussen said. “That’s why I moved back to Springfield – I’m able to give back to something that I used as a kid. That’s one of the best parts of my job.”

Rasmussen joined Olsson, a nationally recognized engineering and design firm, in 2006 and relocated to the firm’s Springfield office a year later. He now leads Olsson’s General Civil team that is based in Springfield.

One aspect that he appreciates about Olsson is the firm’s desire to improve the communities it serves, regardless of the project’s scope or size. “We do the best we can to support our clients’ needs and the city’s needs in all that we do,” said Rasmussen, a graduate of the University of Missouri. “Our goal is to always serve our clients first and foremost and to do it while also looking out for the greater good of the community.”

This mindset allows Olsson to develop deep bonds with its clients.

An example of this way of doing business involved projects for both the City of Springfield and Mercy Health Systems. Olsson assisted the city in its planning of an east-west arterial, and then used the knowledge gained to develop a site plan for Mercy’s Orthopedic Hospital. Olsson’s final design for Mercy, which included land development and civil engineering services, worked well for the hospital and the city’s overall plan for development along the new arterial.

By developing a strong partnership with Mercy Orthopedic, Olsson was called upon to help Mercy rebuild its sister hospital that was damaged by an EF-5 tornado in Joplin.

“Mercy reassembled our entire team to help out in Joplin,” Rasmussen said. “We were able to take what we learned in Springfield and apply it to the Joplin hospital.”

Olsson’s Springfield office includes six teams – General Civil, Water Resources, Water/Wastewater, Transportation, Surveying and Materials Testing. The office is supported by a firm that has more than 1,300 employees who work in more than 40 states annually.

Olsson has a rich history of success and was founded in 1956 as an engineering firm with the goal to make communities more sustainable, better connected and more efficient.

“Olsson provides the best of both worlds,” Rasmussen said. “We have a local, full-service office in Springfield, but we’re part of a bigger company and we’re able to give our clients more than just what they see locally. We’re able to pull in experts from all over, and we have more resources we can tap into to support our local teams. That expertise is what differentiates Olsson from other firms.”

Street Address: 550 E St. Louis Street Springfield, Missouri 65806

Phone: 417.890.8802

Fax: 417.890.8805

Web Address: www.olsson.com

Top Executives: Brad Strittmatter, CEO; Ryan Beckman, President; John S. Olsson, EVP of Consulting Services; Ron Mersch, Springfield Office Leader

Year Founded: 1956

Number of Employees: 1,300

Product or Service: Planning and Design; Engineering; Field Services; Environmental; Technology