In the rapidly evolving world of construction and engineering, precision and efficiency are increasingly important. One technology that has revolutionized the industry is 3D laser scanning. This innovative method offers an accurate and detailed way to capture the exact dimensions and features of any building or structure. Whether you’re involved in renovation, restoration, or new construction, the advantages of 3D laser scanning are undeniable.
What is 3D Laser Scanning?
Baisch utilizes a Trimble X7 3D laser scanner, which boasts an impressive average scan-to-scan accuracy of under 2 mm. This technology uses laser light to capture the physical characteristics of a structure and its contents. The scanner generates a three-dimensional representation of the area by capturing data points that form a “point cloud,” which is then used to create detailed 3D models of existing site conditions, compatible with standard design software.
The Benefits of 3D Laser Scanning
Why Choose Baisch Engineering for Your 3D Laser Scanning Needs?
Expertise is crucial when it comes to maximizing the potential of 3D laser scanning. Baisch provides skilled professionals who can travel to your location for your scanning needs. By choosing Baisch Engineering, you’re not just investing in cutting-edge technology—you’re partnering with a team dedicated to ensuring the success of your project. Contact us today to learn more about our laser scanning capabilities.
Retention is a critical factor in the success of any organization. When team members stay with a company, it’s a sign of a positive and supportive work environment. At Baisch, we have an average tenure of over 12 years. This is significantly higher than most engineering firms.
Why do our team members stay at Baisch? We asked and the answers weren’t a surprise to us. Let us share some of those reasons with you!
Positive Work Culture
Baisch is extremely proud of our team environment. In a recent survey, a team member shared, “Baisch does an excellent job combining work/fun to make for an enjoyable environment.” Baisch offers fun events like baseball games, cookouts, and wellness and cooking challenges to focus on team environment.
Work-Life Balance
“Baisch offers very flexible work hours. Employees can flex their weekly hours to be present in other life events.” This team member says it all; Baisch strives to not only provide the best service to our clients but to accomplish that by being flexible with our team members as well.
Competitive Compensation and Benefits
In this highly competitive job market, Baisch is continually looking to ensure our team members are compensated well and provided exceptional benefits. One team member shared, “Baisch has the best overall compensation and benefits packages I have ever seen. Great pay, paid insurance premiums, yearly bonuses, great 401k plan, and a profit-sharing bonus are all very generous!”.
Challenging and Engaging Work
One reason this team member stays at Baisch is because, “Baisch provides interesting and challenging work.” While another indicated, “new opportunities” were a reason to stay. Baisch wants our team members to succeed, and we love a good challenge! Opportunities to work on meaningful and impactful projects give our team members opportunities to grow and have a sense of accomplishment.
Growth Opportunities for Team Members
“Baisch allows a person to exceed their capabilities. We are given tasks of high standards and are expected to execute at a high level. This can add some stress at times, but we are all surrounded by great people that are highly educated and motivated to solve problems. It is a very pride rich atmosphere that is quite contagious!” Baisch is proud to have team members who are excited to learn AND team members who are willing to teach.
Community and Connection
Baisch fosters a sense of team within the company. One team member said, “I felt more welcomed and appreciated in the first 6 months of being here than in the ten years at my old job.”
We have been part of the Kaukauna community for over 66 years. As part of the community, we enjoy supporting educational efforts of local high schools as well as the business community. In addition, we offer volunteer opportunities to encourage our team members to give back to the community. “Baisch Engineering is an active part of the community in multiple area high school leadership and engineering societies,” said another employee.
Purpose and Meaning
Every company wants to work on projects that have meaning and a fulfilling purpose and Baisch is no exception. Whether our projects require a few hours or a few years, the work we do brings success to our clients which ultimately brings success to our team. One team member summed it up perfectly with this comment, “I am proud to work for Baisch Engineering because our reputation supersedes us. If we’re on the job, the client knows the outcome of the project will be a success.”
There isn’t just one thing that encourages team members to stay. It’s a culmination of culture, benefits, exciting work and the success of our team. We are so proud of our team and look forward to many more team member’s years of service celebrations!
Did you know engineering firms are required to have engineers licensed in the states and countries they work in? There are several reasons this is required.
Safety and Welfare: Licensed engineers are bound by a code of ethics in order to provide public safety and meet stringent safety standards.
Professional Competence: The licensing process requires engineers to demonstrate knowledge and skills through education, testing and experience. This guarantees a level of competence.
Accountability: Licensed engineers are held accountable for the work they perform. Failure to meet the professional standards that have been set can result in disciplinary action and loss of license.
Trust: Clients can be confident the engineers on their job have the capabilities and integrity to perform at the highest level.
The general licensing process includes:
Baisch Engineering is proud to have licensed engineers on staff in most of the states in the United States. Baisch never views becoming licensed as an obstacle to providing service beyond solutions to our clients. We look forward to working with you on your next project, wherever that may be.
In today’s fast-paced world, taking ownership of projects and your career trajectory is crucial for personal and professional growth. This proactive approach not only demonstrates commitment but also sets the stage for future success.
Team Effort: Owning a project doesn’t mean working isolation. It involves collaborating with your team members, leveraging strengths, fostering a culture of mutual trust and support and shared goals. At Baisch, everyone takes ownership of their part which aligns the team towards shared goals and promotes accountability. This collective effort results in a more cohesive and productive team dynamic as well as higher quality work.
Personal Growth and Learning New Skills: Baisch encourages team members to take ownership of their own continuous learning and self-improvement. By accepting this responsibility, our team members push themselves to expand their knowledge and learn new skills, thus growing in their role and as a team member. Our team members are an integral part of our client’s projects, and we want to see their growth transform into providing even more value to your project.
Going Above and Beyond: Taking ownership is about being proactive, rather than reactive. The Baisch team anticipates potential challenges and takes the initiative to go the extra mile to bring Service Beyond Solutions. Working extra hours, seeking new resources and finding innovative solutions adds significant value to our client’s projects and our part in those projects. We know we are accountable for our contributions to our client partnerships and work together to ensure success.
The Baisch team members take ownership not only of their specific part of projects, but the success of projects Baisch works on as a whole. By embracing this mindset, we contribute to the success of our client’s projects in a meaningful way. What project can we help steer to success for you today?
In every aspect of life, whether personal or professional, challenges inevitably arise. How we approach these challenges not only defines our character but also determines our success. At Baisch, the ability to offer solutions rather than dwell on barriers can make all the difference.
Mindset Shift. Baisch team members work hard to approach challenges with a positive attitude and say “how can we do this?” rather than “we can’t do this”. The goal is to create a mindset that sees opportunities for growth and innovation to ensure project success.
Embrace Creativity. Our team meetings are full of brainstorming and idea sharing. Out-of-the-box thinking allows us to offer unique solutions to common issues. Solutions are often found through team meetings with clients as well, as we share expertise across all areas.
Let’s Make This Work. This phrase embodies the proactive approach needed to tackle challenges head-on. It signals a commitment to finding solutions rather than dwelling on obstacles. Baisch team members have adopted this phrase whenever faced with a challenge.
Celebrate The Wins and Learn From Them. Solutions always should be celebrated! In addition, the solutions are then included in our Baisch arsenal of best practices to allow us to be more effective with projects moving forward. This is what continued to allow Baisch to be a successful partner with our clients.
Contact Baisch today to help you overcome a barrier in your project. Our team is ready to make this work!
No relationship or project is without some sort of challenge. It’s the response to the challenge that defines what kind of partnership we have and how we rise above to be successful. It starts with the right attitude; a positive and proactive thought process.
Baisch commits to identifying and adjusting to meet each challenge head on. How do we do this?
Approach it willingly. We won’t hide from difficult situations. We use these as opportunities to expand our knowledge, think outside the box and bring a solution to the situation. Baisch doesn’t shy away from creating more efficient and creative ways to complete projects.
Be positive. Baisch won’t be bogged down with the “we can’t”. We commit to putting our teams together to brainstorm and brainstorm how we can.
Lessons Learned. Every project Baisch is a part of has lessons learned. This is our opportunity to take challenges and embrace the solutions to be more efficient and effective moving forward. Our goal is to meet and exceed our client’s needs on every project.
Grow. Each challenge allows for personal growth of our team members as well as growth of our team and Baisch as a whole. To learn and move forward is the only way to remain a valuable partner to our clients. We will continue to grow through talking with out teammates and clients to Embrace the Challenge.
Our clients have seen our team Embrace the Challenge over and over. We are committed to continuing this mindset on all our projects and look forward to partnering with you on your next project!
Baisch Engineering believes committed and connected relationships are the basis for a partnership with our clients. We also believe that same dedication to a relationship is required within our own teams. The partnerships we strive for are focused on mutual long-term goals and the need for project success.
Commitment. Baisch team members are willing to invest time and effort to grow relationships with our clients and our team. This includes honesty and care for all involved while challenging each other to bring the most value to a project. This investment provides stability of the team and ultimately relates to growth of the relationship. We feel a sense of responsibility to not only complete our part of a project, but to see the entire project to successful completion.
Connection. Any connection with another human includes an emotional and intellectual bond. We build that connection through trust, identifying and appreciating the value each team member brings, respect and communication. These are the basis for creating long-lasting relationships that transfer from one project to the next and continue to improve.
Projects and working environments are successful when everyone looks out to help each other and work to challenge each other to do their best as a team member and for our clients. Our goal is to proactively work with our clients to fulfill mutual goals and invest in our future relationships.
At Baisch Engineering, we pride ourselves on doing a job well. But is technical expertise enough? We don’t think so.
We know our clients engage with us because they are confident we have the training and expertise to complete a project accurately. Clients deserve more than our technical “smarts” and that’s why we strive for Service Beyond Solutions.
At the most basic level, our service includes providing a solution to a problem. At Baisch, service goes beyond that solution to exceed our client’s needs. How do we accomplish that?
Exceptional Service. We Go the Extra Mile. This includes everything from timely returned messages to projects completed on time and on budget. Our clients deserve nothing less.
Innovative Solutions. Our experience allows us to think outside the box, challenge ourselves and our partners to be forward-thinking to be more efficient in all we do.
Proactive. While it would be nearly impossible to anticipate every turn in a project, Baisch’s goal is to be proactive and provide excellence in every aspect of a project. We are committed to high standards of work and improving with each project’s lessons learned. We proudly bring that value to our clients every day.
Attention to Detail. Executing our work with precision and considering every angle provides our customer confidence Baisch is paying attention. These details ensure project success.
Understand the End Goal Throughout the past 65+ years, Baisch has seen a need and found a way to provide a solution. It may have been a suggestion to engage a contractor earlier or develop a succinct Checkout and Startup process. These types of offerings embody our Service Beyond Solutions mindset and understand our client’s end goal.
Baisch team members have great experience; we average over 12 years tenure at Baisch, which is a bit more than double the industry standard. We will continue to aspire to provide service to our clients that exceeds “just a solution” and cements our dedication to your project’s success!
It’s no secret that Baisch Engineering works hard to create a community within our company. Team members spend plenty of time working and we truly want everyone to feel part of the team. This sentiment of community extends beyond our team to our geographical community.
An important part of Baisch’s goal is to provide opportunities for team members to give back to the community we work in. Baisch provides Volunteer Time Off hours for team members to use with organizations they are passionate about. In addition, we provide opportunities for groups to come together and volunteer as a group.
In 2023, we had nearly half our team members use volunteer time off hours! Organized activities included volunteering at Feeding America, Paul’s Pantry, manning Red Kettles for the Salvation Army and volunteering at the local Diaper Bank.
We also ran several donation drives including collecting diapers and feminine hygiene products for Jake’s Network of Hope, school supplies for Outagamie County, winter wear for our neighborhood school Victor Haen Elementary, food, toys and more for Saving Paws and supplies for SOAR Fox Cities.
We are excited to see how our team members come together in 2024. For a recap of 2023, check out this great video of our team members in action: https://www.facebook.com/reel/372002668720309
For the past 65 years, Baisch Engineering has consistently pushed the boundaries of traditional engineering. Our approach is rooted in a deep collaboration with our clients, which goes beyond providing engineering services. We integrate ourselves into our clients’ teams, working alongside them to address unique challenges and achieve their unique project goals and objectives.
Our innovative spirit is not confined to specific projects, but is a fundamental aspect of our identity. Over the years, we have demonstrated a consistent commitment to pioneering new methods and technologies in the engineering sector. This commitment is demonstrated in numerous groundbreaking achievements, from designing major industrial facilities to adopting cutting-edge design technologies. Our relentless pursuit of innovation has been a driving force behind our ability to deliver exceptional solutions that meet the evolving needs of our clients.
Looking forward, our vision at Baisch Engineering is to redefine capital projects in the manufacturing sector. We see these projects as strategic opportunities for innovation and growth. Our goal is to help our clients not just reach their targets, but to exceed them, positioning them as industry leaders. This involves a blend of deep industry insight, a relentless pursuit of excellence, and a comprehensive range of services including architectural, structural, electrical, process, mechanical, and process control engineering.
As we embrace the future, our focus includes the integration of advanced technologies like generative design and Industry 4.0 concepts. These include smart factory advancements and automation, enhancing sustainability, efficiency, and the intelligence of our projects. This shift aligns with our commitment to innovation, positioning our clients at the industry forefront.
Our belief in the transformative power of partnership shapes our interactions with clients. We are dedicated to working closely with them through every project phase, from the initial concept to ongoing support after completion. This commitment to collaboration and innovation is mirrored internally, evidenced by our recognition as a Gold-Level Employee Friendly Workplace, as certified by the Fox Cities Chamber, and one of the Best Firms to Work For in 2023, awarded by the Zweig Group..
As Baisch Engineering moves forward, our focus remains on leveraging each project as a unique opportunity for driving progress and innovation. We are committed to staying at the forefront of technological advancements and adapting to the ever-evolving manufacturing landscape. Our aim is not just to complete projects but to create lasting impact and value through innovative solutions and enduring partnerships with our clients.
From,
Todd Van Gompel
President, Baisch Engineering
In the month best known for the Thanksgiving holiday, it seems fitting to look back on the year at Baisch, specifically regarding our community involvement and how Baisch recognizes team member’s interests.
Baisch provides eight hours per year for each team member to use for volunteering. Team members are encouraged to follow their passion with their volunteer hours; may it be raking leaves in the fall through an organization, volunteering at church, judging at business competitions or being a mentor to students. Baisch also coordinates a few opportunities during the year for group volunteering. In 2023, a group spent a morning at Feeding America sorting 2,500 lbs of frozen corn on the cob, bagged 1,000 lbs of sugar for the grocery shelves at Paul’s Pantry and will be volunteering at Kimberly Clark’s Diaper Bank and manning some red kettles for the Salvation Army.
In addition, Baisch ran several donation drives. Our team members came together to be a positive force in the community we work and live in. We provided over 4,000 items to Jake’s Network of Hope (diapers and feminine hygiene items), almost 1,000 items (backpacks, notebooks, crayons, glue etc.) to the Back to School Program with Outagamie County and 47 winter wear items to Victor Haen Elementary School.
Our team members will be donating food and toys to Saving Paws Animal Rescue and items to Soar Fox Cities in December as part of our holiday drives.
The involvement shows how the Baisch team cares and how management understands team members have important aspects of their lives beyond working at Baisch. We challenge you to find a way to be a part of your community through involvement! Let us know what you are passionate about!
When Baisch emerged as a new business in the 1950s, the office world was seeing large transformations. Women had surged into the workforce and office layouts were rows of desks. Manual typewriters and adding machines were newer technology.
The 1960s saw offices where drinking and smoking were common and a “three martini lunch” wasn’t unheard of. Cubicle walls were engineered, and office workspaces were reinvented. Electric typewriters and computer systems emerged. Business attire was the norm and was expected.
An economic bust in 1975 created job insecurity for the first time in a long time. Businesses still had dress codes but were more relaxed with loafers instead of dress shoes and perhaps a tweed blazer for a day with no client meetings. The fax machine was a HUGE hit in the business world and floppy disks became available. At a Xerox conference, it was shared that the future of work would include, “A computer that could edit documents, draw bar charts, toggle between software programs and pull up documents and drawings from stored memory.” How right they were!
Talk about work-life balance started in the 1980s and the idea of a 9-5 workday was born. Corporate culture became important, Apple launched Macintosh, the first dotcom was registered, and the World Wide Web came online. Despite two recessions in three years and a one-day stock market crash, the 1980s finished with 19 million more jobs.
The 1990s brought the idea of long-term company loyalty into question. Employees started putting their own needs and interests above their employers’. Casual Fridays become common. The use of cell phones and email grew exponentially and purchasing items changed forever with the birth of Amazon and eBay.
Remember the introduction of cubicles in the 1960s? Well, it’s the 2000s and cubicle walls are out, and open floor plans are in! The technologies we use every day today were launched including Google, Gmail, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and the iPhone.
It’s the 2010s and the economy is recovering from the 2008 recession. The workforce is more diverse than ever including Baby Boomers, Gen X, Gen Y and Millennials working together. Microsoft Teams and Google Docs surged in popularity and utilizing Cloud storage became common, changing how many businesses work with their clients and internal teammates. Mobile Apps became a normal part of daily life.
The 2020s will see employees caring less about where they work and more about how they work with their team. Work culture is a deciding factor on where employees stay. Most teams prioritize developing strong relationships so they can work better together which is an ongoing goal of Baisch. Transparency is a trait employees value in a company and one of the reasons Baisch started Town Hall meetings with all employees last year. Employees will continue to work from all different locations; in-office, hybrid and remote, opening the doors to recruiting talent from outside of an office’s geographical area.
With each decade over the last 65 years, Baisch has adjusted, changed and grown. Baisch strives to create a work environment that meets the needs of our employees while providing the product and service our clients expect and deserve from us. The future is bright! Here’s to the next 65 years!
A 2020 Retrospective on the History of Work – Infographic (atlassian.com)
When Baisch opened in 1958, engineering drawings were completed manually on paper, vellum, mylar or another substance. They were drawn using pencils, pens, rulers, T-squares, erasers and a host of other tools. Drawings were done on drafting boards or tables. Imagine the amount of office space required for every engineer to have a drafting table and all their tools. Drafting machines were used to combine manual drawing boards, pantographs etc. into an integrated drawing.
With the invention of CAD (Computer-Aided Design), the need for manual drawings drastically declined. CAD drawings were printed on plotters, a machine that produced vector drawings. These printers often jumped from one area to another, drawing lines and adding dots. In the 1980s, laser printers eliminated the use of plotters. Today, large format inkjet printers are used most often when printing is required.
With current technology, drawings are produced and saved as electronic documents to be shared without printing. What an incredible change over the last 65 years!
As Baisch continues our 65th anniversary celebration this year, it was only fitting we enjoyed a night at the Timber Rattlers stadium. While this is an annual event for Baisch, this year we provided 65th anniversary t-shirts for everyone! This event also includes our team member’s families. It is a fun event filled with food and a baseball game and shows appreciation to the family members who support the, at times, long hours and travel the Baisch team members put in.
The Timber Rattlers had a significant historical milestone in 1958 as well; professional baseball returns to Appleton for the fifth and final time. The Fox Cities Foxes (now known as the Timber Rattlers) became a member for the Three I League and drew over 58,000 fans in the first year.
Whether it is a baseball team or a company team, success happens through good communication, individual talent in a team, a sense of belonging, strong leadership, structure, achievable goals, positive attitudes and accountability. These are all attributes Baisch strives to live with our clients and our team members.
There is plenty of time to get out to a baseball game yet this year so make your plans! See how the team spirit can impact your work life as well.
The world has changed drastically in the last 65 years. Items such as Cocoa Krispies, Diet Rite, Goldfish, the Hula Hoop, JIF Peanut Butter and Mr. Clean were introduced in 1958, the same year Baisch Engineering opened.
Some practices from years ago seem crazy in today’s world. Smoking in the office was permitted and no one thought twice about it. Some offices had alcoholic beverages to enjoy at the end of the day with coworkers. Open workspaces were the norm; cubicle walls emerged in the last 65 years. No one worked at home and if you wanted to get paid, there was no computer system to put your time in.
While going through files, we found a previous employee’s time sheets from 1984 and an expense report from 1996. Employees recorded their time by hand, on a sheet of paper created on a typewriter, and turned it in monthly to be paid. By 1996, forms were printed on carbonless copy paper but were still filled out by hand. Taxes were figured out by a chart.
Today, time sheets are completed through a program found on computers at our desk, or even through an app on our phones. Receipts are attached to our expense report by taking a picture with our phones. Pay day is no longer monthly and line items such as taxes are automatically figured by the payroll program. What a time saver!
Many things get better with time and Baisch is definitely one of them. For more history of Baisch, check out our online timeline.
If you’ve been following along, you know this year we are celebrating our 65th anniversary. This is certainly a momentous occasion. We came together as a team at the historic Lambeau Field’s Hall of Fame to commemorate the event. The Packers franchise began in 1919, so while it is 39 years older than Baisch, it’s not really THAT much older so it was the perfect location.
There is no doubt Baisch is a leader in the pulp and paper engineering field – we could say we are better than all the rest. But what makes us better? The answer is easy; it’s our people. Baisch provides a relationship with our clients and teammates that make projects succeed.
The celebration in the Hall of Fame at Lambeau Field was an opportunity to come together as a team, celebrate our successes, look forward to a bright future for Baisch and show our team appreciation for their time, dedication and can-do attitudes.
Way to go Team Baisch! Here’s to the next 65!
The tools used daily by engineers have certainly changed over time.
At one time, engineers used “Addiator” type calculators, a mechanical add/subtract personal calculator, to add feet, inches and fractions to documents. Versions of the Addiator were produced between 1920 and 1982 and were composed of metal sliders inside a metal envelope, manipulated by a stylus with the capability to carry such as subtract ten, carry one.
In 1967, Texas Instruments developed a handheld electronic calculator that replaced the Addiator type calculators and slide rules. In the 1970s and 1980s, scientific and graphing calculators were introduced. By 1993, calculators appeared on cell phones, conveniently accessible at all times.
C.K. Smoley produced books for Engineers, Architects and Students. The books were Combined Tables Books focused on Logarithms and Squares, Slopes and Rises, Logarithmic Trigonometric Tables and Segmental Functions – essentially, they were used to calculate angles and lengths and understand sins, co-sins, and tangents. Today, engineers use GPS coordinates, Google search, laser scans and 3D modeling to assist in determining information like this.
What will change in the next 65 years to improve our capabilities, effectiveness, and precision?
By:
Kurt Kloehn – Retired Baisch President
What changed the most in my career at Baisch is the execution, production and distribution of engineering documents, and the related design systems.
When I worked during high school and summers during college (1974-1979), all engineering documents were hand drawn and blueprints were made one by one on the print machine in the basement. I was first hired as a “print boy”, the accepted title of the day, and ran prints or helped with modest drawing updates.
When we had a big “issue” or “drawing release”, we’d spend days making drawing sets to ship to the contractors. They were rolled, wrapped in brown paper, and shipped, sometimes by the pickup truck load, for really big jobs or bid package releases.
In the 1980s we began using computer-based drawings. By 1988, I was on a project for a company in Green Bay where we had a blend of CAD drawings and hand drawings.
Around 1994, Baisch made the commitment to transition to fully computer based CAD drawings and our designers cycled through training sessions. At this point, everyone got their own CAD station, which was a change from having a central “CAD Room”.
It’s hard to imagine how we completed complex projects, compared to today’s 3D modeling, interference checking, smart P&IDs and document control that Baisch has in place.
Checkout was accomplished by using colored highlighters on a master P&ID hung in the control room and updated each shift. This seems amazingly backward compared to our current checkout and startup website system which tracks real time status and percent complete by discipline.
Baisch’s culture of attention to detail has deep roots. Baisch continues to be recognized in the engineering industry as a quality design leader.
According to Pencils.com, the modern pencil was first mass-produced in 1662. The history of the pencil spans centuries of improvements including the move to graphite, encasing the lead in wood and more. While Baisch’s 65th anniversary certainly doesn’t date back THAT far, pencils were (and still are) an important part of the engineering world.
The drawing tools for engineers have certainly changed from mechanical lead inserted pencils which you had to resharpen continuously, to mechanical pencils with a specific lead diameter. From there, the change went to ink pens of different diameters to produce thin, medium and fat lines to the CAD imaginary lines defined by various colors which our printers decoded to produce drawings on printers.
Today you will see our engineers, designers and drafters in front of their computer screens more often than not. But their desks are full of papers, pens and pencils as they review drawings and plans and embrace the challenge of every project.
Our 65th anniversary celebration continues with more fun facts about the changes in the industry of engineering.
A tape measure was a must have on a job site. Jobs required a crew to visit a job site (field work) to measure, survey and document the existing conditions of the project. Measurements obviously had to be precise in order to create the drawings required.
Technology has evolved tremendously and while our team still carries tape measures on job sites, we have the capability to use a laser scanner to assist us in the field. Our laser scanner, the X7 Scanner has an average accuracy of under 2mm, which allows us to create accurate 3D images of an existing facility which we integrate into our models.
This is a great example of how Baisch continues to evolve and provide Service Beyond Solutions.
2023 is a significant year for Baisch Engineering. Sixty-five years ago, in 1958, Stephen Baisch started S.J. Baisch Associates Inc. to provide engineering knowledge and experience to the entire pulp and paper industry.
Many things have changes over the course of the last 65 years. Throughout the year, we will share some industry changes not only on our blog but on our social media outlets (if you haven’t, like us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn!).
Drafting began on paper, using T-squares and straight edges. Over the years, the industry has seen an evolution to mechanical arms to CAD to 3D Revit to Smart P&IDs. Drafting on paper changed to velum to the electronic format we use today.
Baisch started in a rented building in Kaukauna, Wisconsin. Very shortly, a new building was built at our current location.
Baisch continues to follow the principles it was based on 65 years ago. We provide our clients with strong personal relationships, technical expertise and ethical business dealings, known simply as “the Baisch Tradition”.
Baisch Engineering is excited to announce two new shareholders in 2022. Baisch Engineering is a privately-held, multi-disciplined, full integration engineering firm serving process-related industries.
Ronald A. Clarke, Jr., P.E. is a Project Manager and Process Engineer and has over 23 years of experience, six of which have been at Baisch. Ron works closely with project owners, equipment vendors and contractors to manage projects from inception through installation, checkout and startup.
Joel W. Berg, P.E. is a Structural Resource Lead and Civil/Structural Engineer Project Manager at Baisch. Joel has over 18 years of engineering experience, over 15 of which have been at Baisch. Joel has a broad range of industrial structural experience. His responsibilities include analysis and design of building structures and machine equipment support elements, field verification and more.
“Ron and Joel are valuable members of the Baisch team,” said Todd Van Gompel, P.E., Baisch Engineering President. “They both bring technical expertise, the ability to build strong client relationships and strong leadership to their teams.”
As we approach the holiday season, it is an easy time to show our appreciation to others. We buy the perfect gifts for loved ones, look for unique items for teachers, coaches and coworkers and in the business world we take a moment to thank our clients and partners for their past and future collaborations with us.
Employers may host a holiday party, give Christmas gifts to employees or there may even be an end of year bonus. Baisch is similar in many ways; we host a Christmas party, we have a week’s worth of fun activities for team members, and we collect donations for local charities.
However, Baisch has some things we do a little different. The fun events mentioned above are not only during this season but year-round (check out our social media pages to keep up to date!). Employees used their volunteer time off to give back to the community throughout the year. Team leads and coworkers are quick to say, “Thank you” and “Great job”. Sometimes team members find a personalized note in their mailbox or on their desk. Todd Van Gompel, President of Baisch, recently sent a company-wide email that started with “Thank you for being great at your jobs” and “Thank you for always having our client’s best interest at heart.”
The holiday season is a great reminder to say thank you to family, coworkers, clients – everyone in your life. Baisch challenges you to take it a step farther. Show your appreciation and thanks to people in your life ALL YEAR. Here are some ideas and tips to get you started:
There is never a wrong time to show your appreciation, and with that we say, thank you for following Baisch on social media, and reading our blog! We appreciate you!
Baisch Engineering
Obviously the first thought people have when they hear a company with the name “Engineering” in it, is that mostly engineers work there. While Baisch certainly employs engineers, we wouldn’t be able to successfully serve our clients without a more extensive team.
Engineers make up about 39% of our staff. Although, you may be surprised to learn that about 47% of our team are drafters and designers.
This Fall, Baisch attended Fox Cities Days at UW-Platteville and the Career Fair at MSOE. In addition, we spent a half day at NWTC (Northeast Wisconsin Technical College) and we plan to attend a career fair at FVTC (Fox Valley Technical College) in November. We strongly believe it is necessary to find the best candidates to become Baisch team members.
Brian Olmsted, Civil/Structural Designer, has been at Baisch for over 15 years. Take a moment to listen to his journey to becoming a designer at Baisch.
Baisch is proud of the team we have gathered to provide our clients with the best service and experience possible. As we continue to grow, we look for individuals to join our team in ALL roles. If you are interested in working at Baisch, keep an eye on our career page.
It has been an exciting month at Baisch. We were excited to be part of the ground-breaking ceremony at Georgia-Pacific for their project Team Cinco in Green Bay, Wisconsin. This Georgia-Pacific expansion includes building a new paper machine using through-air-dried (TAD) technology and associated converting equipment and infrastructure. Baisch will work hand in hand with vendors, Boldt and Georgia-Pacific throughout the project. We are proud to be part of Team Cinco.
While our team has been busy, we also have taken time for fun. We were proud to be sponsors at the Lake States TAPPI/North Central PIMA Art Rankin Memorial Golf Outing as well as the Heart of the Valley Chamber Golf Outing. Baisch hosted a cake/cupcake Bakeoff where all team members were able to taste-test and vote for their favorite. Company-wide, we enjoyed a Timber Rattler baseball game and a cookout to celebrate upcoming Labor Day. In addition, we have welcomed several new team members recently.
At Baisch, we live our value of “Committed, Connected Relationships” whether it is how we work with our clients or the fun we share with our team members. We look forward to additional exciting projects, fun activities and adding to the Baisch team!
Earlier this year, Baisch was awarded as one of the best firms to work for by Zweig Group. Our president, Todd Van Gompel was interviewed for our accomplishment which you can read at the link below! Go check it out!
While this statement is certainly true, Baisch Engineering ensures our team members also have the time!
As part of our benefit package, all employees get Volunteer Time Off. These hours are available annually to allow our team members to volunteer for not-for-profit organizations.
This month, some Baisch team members took time on a Friday morning to volunteer at Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin. After a short training session, we got to work! Alongside volunteers from other organizations, we sorted and packaged over 7,500 lbs of donated food which resulted in approximately 6,200 meals in two hours. What a great way to spend a few hours on a Friday morning.
Collin Osenroth, Civil/Structural Engineer, shares, “I knew it was a good opportunity to give back to the community and help those less fortunate.” The time at Feeding America was enlightening to many team members. Corey Wiedemann, Civil/Structural Drafter, comments, “Seeing what was all involved in separating the incoming food and placing them into boxes for distribution was interesting to me.” While Peggy Heling, Process Control Drafter, said, “I was amazed at how many places they service. I did enjoy the hands-on work.”
Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin works with pantries and meal sites to serve more than half a million people in Wisconsin a year. Currently, one in eight people do not know where their next meal is coming from. For more information, please see Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin.
Baisch recently celebrated 14 individuals who have retired from Baisch since 2020 with a picnic. Baisch team members, retirees and families of retirees came together to recognize the almost 400 years of Baisch employment between these 14 individuals. Baisch is well known for taking the opportunity to come together to make great memories. This event was no exception with good food, great memories shared, and new memories made (there was a little storm and we needed to evacuate the park.)
Some retirees started with Baisch when we used T Squares rather than 3D Revit and saw the transition from paper to velum to electronic formats. The wealth of knowledge these individuals have shared with our clients and other Baisch team members is invaluable.
Congratulations to:
We wish the best to these retired Baisch team members and look forward to seeing them at future Baisch events. Until then…
“Go travel the world, have big fun, lay on the beach, soak up the sun.
Play 18 holes of golf or watch tv,
Sleep in late, then go to the mall.
Spoil the grandkids and send them back home,
Just let yourself be free.
If anyone asks you why you’re smiling so,
Don’t hesitate to set them straight and let them know,
Today is your retirement day…”
“Retirement Day” by Sergeant H
(22) Sergeant H “Retirement Day” WINNER Of the Las Vegas Silver ACE AWARD – YouTube
Sam Knoke started with Baisch Engineering as a Civil/Structural intern. Throughout his schooling, Sam would return to Baisch during his breaks which helped develop not only his knowledge and expertise in the field but also his relationships with fellow coworkers. Learn more about Sam’s journey and how he became a full time Civil/Structural Engineer.
In March, we had some fun celebrations occur in the Baisch office!
We participated in Pi Day with a pie baking contest. Baisch employees brought in homemade pies and voted for their favorite. The top three winners were Corey Wiedemann with his Key Lime Pie, Kaylin Rieckmann with her Carmel Apple Pie and the winner, Hannah Pulda, with her Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie.
Baisch was thrilled to celebrate our team members who celebrated a significant work anniversary in 2020, 2021 or the 1st quarter of 2022 this week. We know how valuable our team members are and were happy to recognize anyone who had 1, 3, 6, 10, 15, 20, 25 or 30 year anniversary with catered breakfast from Sticky Fingers Cafe & Catering in our home town Kaukauna and gifts!
February 20 – 26, 2022 marks National Engineers Week. Baisch is proud of the service and skills we bring to our customers on large and small projects.
Baisch would like to share a little bit about why some of our team members got into engineering, how they decided what area to specialize in and why they feel their jobs are exciting.
The reasons our team members got into engineering range from liking math and science, wanting to know how things worked, and more personal reasons.
Darin Riggleman shares, “My father was a Civil Engineer and I watched him and wanted to do what he did.”
Pat Radish wanted to make a difference by solving complex problems in our complex world. Don Lee’s introduction to building competition robots helped steer him to a career in electrical engineering.
Choosing a discipline may seem like a daunting task, but not to some team members! Todd Hengel chose Process Controls when, as a co-op student, he was assigned to a team that was designing a factory with every function completed by a robot.
“I enjoy the larger scale projects.” says Sam Kacena, Civil Engineer. “Having the opportunity to work on projects designing large buildings, roads, and bridges is motivating and it is rewarding to see projects through, from start to finish.”
What keeps our Baisch team members coming back to work in their chosen engineering role every day? Most indicated working through a problem or learning something and teaching someone else that skill rate high on why they love their jobs. Some are more specific like Myshelle Roesken who shared, “I love learning about all of the different components involved in making paper products.”
Mike Vandermuss enjoys working with our teams to solve our clients’ problems. Vandermuss says, “There is a ton of satisfaction in taking ownership of a problem and providing a solution that ensures our clients’ future success.”
It’s clear our engineering staff have found careers they enjoy. “Our team has a love of problem solving and working with clients in a very interactive way.” states Todd Van Gompel, President of Baisch. “I love working with our incredibly talented team on projects that make our clients a Raging Success. Thank you, Baisch Engineering team, for making our culture so GREAT!
Located in Kaukauna, Wisconsin, Baisch employs over 80 team members. We are proud to provide SERVICE BEYOND SOLUTIONS to our clients.
Baisch Engineering is proud to offer generous benefits and perks to our employees. A few standout benefits include:
“Being Gold Certified as an Employee Friendly Workplace confirms what our existing employees already know; Baisch is a great place to work!” says Eric Eisenhauer, Corporate Director. “Baisch understands our staff is who makes Baisch a success and while we work hard, we also have a family atmosphere that provides an enjoyable work experience.”
Employee friendly workplace policies and practices foster a supportive work environment that improves employee engagement and encourages employee loyalty. A commitment to employee friendliness creates an environment in the Fox Cities that attracts and retains the best employees for the region. To learn more about the Fox Cities Employee Friendly Workplace certification and initiative, please visit http://foxcitieschamber.com/employee-friendly-workplace.
As we enter the Holiday Season, I want to share how much we enjoy the work we do and the people that we work with at Baisch Engineering. Like a snowflake, each project is unique and special to us. Our talented team, creative industry partners and great clients are what makes Baisch Engineering special.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
– Todd Van Gompel, President
Baisch Engineering is proud to be part of the community and support local, not-for-profit organizations. This holiday season, employees have donated items for Saving Paws Animal Rescue and Harbor House to help make a difference.
Baisch likes to recognize our hard-working employees and reward them with gift cards and other perks throughout the month. Here is a list of employees of the month from throughout the year.
Baisch Engineering is excited to announce a new in-house capability! We now provide scanning services with our very own X7 Scanner. This allows us to integrate existing condition documentation into our projects for enhanced model coordination.
The X7 Scanner has an average accuracy of under 2mm, allowing us to create an accurate, as-built 3D image of an existing facility. We then integrate that data directly into our models.
Providing this service to our clients streamlines the process and makes laser scanning a more economical option. The increased efficiency allows Baisch to offer scanning services on smaller projects and supports our field work to help reduce our time on-site. Additionally, we will be able to offer stand-alone scanning services, outside of our typical project-related work.
Please contact us today to learn more about how our Laser Scanning capabilities will benefit you.
Baisch Engineering – providing service beyond a solution.
June 23, 2021 marks International Women in Engineering Day. This day brings attention to amazing career opportunities available for women in the industry and celebrates the achievements of women engineers throughout the world.
Baisch Engineering is fortunate to have women engineers on staff and in leadership roles.
Why did these women choose engineering as their career choice? What would they say to encourage other women to become engineers?
A common theme when asked why they became engineers is because they love math, science, drawing and building things. As Jeannine Powell said, “I always loved building things – blocks, Lincoln logs, sandcastles, Legos – there are lots of memories and pictures of me as a little kid building.”
Judy Overton combined a love of math and art, which led her to attend Fox Valley Technical College where she became the first woman to graduate from the program with an Associate Degree in Mechanical Design. Kaylin Van Stappen originally planned on becoming an Architect and was offered a position as a Structural Designer. That led to a love of modeling and data. Kaylin says, “When I get the opportunity to work on 3D concept models and presentation renderings, it doesn’t even feel like work!”
How did these women decide what discipline of engineering to focus on? Some didn’t have to choose just one. Peggy Heling has mostly been an Electrical Drafter but loves drafting in general and has done Process Control, Structural and GIS Drafting. Jeannine was asked by a friend whether she liked Mechanics of Materials or Thermo more; the answer was easy and she focused on Civil Engineering.
These women have sound advice for other women looking to join the engineering world. All agreed that being an engineer is interesting, challenging and offers the opportunity to be in a field where design is constantly evolving. Peggy encourages women to follow their passion, while Judy is proud to say engineering is not just a man’s world any longer. Some of the best advice came from Jeannine and applies not only to engineering, but to life in general. She says, “Don’t be intimidated and don’t let people hold you back. Do not hold yourself back either! Learn from your mistakes. You will make them, but they are only failures if you don’t learn how to do better the next time!”
Thank you to these women in engineering for your continuing contributions to Baisch Engineering and our clients!
Jeannine M. Powell, P.E., Principal, Structural Department Lead and Civil/Structural Engineer
Kaylin L. Van Stappen, BIM Lead and Civil/Structural Engineer
Peggy S. Heling, Process Control Drafter
Judith A. Overton, Process Specialist
Jordan A. Smith, Process Designer
Kelsey M. Ponsegrau, Electrical Designer
By: Todd Van Gompel, President of Baisch Engineering
The reason you can find and enjoy a fine wine as opposed to a great onion spritzer is that someone determined that the grape was worth the squeeze while the onion…not so much. One of my favorite clients uses the phrase “Is the juice worth the squeeze?” to decide if a potential project is worth moving forward. Capital projects can take millions to hundreds of millions of dollars to execute. To develop the perfect project for your organization, you should have a plan and take some time to figure it out. Follow these steps to help determine if your project is more like a fine wine or an onion spritzer.
The first phase is the “Ball Park” phase. This phase answers the question, “Are we in the ball park?” Develop the project at a high level during this phase. Be careful not to over-engineer the project or get too detailed as you are trying to decide if this project will move to the next phase. You should be in the +/- 50% range during this phase. Depending upon the project size and complexity, this phase should take anywhere from 2 – 12 weeks to develop. What is the project? Why is this project important? How much could it cost? What are the potential benefits? What are the potential risks? What does project success look like? If it looks like the juice may be worth the squeeze, move on to the next step.
The next phase is the “Paper Doll” phase. Paper dolls are figures cut out of thin cardstock, with separate clothes, made of paper, that are usually held onto the dolls by folding tabs. As anyone with a daughter knows, this can provide hours of entertainment, as the outfits are often quickly changed. During this phase, the goal is to evaluate several potential layouts and designs in order to identify the most efficient solution. Depending upon the project size, this step should take between 12 – 36 weeks to develop. The project cost and benefits are developed to the +/- 10% range during this phase. Researching and involving potential vendors and contractors during this phase will help the project move more efficiently during the execution phase. If the project still looks like the juice may be worth the squeeze, move on to the project funding and execution phases.
Spending time and energy upfront to develop the project has several advantages. It helps control the project budget. Engaging the equipment vendors and the contractors early in the project development phase helps identify constructability and timing issues and solutions. It helps to control scope creep. By considering several options during the development phase and settling on the most efficient design, you don’t have to spend precious time and money during the detailed engineering phase on “what-if” or “how-about” scenarios. Finally, it helps to develop the project culture. Working with a well-rounded team consisting of the owner, the engineer, the contractor and the vendors for several months to develop the project helps to create the necessary relationships to execute a successful project.
Does your project look like a fine wine or does it smell more like an onion spritzer?
By: Todd Van Gompel, President of Baisch Engineering
Baisch Engineering has a long history with Little Rapids Corporation. In the late 70’s / early 80’s, we helped Little Rapids Corporation move an existing tissue machine from New Jersey to Shawano, WI. Almost 40 years later, we were fortunate enough to be asked back to replace this same tissue machine with a new tissue machine. Baisch provided the budgeting phases as well as the complete integration engineering, but this project didn’t come without its challenges.
As the project manager for the detailed engineering portion of this project, it was my responsibility to make sure we were on schedule, staying on budget, and that the overall process was moving along smoothly. In the early part of our planning phase, we were faced with a difficult situation. Machines from 40 years ago are a lot different in both configuration and size compared to modern paper machines. We were challenged to replace a smaller, older machine with a much larger, modern machine within the existing infrastructure of the existing building.
After performing a detailed analysis of the machine’s beams and frames, our team placed new loads on those beams. We had to come up with some creative ways to readjust the machine haul in order to accept the new configuration and weight of the new machine.
During the initial planning phase, the team had planned for a 36 day shutdown. For a small, family owned company like Little Rapids Corporation, shutting down one of their machines for 36 days is a big deal. Throughout the project, our team had a great line of communication and when it came time for the shutdown, we worked hard with our partners to find opportunities to shorten the amount of time the machine would be down for. We utilized our proprietary checkout and startup system to help shorten the overall downtime.
In the end, the team took out the old machine, installed the new equipment and machine, and shortened the length of the shutdown to just 30 days from sheet to sheet! It was a big accomplishment for our team and it really meant a lot to Little Rapids Corporation that we were able to speed up the process by almost a week.
One of the individuals from Little Rapids Corporation actually came up to me and thanked our team for being a part of the project. “You guys have our future in your hands and we trust you,” she said. “Thank you for caring about our future.”
With the new machine, Little Rapids Corporation is able to produce more paper at a faster production rate. It’s more efficient and more cost-friendly. Being involved with this project when it was just an idea in someone’s head, working with Little Rapids Corporation through the budgeting phase, and then having the opportunity to be a part of the detailed engineering and the final machine installation made the whole experience really special for Baisch Engineering. We were involved with everything from beginning to the end, cover to cover and we were able to deliver Little Rapids Corporation with the solution they needed to be a raging success.
SERVICE BEYOND SOLUTIONS
