Valdes Receives Burns & McDonnell Partner of the Year Award

Valdes Architecture & Engineering is honored to announce that we have received the Burns & McDonnell Partner of the Year Award during their recent Empowering Diverse Partnerships Symposium. Being recognized at this symposium is a testament to our unwavering commitment to excellence in innovation, safety, client satisfaction and the execution of projects. At Valdes, we strive not only to meet but to exceed the expectations of our partners and clients by implementing ground-breaking solutions and prioritizing safety at every level of our operations. Thank you to Burns & McDonnell and all our partners for this recognition; we look forward to furthering our shared commitment to excellence.

Silvan Larson Excellence Award Recipient 2024

The Silvan Larson Excellence Award celebrates the legacy of integrity, professionalism, and mentorship of former employee Silvan Larson that defines Valdes Architecture & Engineering. We proudly announce Senior Project Manager Andy Carey as our 2024 recipient. Andy has been recognized by colleagues and clients alike for his exceptional project management skills, unwavering integrity, dedication to safety, and remarkable ability to mentor others. His leadership on major initiatives at client facilities has set the gold standard for excellence. Congratulations, Andy, on this well-deserved recognition!

Volunteers Make a Difference at Feed My Starving Children (FMSC)

Members of the Valdes team regularly take part in FMSC packing events throughout the year to combat hunger worldwide. Our team members work together with other community members during packing sessions and have so far prepared a total of 38,016 meals. We are pleased that our team is committed to working together to give back to those in need.

Valdes Awarded Four NWIBRT Awards in 2024

Valdes Architecture & Engineering took home four awards from the Northwest Indiana Business RoundTable (NWIBRT) Awards Banquet, the Innovation Award, the Outstanding Craft Persons Safety Leader Award to Cary Cheshire, the Safety Excellence Award and, to round everything out, the Company of the Year Award. Safety is embedded in everything we do, and these awards are dedicated to all our team members that work safely every day.

Valdes Prequalified in Five IDOT Categories

Valdes Architecture & Engineering is prequalified in five IDOT categories, including Highways – Roads and Streets, Special Services – Construction Inspection, Special Services, Electrical Engineering, Special Services – Project Controls, and Special Services – Surveying, and ready to get to work on upcoming IDOT and Illinois Tollways projects.

2024 Three Rivers Manufacturing Association (TRMA) Safety Awards

Valdes Architecture & Engineering has been awarded the Gold and Meritorious Awards by the Three Rivers Manufacturing Association (TRMA) for exceptional safety performance at our client sites. Additionally, our Director of Safety, Brian Fordon, received a nomination for an individual award in recognition of his achievements in safety management. We are proud to receive these honors and appreciates our team’s dedication to safety.

Silvan Larson Excellence Award Recipient 2023

Valdes Architecture & Engineering pays tribute to the legacy of Silvan Larson, who personified integrity, professionalism, the drive for excellence, and passion to mentor anyone who crossed his path. This year, we have the privilege of honoring our Department Manager of Process Engineering Adam Churchill as our 2023 Silvan Larson Excellence Award recipient. Adam has been recognized by several of his colleagues for his analytical mind, personability, dedication, and commitment to meeting any deadline. Congratulations Adam! You are extraordinary and we are grateful to have you as a Valdes team member!

Valdes Graduates from Inaugural Evergy/Burns & McDonnell Accelerate Program

Manager of Business Development Jillian Garcia participated in the Evergy/Burns & McDonnell sponsored Accelerate Program on behalf of Valdes Architecture & Engineering. The sessions, covering various business, topics were developed and delivered to participants by RGMA. Valdes was a part of the first cohort that graduated from the program. Thank you to Evergy for mentoring our business throughout the Accelerate Program.

Valdes Awarded Safety Excellence Award for Ninth Consecutive Year

Valdes Architecture & Engineering is proud to announce that we have been awarded the Safety Excellence Award by the Northwest Indiana Business Round Table (NWIBRT) for the ninth consecutive year. We are honored once again to receive this distinction and proud of our safety track record.

Valdes Recognized with Evergy’s MBE Supplier of the Year Award

Valdes Architecture & Engineering was honored to receive the MBE Supplier of the Year Award from Evergy. This award recognizes a MBE supplier that provides excellent customer service, exhibits superior execution, demonstrates professionalism, and exceeds expectations and challenges regularly, among many other criteria. We are grateful for our partnership with Evergy and for this recognition.

2023 Three Rivers Manufacturing Association Safety Achievement Awards

Valdes Architecture & Engineering has been awarded the distinguished meritorious award and gold award from the Three Rivers Manufacturing Association (TRMA) for working safely at our client sites. We are honored to receive these distinctions and want to also recognize our Director of Safety Brian Fordon for his nomination to the Chairperson Award for Distinguished Safety Achievement.

Senior Project Manager Alan McCurdy Article Featured in Chemical Engineering

Valdes Architecture & Engineering Senior Project Manager Alan McCurdy shares with Chemical Engineering magazine his approach to designing for safety. See his article with some tips for proactive risk reduction here Design for Safety: Tips for Proactive Risk Reduction – Chemical Engineering (chemengonline.com)

Silvan Larson Excellence Award Recipient 2022

Valdes continues to honor the legacy of Silvan Larson who brought excellence, integrity, loyalty and the love of knowledge sharing to work each day. We are honored to recognize Senior Mechanical Engineer Robert Novak as this year’s Silvan Larson Excellence Award recipient. Congratulations Robert and we are grateful for your dedication, commitment, incredible attitude, and mentorship skills you bring to Valdes.

Valdes Licensed in Land Surveying

Valdes now has added Land Surveying to its list of professional licenses, which already includes Architecture, Professional Engineering, and Structural Engineering. This formalizes our growing Land Surveying department at the company and provides another important service that Valdes can offer its clients.

Robert (Bob) Valdes Recognized Among Top 50 Who’s Who in Hispanic Business

President Bob Valdes was recently recognized by Negocios Now as one of the Top 50 business leaders in the list of Who’s Who in Hispanic Business to celebrate the publication’s 15 years of covering Hispanic business. This award is timely as it precedes our 30^th Anniversary in August, 30 years of Bob’s strong leadership and dedication to client satisfaction.

Valdes Acknowledged for Exemplary Safety

Valdes Director of Griffith Operations Maureen Foster Vasselli accepted the Safety Excellence Award during the Northwest Indiana Business RoundTable (NWIBRT) banquet held on May 12. In addition, Scott Gregory received the Outstanding Craft Persons Safety Leader Award and Brian Fordon received a Certificate of Appreciation. We’re proud of our team for their continued commitment to safety.

Valdes Recognized for Outstanding Safety

Valdes is proud to share that we have been awarded by Three Rivers Manufacturers’ Association the Gold Award and Meritorious Performance Award for working without an OSHA recordable injury in 2021! A heartfelt thank you to each and every employee for committing to ensure that safety and quality are our top priority on every project, for every client.

Three Rivers Manufacturers’ Association Safety Achievement Awards

We are pleased to announce that Three Rivers Manufacturers’ Association awarded us with the Gold Award and Meritorious Performance Award for working without an OSHA recordable injury in 2020! “Valdes would like to thank each and every person for Planning and Working Safe each day!” says Brian Fordon Director of Safety.

Senior Project Manager Alan McCurdy’s Article Featured in Chemical Engineering

Valdes is honored to share that Senior Project Manager Alan McCurdy’s article “Revamps and Retrofits: A Path to Evergreen Facilities” has not only been published in Chemical Engineering, but is the cover story for the December issue. Congratulations Alan!

Silvan Larson Excellence Award Recipient 2021

This year Valdes recognizes Project Manager Phil Kompare with the prestigious Silvan Larson Excellence Award. Every year, Valdes recognizes a member of the team that embodies the excellence, integrity, loyalty, and immense love of knowledge that Silvan brought to work over his tenure. Phil exhibits many of these same qualities and it has been a pleasure to see his professional trajectory here at Valdes. Congratulations Phil!

Valdes Receives Various Awards from NWIBRT

Valdes Safety Director Brian Fordon accepted the prestigious Company of the Year Award along with Safety Excellence Award during the Northwest Indiana Business RoundTable (NWIBRT) banquet held on August 19. In addition, Chris Baccino received the Outstanding Craft Persons Safety Leader Award and Brian Fordon received a Certificate of Appreciation.

Valdes Presents to CREATE Program at Get On Board Event

The Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency Program, otherwise known as the CREATE Program, hosted the Get On Board event and invited Valdes to present our capabilities during the April 29 Business Presentation Session. See Manager of External Affairs Jillian Garcia review our capabilities here at minute 25.

Valdes Receives MBE Certification from the City of Chicago

Valdes has received its Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) certification from the City of Chicago. We look forward to supporting our clients and forming new partnerships on projects for the City of Chicago.

Valdes Understands First-of-a-Kind (FOAK) Plants

First-of-a-Kind (FOAK) plants may present a unique set of concerns after start-up and commissioning. Valdes has a unique understanding of these process design issues to respond. See how Valdes responded to one such FOAK case here Quench Oil White Paper

Valdes Outlines All Plant Services

Valdes offers a wide range of plant services that keep your plant operating and your business on track. Find out more about our line of comprehensive services Plant Services Capabilities

Silvan Larson Excellence Award Winner 2020

Every year, Valdes recognizes a member of the team that embodies the excellence, integrity, loyalty, and immense love of knowledge that Silvan Larson brought to work over his tenure at Valdes. This year we recognize Principal Civil Structural Engineer Scott Nowinski with this prestigious award. Congratulations Scott and thank you for your exemplary work ethic and mentorship skills.

Valdes Recognized by Crain’s on Chicago’s Biggest Minority-Owned Businesses List

We are proud to be included in the Chicago’s Biggest Minority-Owned Businesses list published by Crain’s Business Chicago on November 2, 2020. Valdes is the largest Hispanic MBE engineering firm on the list and the largest MBE engineering firm with a tradition of process engineering experience.

Valdes BEP Certified Under Illinois Department of Central Management Services

We have been granted certification as a Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) under the Business Enterprise Program (BEP) within the Illinois Department of Central Management Services. Valdes is prepared to support our clients with their public sector projects within Illinois, especially projects within the Capital Development Board (CDB) portfolio.

Valdes Places Among the Top Eight That Innovate

At the most recent Diversity Alliance for Science GeoCluster Conference, Valdes was selected as one of the top eight companies for the innovative technologies it uses in its design process to save clients time and money. Valdes ultimately placed second overall in the competition.

Valdes Certified By The Supplier Clearinghouse

Valdes was certified as a Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) by The Supplier Clearinghouse of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and can support our clients’ public sector work in California. 

Valdes Receives NWIBRT Safety Excellence Award

Valdes Safety Director Brian Fordon accepted the Northwest Indiana Business RoundTable (NWIBRT) Safety Excellence Award from Don Bull, NWIBRT Executive Committee Chairman and NIPSCO Director of Outage Management and Systems Engineering. 

 
“This award is a direct result of everyone at Valdes making the effort each and every day to work safe. Our company’s dedication and success to safety was instrumental in receiving this award for the 6th consecutive year. Thank you to everyone on the Valdes Team,” said Brian Fordon, Director of Safety at Valdes.

Valdes Team Talks Process Safety Management

At Valdes, safety is our first priority. Our teammates collaborated to discuss the importance of Process Safety Management (PSM) and the responsibility companies have to make every necessary effort to provide a safe working environment.
Read the full article here: Process Safety Management

Silvan Larson Excellence Award Winner 2019

Silvan Larson was a dedicated member of the Valdes team and each year this award is given to an employee that embodies his excellence, integrity, loyalty, and immense love of knowledge. The 2019 award winner is Valdes Manager of Document Control Jennifer Koenig seen here with the 2017 award winner Process Department Manager Dave Turnquist and 2018 award winner Senior Mechanical Engineer Jim Walker.

Valdes Team Talks Project Management

Valdes teammates come together to discuss the value of project management, as well as the key elements that make projects successful, no matter the industry.
Read the full article here: What Makes a Project Successful?

Building the Future

Thank you to our Valdes employees for taking time out of their day to meet with high school students and build bridges out of toothpicks and gummy drops. What a fun opportunity to interact with future engineers!

National Engineers Week

The Latin word for “engineer” means “to create.” In honor of National Engineers Week, Valdes employees were encouraged to test their creativity by participating in a Mouse Trap Car Competition. Working together, our employees built race cars out of everyday household items… using only the spring on the mouse trap to power the car!

Valdes Jumps in with ComEd at the Chicago Polar Plunge

Members of Valdes braved the 15° weather and ran into Lake Michigan for the Chicago Polar Plunge. Thank you to our friends at ComEd for inviting us to join their team and raise money for the Special Olympics!

ASME B31.1 Section Committee

Valdes employee Cliff Tetrault attended the ASME (The American Society of Mechanical Engineers) B31.1 Section Committee on Power Piping in New Orleans. During this meeting, he sat on the panel and discussed engineering standards for pipe stress analysis in the field. What an honor to be a part of this event!

Gold Award and Meritorious Performance Awards

We are pleased to announce that the Three Rivers Manufacturing Association awarded us with the Gold Award and Meritorious Performance Award for working without an OSHA recordable injury! Thank you to all our Valdes employees for ensuring quality and safety on every project, for every client.

ExxonMobil Merit Safety Award

We are honored to receive the ExxonMobil Merit Safety Award. With ZERO OSHA Recordables in the past 8 years and over 2,500,000 hours worked injury FREE, Valdes strives to continue this trend.

Toys for Tots

To spread more Holiday Cheer, Valdes employees collected and donated toys to the Chicago Toys for Tots. We hope the children are having fun with them!

“Merging Safety and Quality Assurance” – POWER Magazine Feature

Written by Valdes’ Brandon Bell, P.E., a POWER Magazine Contributing Editor, the feature includes insight on how Valdes has been able to improve its total recordable injury rate, merge its safety and quality departments and make company investments to make the workplace safer.
View Article