I am the original founder of Civiltec and incorporated the firm on March 21st, 1986. I was 28 years old on that memorable day. Now, from my current 2026 point of view I can deeply appreciate when my elder friends and family members used to quip those wise words – “time flies”, “seems like yesterday”, or “time marches on”. Yes – they were so right.

 

To put things in a historical perspective, I looked up some interesting facts to remind us of what our world looked like in 1986…

  • Ronald Reagan was President (#40) and serving his second term
  • A gallon of gas cost $0.93
  • A Big Mac cost $1.60
  • A Snickers bar cost $0.40
  • And if you were a graduate Civil Engineer with a B.S.C.E., your average starting salary to enter the work force was $27,791

Also in 1986…

  • Top Gun was a Box Office hit
  • Teddy Ruxpin was the toy-with-microchip which was all the rage for kids
  • Chernobyl’s nuclear reactor no. 4 exploded and melted
  • Mike Tyson became heavy-weight champion boxer
  • Smoking was legislatively banned from public transportation
  • The NCAA adopted the new 3-point-shot policy
  • The U.S. space shuttle Challenger exploded during launch second 73
  • Oprah Winfrey appeared in her new talk show
  • And of course… Civiltec Engineering Inc. was born

In the beginning of our firm’s organizational existence, we had three professional engineers/officers who were all Civil Engineering graduates from Cal Poly Pomona. One specialized in design and delivering land development projects, one specialized in structural engineering and I did some of both. I was also a licensed surveyor and Civiltec’s first president.

Our first office was manned on a part-time basis because my two partners and I were still working our day jobs at other firms. It was a cracker-box sized office room on the second floor of the building next door to Panda Inn on Foothill Boulevard in Pasadena. I must say that office is most vivid in my memories. Probably because it was our first one. Lots of night-time and weekend work took place there and I remember it well.

We moved to an office in the Dootson Industrial Park on South Myrtle Avenue in Monrovia to gain some space for growth. With a dune-buggy shop next door and a nail polish manufacturer too, it was a blessing when we were able to afford a bigger warehouse/office in Arcadia on La Porte Street. So we moved and signed our first long term lease.

About a year later, our client base was growing, employee pool healthy and the economy was generally good, so we decided to purchase the old Auto Club Building on Foothill Boulevard and Garfield Place, in Monrovia. Some corporate restructuring occurred at this time which later led to moving the Monrovia main office to the familiar Old Town Monrovia office location on Myrtle Avenue that became home for many years.

As a youthful group of professionals, it was important to us that we included a large element of fun in our work lives and culture. In the early days, when we would physically arrange the design/drafting rooms (bullpens), they would be filled with drafting tables where clusters of workers sat amongst each other without separation barriers or cubicles for the sole purpose of enhancing direct communication (by talking) while working. We were continuously being cross-educated just by employing good old-fashioned discourse. How effective our communication was due to this way of exchanging knowledge and ideas! It was fun and became woven into the fabric of our culture.

We also did other fun things that contributed to our family-oriented culture. For example, the Annual Day at the Races started in the early 1990’s at Civiltec. Around that time, I hired a young engineer (Bob) who turned out to be a family member of the owners of the Racetrack. Since I grew up in Arcadia, I knew quite a bit about the Track, and of course, the traffic it generated during race season. Bob and I used to talk frequently about the goings-on at Santa Anita. Due to his connections, and my past track experiences, I decided to have our first “day at the races” in the owner’s clubhouse. There were only seven from the company in attendance, but I remember Bob taking us on tours of the restricted Racetrack areas and of course – the paddock.

We would also be sure to fit in one annual trip to Bolsa Chica Beach. This was a favorite for our employees because we all brought a pot-luck dish which included hot dogs and makings for s’mores. The reason we chose Bolsa Chica is that we could reserve fire rings on the beach, building fires to roast the dogs and marshmallows. I also brought my slow-cooked barbeque beef ribs grilled at home and warmed up over the fires. It was always joyful at those beach parties because it underscored the family connections we had developed by including younger employees, older employees, kids, grandkids and all in between! That was probably the most critical component to the development of our special culture that still rings true within us today.

A couple of other fun activities from the past included Friday night poker games on the conference table and fishing trips.
Our culture today is highly influenced by our past cultural nuances. Having Fun was a big component, but our culture did and still does include answering to the call for hard work, sacrifice, and sometimes weekend work. Our clients pay for our livelihoods, so we owe it to them to do whatever we can to make their workdays efficient and worry-free.

It’s been great to watch our current management steer the firm into new territories. Seeing the expansion take place to three offices in California and three offices in Arizona is remarkable! It’s also been gratifying to see our service lines grow to help our clients with their needs for electrical engineering, structural engineering, and natural gas distribution engineering. Thank you to our hard-working staff and managers for your diligence! You made this happen!

Our owners deserve a special thank you. David B., Chris, David S., Shem, Andrew – I hope you receive a high-held toast and congratulations at the Annual Day at the Races. I am seeing skilled helmsmen at work.

And finally, thank you to our fantastic clients from whom our relationships have evolved into acquaintances and even friendships over the years built on the foundation of trust which is hard to come by. You are the reason for our existence!

As you can see, as the original founder and past president of Civiltec Engineering, I feel a sense of pride when looking back over the past 40 years and see successfully managed growth, broader services offered, the best of the best clients, strong financial standing, socially conscious company members, thoughtful leadership and a noticeably caring team of employees.

Sincerely,

Rick