White River Interceptor Rehabilitation
City of Muncie, Indiana
As part of an ongoing process to maintain FEMA certification of the White River Flood Control Levee, the Muncie Sanitary District (MSD) is rehabilitating multiple sewers along the levee route.
Recent News
Wessler Honors Bill Jay
After 18 years, Senior Designer Bill Jay has decided it is time to hang up the drawings. Hired on by the founder of Wessler Engineering, Mel Wessler brought Bill onto the team for his abundance of wastewater experience. Bill quickly became a key member of the Wessler family, which, at the time of his hiring, was 20 members strong and has now grown to more than 80.
CEO Marty Wessler and Project Manager Gary Ruston said Bill’s experience and design skills were a tremendous asset to Wessler Engineering and helped to set a high standard for our design drawings. His attention to detail and pride in his work resulted in drawings that were thorough and accurate, easy to understand, and minimized construction issues. Wessler frequently receives compliments on the quality of our design drawings, which Bill either produced or indirectly helped by setting the standards for format, clarity, and detail. His knowledge and skills will be sorely missed, as well as his wife Judy's famous zucchini bread!
During his retirement breakfast Friday morning, Bill said it has been an honor being a part of the Wessler family, as we have all grown close together and supported each other.
So, what is the first thing Bill is going to do for his retirement? Celebrate his youngest daughter getting married in Morocco!
Wessler Welcomes 2018 Summer Interns
We are proud to announce that four interns have joined the Wessler team for our summer internship program! Anne Hays and Nathan Zweig are working out of our Indianapolis office, while Sam Allbritten is gaining experience in our Fort Wayne office and Austin Wurm in our Bluffton, Ohio location. We asked the four of them some questions so we can get to know them better before they head back to school this fall.
Where are you going to school? For what degree? Expected graduation date?
Anne: I am studying environmental and ecological engineering at Purdue University and will graduate in May 2019.
Austin: I currently attend Ohio Northern University in Ada, OH. I am working towards earning my Bachelor's in Civil Engineering with a concentration in Environmental Engineering and a minor in Business Administration. I am now a senior and plan to graduate in May 2019.
Nathan: I am going to Purdue University for Environmental and Ecological Engineering (EEE) and will be graduating in 2021.
Sam: I am currently attending Hope College in Holland, MI. I am studying Civil Engineering for my major, with a minor in Mathematics. I am expected to graduate in December of 2019.
What has attracted you to the civil engineering industry?
Anne: I have always been really interested in water treatment and providing people with access to clean water. The civil engineering industry allows me to do this on a large scale.
Austin: I grew up on a farm where I was always outside either working on or building something, and my uncle is part-owner of a construction company in my hometown. Together, they helped lead me towards civil engineering where I could work with the design and construction of a variety of projects, have the ability to work both in and out of the office, and have an impact in and around many communities. I also liked the variety of work you can choose to do with civil engineering (transportation, structural, geotechnical, surveying, environmental, water resources, etc.).
Nathan: Civil engineering has a lot of environmental angles to it, and improving facilities to help the environment interests me.
Sam: Many things have attracted me to the civil engineering industry; however, one main interest of mine is the amount of variety within the industry to continuously be a part of multiple projects and no one day be the same!
Are you involved with any organizations at school or outside of it?
Anne: I am involved in the Purdue University Dance Marathon that raises funds for Riley Hospital for Children. I am on the Riley Relations committee where we get paired with a family that has a child at Riley.
Austin: At school, I am on the ONU concrete canoe team, men’s basketball team, Tau Beta Pi, College of Engineering Dean’s Team, and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).
Nathan: I am involved in the Phi Delta Theta Fraternity at Purdue.
Sam: I am currently a soccer player for Hope College, president of Athletes in Action at Hope College, and a member of Engineers Without Borders.
What are some of your favorite hobbies?
Anne: I enjoy playing sports, especially volleyball and softball.
Austin: Basketball, woodworking, rebuilding an antique tractor (Allis Chalmers WD45), farming, hunting, trapshooting, and motorcycles.
Nathan: My favorite hobby is learning how to play the guitar. I also play a lot of basketball, watch baseball, and listen to a lot of old music.
Sam: Soccer, working out and being outdoors!
If you won a million dollars, what would be the first three things you purchase and why?
Anne: I would travel the world and donate to good causes.
Austin: Either invest it for a couple of years or…. preferably pay off college loans, build a house and a shop building, buy some farmland and equipment, pay back my parents for all they’ve invested in me, buy a Harley Davidson and Indian motorcycle, buy a truck, and do some traveling with my fiancée.
Nathan: If I won a million dollars I would finish my college degree, move out West and invest the rest.
Sam: If I won a million dollars I would first tithe to the church, pay off student loans, then save the remaining amount!
Client Comments:
"Our experience with Wessler is always positive. They treat you as a friend, and they’re as good as their word.” -City of Frankfort, Indiana
Recent News
Employee Spotlight: Bridget Philpott
Wessler is proud to announce Bridget Philpott, E.I., as the July Employee of the Month! Bridget joined Wessler in 2016 and serves as an engineer in the Indianapolis office. She works in the areas of designing and evaluating wastewater treatment facilities and sewer and sanitary collection systems. She is also an expert on where and what to do in Europe! We had her answer some questions so that we can get to know her better.
What are your roles and responsibilities at Wessler?
My roles and responsibilities as an Engineer in the Wastewater Group include assisting in the design of wastewater treatment plants and collection systems, performing preliminary studies and providing construction administration services.
What does the “Wessler Way” mean to you?
To me the “Wessler Way” means understanding each client’s unique needs and doing everything you can to provide them with the highest quality work.
What are some of the most valuable lessons you have learned?
Since starting at Wessler I feel like I have learned something new every day. One of the most important being that there is always more than one way to do something and to make sure you think of the end user when deciding between alternatives. The choices you make when designing their system will affect them for years to come.
Outside of work, what are some of your favorite hobbies?
I enjoy baking, hiking, traveling and playing lacrosse. I also love to read and joined a book club at the beginning of this year to make sure I actually take the time to do it. If anyone has any book suggestions let me know, I’m always looking for my next book!
Rumor has it you have travelled to Europe – what are some of your favorite places? And where do you plan to travel to next and why?
I’m lucky enough to have travelled to Europe four times, with the most recent trip being when I went to Spain earlier this year. It’s hard to pick a favorite but Santorini, Greece is the most beautiful place I have ever visited and Prague, Czech Republic is the most unique! I’ve always wanted to see the northern lights, so for my next international trip I am planning on going to the few of the Nordic countries.
What are some must-do activities when visiting the Chicago area?
Growing up in the suburbs of Chicago I was often able to go downtown and explore all that Chicago has to offer. As some of you already know, I could go on for days about things to do and particularly what to eat while in Chicago, but here are a few of favorites:
And of course, going to a baseball game for Chicago’s best team…the White Sox!
Employee Spotlight: Brian Sahm
We are proud to announce Brian Sahm, Project Engineer I, as our April Employee of the Month!
Brian interned with Wessler in 2013, before being hired on full time the following year to join our Electrical group. Brian employs his technical knowledge to plan, design, and bid sophisticated power systems and controls for low and medium voltage equipment, as well as standby power systems.
We had him answer some questions on his time at Wessler, as well as what he likes to do in his spare time.
I currently work in the electrical and I&C group for Wessler. My job is to provide a complete electrical system including power, standby power, controls and instrumentation to allow plant equipment to communicate.
What does the “Wessler Way” mean to you?
The Wessler Way to me means providing not only a complete and functioning project, but building relationships with clients. We are here to help not only in the design phase, but we want to make sure the client gets exactly what they need and that they feel comfortable working together to find a solution. Our clients are part of the Wessler family.
What are some of the most valuable lessons you have learned?
There is always another way. Like every discipline, there are multiple pathways to achieve a solution. It is imperative that everyone takes the time to hear alternative solutions because they can be extremely valuable for future designs. I also believe that you should learn something new every day. No matter your age, if you do not take something new from your job each day, then you are not bettering yourself as an engineer. Knowledge is the key to success.
Outside of work, what are some of your favorite hobbies?
I enjoy hunting, fishing, and scuba diving. Many times I may come back empty handed, but the escape from society and the relaxation that comes from sitting alone in the woods is second to none.
You own a landscaping company. Can you tell us a little bit about that?
I started “Sahmscapes” when I was 15 years old with just a push mower and some miscellaneous equipment. My hunting and fishing hobbies required financial backing, so each spring I would celebrate as the cash flow returned to go and buy the new gear. Slowly I began to grow the company and ended up hiring high school friends to help complete my larger landscaping projects. I had not intended for the company to become more than just some side income, but eventually I found myself landscaping every night after school and on the weekends. College came around and I would return home on the weekends during mowing season to complete my projects. The company I had intended to end when I went to college continued to grow and, to this day, Sahmscapes continues to help provide mowing and landscaping solutions on the south side of Indianapolis.
You are a certified rescue diver. How did this come about? Any interesting stories?
My father and Uncle picked up the hobby back in the day, so when I saw classes being offered while in college I jumped on the opportunity to learn. My girlfriend Karina also scuba dives, but she is a scuba instructor. When it came time that I could continue my training and move up to Rescue Diver, Karina and her mom certified me, along with the help of my uncle who acted as the victim I had to rescue. I do not recommend to anyone that you receive a rescue diver certification from your significant other or family member, as I was nearly the one that had to be saved by the time that course was complete.
If you could do anything or wish for something, what would it be?
I wish that my father’s golf skills could have rubbed off on me. He was a runner-up in State in high school and conducted many of his business meetings on the course. Now that I have ventured into the business world I see that the golf course can be used as an excellent tool for productive meetings. My meetings usually run over, though, as I have trouble keeping the ball in the fairway. Maybe one day I will take up lessons and straighten out the stroke, but, until then, I will have to live with the fact that golf is not an inheritable genetic trait.