Hunsaker & Associates...and similar CE Firms

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Submitted by JWM in SD on February 12, 2008 - 7:25pm

I have a friend who is a project manager for Hunsaker out of Irvine. I've explained to him what is happening in the the housing market and the lending market and it's likely effects. Hunsaker has handled the CE planning for many of the major homebuilders and he is wondering if they are going to be in jeopordy over the next several years. I couldn't give him an answer since I'm not familiar with the industry.
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Anyone care to hazard a guess????

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He seriously doesn't know?
Submitted by surveyor on February 12, 2008 - 8:00pm.

He seriously doesn't know?

All the major civil engineering firms have been in the doldrums since the housing market started going down. Many firms have been laying off staff for the past two years.

The only civil engineering firms not suffering are the ones who have diversified into government contracts (usually the small ones).

I don't have any personal knowledge, but I heard that the Hunsaker office in San Diego had to lay off a major portion of their surveying and civil engineering personnel. This happened around last year.

I work in Real Estate
Submitted by GoUSC on February 12, 2008 - 9:38pm.

I work in Real Estate Development and I can tell you in no uncertain terms the CE firms in San Diego are hurting for work. I have been getting a lot of calls lately of guys looking for work. The good firms will whether this fine as they adjust their portfolio of work to include more recession proof work (ie Caltrans, public works, Senior Housing, etc.) but the smaller firms are hurting. You will also see the bigger firms lay off some people as well. It's the nature of the business and we who work in it are all used to it.

Doesn't surprise me that a guy working at a large firm doesn't know what is going on. A lot of guys just do production day in and day out and don't see the external forces going on. Especially if your friend does a lot of public works projects. That has a fairly constant stream of workflow recession or not.

I have done work with
Submitted by IrvineRenter on February 12, 2008 - 10:15pm.

I have done work with Hunsaker Engineering's Irvine Office. They are doing quite well right now. Things are slower, but the larger, well-diversified firms are keeping busy. If you friend can make it through the next 2 years without getting laid off, he will be fine. Residential investment with the homebuilders always bottoms out well before the resale residential market. Land planning and engineering are at the leading edge of the land development process, so when there is even a hint of a recovery, this work will pick up.

Larger CE and surveying
Submitted by stan dardparallel on February 12, 2008 - 11:26pm.

Larger CE and surveying firms often have huge projects that last for years and help carry them through. Still, they will have significant layoffs. This whole mess is just getting started so who knows how bad it will get.

I'm a one-man surveying company and 2 years ago I turned away turned away 3 to 4 times the work I could perform. Now I only turn away a job every week or two and I wouldn't turn away any if it wasn't for the surge of work caused by the fires. Times they are-a-changin.

JWM in SD Are you the
Submitted by JWM in SD on February 13, 2008 - 9:20am.

JWM in SD

Are you the IrvineRenter of IHB?

My husband is a manager for
Submitted by seattle-relo on February 13, 2008 - 10:05am.

My husband is a manager for a small CE firm in San Diego, he is responsible for business development. According to him things are pretty tight, finding potential work for his employees is getting harder - even with small government contracts...he ( and other managers) are definately concerned, but I don't think that the staff engineers are that aware of how slim business is. His company (which I won't mention by name) has closed one of their offices already.