55 Years and Going Strong!

On this day 55 years ago, Ayres Associates got its start. Officially incorporated as Garnock, Ayres and Loken Engineering and Surveying in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, the new firm had five employees and high hopes for a successful future. Five and a half decades later, we’re still headquartered in Eau Claire, but we’ve grown and expanded our range of services and geographic reach. We now have 11 offices in five states, nearly 270 employees, and clients nationwide. We first were ranked on the Engineering News-Record list of the top 500 architectural/engineering firms in 1972, and our revenues have kept us among this caliber of firms ever since.

Lots of A/E firms have come and gone since 1959. The economy has had its ups and downs, and the world around us and its architecture and engineering needs have changed. What’s the secret to our staying power? A lot of it has to do with the firm foundation laid by our founder, Owen Ayres. He established a corporate culture of partnering with our clients to develop smart solutions to their needs and of providing our staff opportunities for professional growth and investment in the company. We are all owners, and proud of it!

But ultimately it’s been our clients who have kept us going for 55 years. Thanks to our clients, we’ve been able to work on interesting, challenging projects that make a positive difference for people and communities around the nation.

To all our clients – past, present, and future – thank you! Happy anniversary to all of us!