Anderson Engineering is changing its name to OWN effective today and rebranding to celebrate and unleash the power of its successful business culture built on 100 percent employee ownership. The rebranding builds upon the firm’s significant growth over the past few years, with staff expanding from 70 to 230 employees across ten offices in Missouri, Arkansas and Florida including 23 in Destin, and its share price doubling twice.
“Our new name grew out of the idea that our greatest asset is our ability to tap into the power of true employee ownership and deliver creative problem-solving and service that goes beyond the expected,” said Jerrod Hogan, PLS, Chief Executive Officer of OWN. “We focus on the vital relationship between passionate engineers, their entrepreneurial drive, and the responsibility they share together as owners. Building on that success, the shift to OWN felt natural. Regardless of the project, scope, or location, the OWN team adds above and beyond value at every turn. We call this, “Engineering beyond.”
OWN serves the commercial, healthcare, education, residential, industrial, hospitality and sports, and entertainment sectors, as well as the federal/military, state, county, municipal, transportation and utility sectors. Licensed to operate in more than 40 states, OWN’s core services include Civil and Structural Engineering, Land Surveying, Field Services, and related subdisciplines.
Headquartered in Springfield, Missouri, OWN operates five other Missouri offices in Joplin, Monett, Carthage, Kansas City, and Columbia along with offices in Rogers, Arkansas and three Florida markets including Pensacola, Destin, and Milton. OWN is opening an additional office in Overland Park, Kansas this summer.
The Destin office has supported numerous projects around the area with civil and structural engineering services since it was established in 2018, including the construction of the new Destin High School that opened in 2021.
Founded in 1954 as the Tri-Lakes Concrete Company, the firm has undergone several name changes over the years and has operated as Anderson Engineering since 1977. In 1998, it became employee owned. The idea of employee ownership is not new to engineering, but OWN celebrates several differences.
Though many firms are employee-owned, often the majority of shares are owned by executives and many times the ESOP is a small percentage of the ownership structure. OWN is a 100% ESOP, owned 100% by employees, equitably. Most firms in the engineering space are named after the service they perform, or after founders that may no longer be involved. OWN defies that convention by placing its prime differentiator - its employee owners - squarely at the center of its prime real estate: its name.
“Our firm builds futures for our clients, our partners, and the communities we serve. And everyone knows when the stakes are high, you ask to see the owner…we just happen to have 230 of them and counting,” said Hogan. “Our first principle is that ‘Owners do it Better.’ We’ve structured the firm in a way that respects, trusts, and empowers our employee-owners to do what’s best for our clients. This bears itself out in a culture built on responsiveness, creative problem solving, mutual success, and having a little fun along the way. To us - it’s more than a business structure or a tagline; it's a culture we’re so committed to that we’ve staked our name on it.”
“Our team works on everything from buildings to bridges to ballfields,” Hogan added. “Our work and track record have always spoken for themselves. And as for culture - we put people at the center of everything we do. The team is beyond excited for this new chapter and how we’re positioned for growth and expansion.”
ABOUT OWN, INC.
OWN, Inc. helps shape the built environment across the country with a wide range of planning, design, and construction phase engineering services from its offices in Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas and Florida. Key customers include Rivian Automotive, FORD, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Menards and multiple municipalities and transportation departments across the country. For more information, visit www.weareown.com.
