HRG, Inc.: Expect Their Absolute Best

Quote: “Every client can expect our absolute best. As a whole, our team understands the significance of our work and we feel very fortunate that our profession allows us to play a critical role in ensuring there are limitless safe and healthy places to live.”  -Lance Weatherly, PE, Assistant Vice President, King of Prussia Office.

Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc. (HRG) is an employee-owned, nationally ranked design firm providing civil engineering, surveying, and environmental services. The company was founded in Harrisburg in 1962 as Herbert Associates, Inc. with a focus on water and wastewater services. Harry Herbert, Robert Rowland, and John Strangarity were the original three founders of the firm. Their vision and values remain strong guiding principles and are the catalyst for our continued growth. These principles include placing clients’ needs first by providing an exceptional client experience and unwavering dedication to quality, accuracy, and budget. They also understood the importance of a positive employee culture, which includes providing opportunities for professional growth to ensure each employee achieves their potential.

In the decade that followed, the firm expanded to include municipal engineering, which continues to be one of the foundations of their client base. In addition, the firm was active in civil engineering and construction administration, specifically related to the development of recreational facilities. Major projects included the Swatara Township Authority Water Pollution Control Plant, the Steelton Water Filtration Control Plant, and the water and sewage facilities for the 1973 and 1977 National Boy Scout Jamborees.

In 1981, they changed their name to Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc. and, in 1989, Robert Grubic, PE, became CEO. However, after 49 years, Mr. Grubic recently announced his retirement. In January 2023, President Jason Fralick, PE, has assumed the responsibilities of President & CEO.

From humble beginnings in a storefront office, HRG has grown to encompass 10 offices with over 300 employees throughout Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia. Over time, they have diversified into a full-service firm offering expanded capabilities in municipal representation, water and wastewater, planning, water resources, transportation, land development, financial consulting, GIS, and surveying. Furthermore, they have recently garnered recognition as the Engineering News-Record’s (ENR) Mid-Atlantic Design Firm of the Year and PSMJ (a worldwide advisor for architecture, engineering, and construction organizations) Premier Award winner for client satisfaction. In addition, HRG has consistently ranked among ENR’s national Top 500 Design Firms since the end of the 1990s.

HRG is always focused on delivering the optimal client experience. From the firm’s inception, the vision was to listen to clients’ needs and take a collaborative approach to providing the right-sized solution. We always start with a holistic assessment of each project to ensure we deliver long-lasting solutions so that clients’ investments continue to benefit their communities for years to come. Furthermore, our employee-owners continuously strive to exceed client expectations and meet the company’s high-standards for performance. We take pride in serving as an extension of our clients’ organizations and work hard to earn their trust. In addition, our clients benefit from the depth of knowledge and expertise of our dedicated team – many of whom are reputable leaders in their respective technical areas.  Overall, we are a local firm with the breadth of experience of a large national firm. Our local presence enables us to use our innate knowledge and experience to customize solutions for our clients. As a testament to the quality of their service, they continue to serve many of these municipal clients more than 40 years later.

Some of their key functions include optimizing places for long-term value, operational efficiency, and livability through a wide variety of planning, design, and management consulting services. Our local King of Prussia team of 17 professionals is supported by more than 300 engineers, community planners, surveyors, and landscape architects across Pennsylvania and West Virginia.  HRG can assist with everything from municipal plan reviews to zoning and ordinance development, community planning, roadway and bridge design, traffic studies and signalization, land development, site design, GIS, and more. 

HRG’s client base is just as diverse as their capabilities. They work with the public sector at the municipal, county, and state agency level. In addition, they work with private sector companies in the commercial, industrial, residential, and institutional markets: developing sites and designing infrastructure for industrial warehouse and distribution centers, restaurants, shopping centers, single family homes, and campuses. They offer a full complement of technical expertise and engineering services, including:  

• Municipal
• Water & Wastewater
• Land Development
• Transportation
• Water Resources
• Planning
• Strategic Management & Capital Solutions
• GIS
• Survey
• Environmental
• Construction Phase Services

With over 300 employees including:

• Professional Engineers
• Certified Planners
• Geologists
• Environmental Scientists
• Surveyors
• GIS Specialists
• Landscape Architects
• Related Support Personnel

Today, HRG is a thriving employee-owned (ESOP) company. In 2008, ownership transitioned to an ESOP, which was a natural progression due to the employee-focused culture HRG was founded upon. The team is vested in the success of the company and they make decisions that are best for the company, not just for any one individual.

The year 2022 marked HRG’s 60th anniversary and a year of continued growth. The team grew by more than 50 employee-owners with diverse talents. HRG gained new clients and exciting projects, allowing them to build a solid foundation for future opportunities. HRG is also investing in technology solutions to address innovative trends and continuing to expand the geographic areas they serve. Specifically, HRG’s King of Prussia, Montgomery County office is poised for strategic growth throughout eastern Pennsylvania. This office opened in 2019, primarily serving water and wastewater utilities in Chester and Montgomery Counties. Over the past three years, the King of Prussia office has almost tripled sales in the region and expanded services to include municipal representation, stormwater and watershed management, transportation, and land development.