Talking Shop with Tom Strickland of Strickland Engineering

Strickland Engineering in Jackson celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. The firm, at 113 W. Main St., offers a variety of services to businesses, churches, municipalities, schools and more. Business reporter Brian Blackwell recently visited with owner and founder Tom Strickland to learn more about his life and tales of Strickland Engineering. A native of Charleston, Mo., Strickland moved to the Cape Girardeau area when he was one-and-a-half years old. He grew up on a 30-acre farm in Old Appleton with his father, Jack, mother, Benita, and three brothers. He attended the one-room Buckeye School until it merged with Oak Ridge while he was in the fifth grade. Strickland eventually attended Southeast Missouri State University and University of Missouri at Rolla, where he studied engineering.

Q: Tell me about what you like to do in your spare time.

A: We've taken to the idea of developing a habitat for wildlife and want to increase the quail population on our farm. We do that by maintaining fence rows and sown grasses to provide a suitable quail environment. We've always been environmentally conscious of the wildlife but really picked up our efforts five years ago. I'm also involved with First Baptist Church of Oak Ridge. I am a deacon, treasurer, serve on committees and teach Sunday school. We're also big family people. We believe that raising our children and grandchildren in an environment that nurtures Christian values has been important. I have eight grandkids and one on the way, which makes me very happy. One other venture I'm involved with is the Jackson Chamber of Commerce. In 2004 we started work on developing the Uptown historic district, a five-block area.

Q: Tell me more about your interest in Jackson's downtown.

A: I purchased the Sanders Hardware Building in 1998 and started renovations to keep as many historical features as I could. A consultant recommended we not go down the route of one building but concentrate on the entire district. The building owners pooled their money for consultant fees and it's slowly come along. We renovated our building, as have others around the district to keep the historical features as original as possible. It's been a gradual upgrading. We've worked with the city of Jackson to apply for Missouri Department of Transportation enhancement grants to improve our streetscape. We want to add historical pole lighting, benches and bike racks. We're trying to create a historical feel to the community. People like visiting places like this and we hope this will attract others to move to the area plus increase business here.

Q: Your sons Brian and Mark are involved in your business. How satisfying is that for you?

A: It's very satisfying to see your children develop an interest and carry on your business. Mark and Brian manage their own portions of the business. As I approach retirement age I'm hoping to hand off more to them while I work part time.

Q: It seems like engineering can be a challenging field. Have you ever considered giving up?

A: There's never been a time when I wanted to quit because things became too difficult. There were times when I first started the business that we weren't assured of work coming in. I started in another recession and have gone through a few others. At this time we haven't had much slowdown because of the economy. I don't see one on the horizon, although it could come. We have a diverse list of clients, which helps. We work with such clients as health-care providers, which hasn't seen business affected as much as other sectors.

Q: What did you do before you began Strickland Engineering?

A: I was a process engineer at General Motors for 12 years in Anderson, Ind., where we were responsible for development and design of equipment to manufacture the products. I was more involved with DELCO battery operations. In the latter years I was responsible for installing equipment to production plants. I was traveling a lot and out two to three weeks at a time. That's when I decided it was time for a career change. I moved back here in 1997 for a position with Delta Engineering in Missouri. This was in a time when the economy was in a slowdown because of high oil prices. I eventually discussed with the owner that I may start my own company to do more of the things I learned with DELCO. The first 10 years I worked heavily into engineering services for 40 to 50 area school districts and also did design work for buildings. As the years passed we continued to expand our operations.

Q: What has been the most satisfying part of the job?

A: The engineering we do is very satisfying. Our engineering is always for the client. Whether it's for a school, city or subdivision, we strive to do an excellent job of designing. It's satisfying to see a project completed. Every project is different and unique in its features and design. The [idea that] when you come to work and you'll be faced with many challenges is exciting. There's never a dull day.

Q: What have been the most interesting projects your company has worked on throughout its 30 years of existence?

A: Working with Drury on their projects in San Antonio. The Alamo Bank building is a 25-story bank and office building that was converted into a hotel and convention center two years ago. The challenging aspects of the project were doing the electrical and mechanical system. It was a memorable project. Some of our most recent projects have included the redesign of the Arena Building in Cape Girardeau, installing a treatment facility at Kelly Schools, an expansion of the Tiger Place senior living center in Columbia (Mo.), a Hampton Hotel in Arnold and many more throughout Missouri and Tennessee.