Planning for the future

Lakes area growth is behind the addition of an engineering firm's branch office opening in Brainerd.

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Structural Design Associates Inc., located in the Wildwood Office Center on Northwest Fourth Street, opened in mid-October. Gary Weihemuller, branch manager, said the office opened with the intent to expand the company's services in the lakes area. Structural Design Associates was already reaching customers in the area, with an office in the Twin Cities. But working closer to clients around Brainerd made the branch office a progressive step.

"The goal is to provide services to Brainerd and the surrounding areas," Weihemuller said.

Mark Longendyke, computer assisted design technician, said efforts now include knocking on doors and getting the word out that the office is open.

SDA is a full service consulting structural engineering firm founded in 1989. Professional services start with project conception and continue through post-construction services. Typical clients may include an architect with a design project who wants to check a proposed building's plans to see what is needed to support the structure. Homeowners are also potential clients. Buildings involved may be of steel, concrete, masonry, precast concrete or wood.

Weihemuller and Longendyke are both new to the company. But both men worked together for about 20 years, first in Grand Forks, N.D., later in the Twin Cities and in St. Cloud before making the move to Brainerd. Weihemuller moved to Brainerd, while Longendyke is commuting from Holdingford.

Longendyke vacationed in the area for a number of years and said the region has changed a lot in that short time. Weihemuller said currently the lakes area seems to be growing at a good pace.

He said: "We just want to be optimistic that we can get involved with the growth."