Spradling Engineering is a veteran-owned firm with Don and Shannon Renee Spradling at the helm. This husband and wife super-team has been operating for 5 years, and has a unique approach to the way they position themselves in their field.
Forensic engineering requires investigations to prove what went wrong (or when the damage was caused) structurally regarding a building or home. This is of great benefit when you consider public safety, and particularly when you’re helping a homeowner maintain their peace of mind. “Helping homeowners who are struggling to make repairs following major storm damage or their house falling in around them due to a dishonest contractor is the most satisfying part of being an engineer,” explains Don. “Sometimes an investigation that takes several months to complete is resolved from a single finding.” He’s solving these problems by finding critical components that are typically overlooked; the hallmark of a firm that values attention to detail.
Don Spradling’s interest in engineering took shape in his youth. As a child, he was fascinated by the areas of buildings which exposed what made them work. The damp attics, dark basements, and creepy crawl spaces of homes induced no fear in his young mind, only curiosity. “I took apart things to discover what was inside: radios, engines, electrical components,” Don recalls. “You could imagine the nightmare it was for my parents to wake up and find out that I had disassembled the coffee maker during the night.” Don also lived where there were a number of abandoned factories and train yards. He was interested in seeing how the buildings were put together and how they decayed. These experiences inspired him to be an engineer long before he knew what engineering was.
It wasn’t only his innate sense of curiosity, but another driving force in his life was integral to his becoming an engineer. As a full-time student after the military, he intended on focusing on mathematics. It was actually Shannon Renee who identified that it wasn’t just mathematics Don was interested in, but the applied mathematics and physics that are the foundation for engineering. She helped him to identify that he liked to solve problems and his experience working in construction environments made him an engineer, in his own right. Thus, Spradling Engineering was born.
Spradling is involved in a number of large projects and investigations, including high-rises and historical properties in several cities. “We provide structural engineering services with forensic and special projects,” explains Shannon. “We’re not the type of firm that plans out whole subdivisions with cookie-cutter houses. We take on special projects where people are trying to figure out what went wrong, or where a larger firm would have a hard time with flexibility for special situations.”
Getting to Know the Spradlings: Q&A
Q: Don, what should someone know before they choose a provider like yourself? What are some of the red flags potential clients should be aware of, as well?
A: You want an engineer that is willing to tell you when the project area isn’t really in their specialty area, not the engineer that will drop their rates and has nothing scheduled out. A good engineer will be willing to give you a CV or resume, with references, without hesitation and should have a clear rate sheet. A good engineer is a specific breed that is brutally honest with you and is willing to tell you what you don’t want to hear.
Q: Shannon Renee, which sectors does your company service?
A: Our company provides services primarily to the construction industry but also, to the legal community where those sectors overlap. We have a pretty broad client base including attorneys, contractors, public adjusters, insurance companies, and homeowners.
Q: Don, has your time with the U.S. military informed the way you do business? If so, how?
A: Being in the military for any length of time changes a person in far too many ways to explain. One of my best professional qualities is “military bearing”. Military bearing is the ability to stand tall in the face of a stressful situation and to maintain your composure while reacting thoughtfully. In business you have to be able to truthfully assess the situation, make the hard decisions, and move forward.
Q: Renee, what can we expect to see from Spradling Engineering in the future?
A: At some point expansion might be in order but at this point we’d like to hone our process and continue to improve our core strengths. Now that we have been through some projects and challenges the best move is to learn from our history.
For more information contact (512) 843-4192 or visit spradlingengineering.com
