Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, July 7, 1995 TAG: 9507070044
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: A-9 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: F.J. GALLAGHER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Hayes, Seay, Mattern & Mattern Inc. said Thursday it has expanded its headquarters in Roanoke and now occupies the former Virginia Employment Commission's offices.
``We bought the building to give us a bit more breathing room,'' John Bradshaw, the firm's executive vice president and chairman of the board, said Thursday.
The firm, one of Virginia's largest architectural and engineering practices with a specialty in government contracts, has moved its transportation and environmental design departments to the one-story brick building at 1202 Franklin Road. It is two blocks from the firm's main offices in Roanoke's Old Southwest district.
``Here we were just a bit too congested,'' Bradshaw said. The move was completed Monday.
The environmental department tackles civil engineering projects such as waste-water treatment plants and storm drainage structures while the transportation unit designs highways and bridges, said the firm's spokeswoman, Gloria Burleigh.
Hayes, Seay bought the building from the state in April, paying $777,000, according to Nancy Munnikhysen, spokewoman for the Virginia Employment Commission, which formerly used the structure. She said Hayes, Seay submitted one of two bids for the property after public notices of its availability drew 18 requests for information.
The VEC moved its Roanoke operations in October to a new facility on Valley View Boulevard.
Hayes, Seay's expansion, Bradshaw said, reflected an increase in workers such as secretaries and accountants who have been added to support the company's regional offices scattered throughout the Southeast. The firm has added 95 employees since 1991 and has a work force of 400.
``Things are still trying to get settled in the main office,'' Burleigh said, adding that adjustments still are to be made to the telephone, reproduction and paging systems. ``It's not separate, though. It's more like it's a fourth floor'' of the three-story main building.
Hayes, Seay is one of the few architectural firms that didn't suffer from the recession in the early 1990s, said Helene Dreiling, president of the Blue Ridge Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. She said the number of projects taken on by Hayes, Seay has increased over the years.
``I know that for a number of months they've been bulging at the seams,'' Dreiling said. ``They're strong and have remained strong while other firms have laid people off.''
Bradshaw said he hoped the expansion would let potential clients know that the firm could handle more business.
``We want more work,'' he said. ``We now have the capacity to take on more environmental work.''
by CNB