Randy G. Brown, CSI, CDT: Large-Scale HVAC Specialist

Randy G. Brown, CSI, CDT

Please join Brown Engineers in welcoming Senior Mechanical Designer Randy Brown to our staff. Randy has designed and managed large-scale HVAC projects from New York to California, further enhancing our ability to provide our clients the best possible value for their mission critical infrastructure.

Randy has over 30 years’ experience in HVAC design, specializing in large air handling systems and related ductwork, chillers, boiler plants and associated piping systems. He enjoys the challenge of fitting complex mechanical systems into the tight spaces commonly reserved for them.

Randy has served as the lead project manager on major improvements (up to $25 million construction cost) for institutional, industrial, commercial, and retail clients.

If you’re an operator or manager of a high-risk facility (hospital, data center, treatment plant, university) dealing with obsolete building infrastructure, we can help.

Reduce your energy and operating costs and yes, learn to trust your mission critical systems again–with targeted solutions that fit your needs and your budget.

Randy and the rest of our talented crew have over 250 years of combined experience helping facility administrators like you do just that.

The North Little Rock Electric Department (NLRED) in Central Arkansas provides power to 34,000 customers, whose non-automated meters must still be read manually, an inefficient use of manpower and transportation resources.

While AMRs (automated meter readers) could offset some of that monthly operating expense, they can only report consumption data. They can’t alert NLRED of power outages or other events requiring immediate attention—and they can’t receive or respond to diagnostic queries or other troubleshooting transmissions from maintenance personnel.

For that reason, Brown Engineers helped the city utility explore the next revolution in Smart Grid technology–an Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) system–as part of their Integrated Resource Master Plan.  Read more…

As mentioned in a previous blog post, our very own Rick Geraci was awarded the 2009-2010 Distinguished Service Award from the Central Chapter of the Arkansas Society of Professional Engineers (ASPE) in February. Last month at its annual State Conference in Hot Springs, ASPE honored Rick with its statewide award for Distinguished Service. This puts Rick in contention for the national Distinguished Service Award from the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE).

Rick Geraci receives statewide Distinguished Service Award from ASPE

Rick’s participation at the conference included his presentation on “Catastrophe Response and Professional Ethics,” which will be available in an extended format through this website in the coming months. If you’d like to ensure receiving his expanded presentation when available, sign up for our email updates.

What inspires Rick?
“extremely difficult projects that others shy away from.”

This January, Rick joined Brown Engineers, LLC, drawn by the chance to focus his creative energies solving electrical engineering problems exclusively in complex and critical environments.

He specializes in high-pressure, high-risk projects for mission critical systems at facilities that require high standards for power and reliability, but are outgrowing their existing infrastructure. Such projects typically feature tight timelines, high-risk environments, and zero tolerance for downtime: just the kinds of challenge that “distinguish” Rick within the engineering community.

Please join us in congratulating Rick…again!

Hot Springs National Park Quarter

The City of Hot Springs, Arkansas is a wonderful place to live or visit: fantastic lakes, great fishing, miles of beautiful tree-studded rugged terrain for outdoor enthusiasts, horse racing, a thriving arts community, and of course its famous thermal spas.

Last week, it hosted the U.S. Mint’s unveiling of the first coin in its new America the Beautiful Quarters Program, celebrating 56 national parks in each of our states and territories. Hot Springs National Park was established 178 years ago on April 20, 1832, the first such park in our nation.

But, did you know that this week marks another anniversary for Hot Springs? Okay, it’s not nearly as glamorous as launching a commemorative coin series, but it’s been one year since the City completed the HMI (Human-Machine Interface) Upgrade, designed by Brown Engineers, for its Ouachita Water Treatment Plant.

This project marks the city’s first step in its Master SCADA Plan, also developed by Brown Engineers. The master plan provides for a comprehensive, phased series of improvements to modernize its SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) water and sewer control systems.

We congratulate Hot Springs for its rich heritage, vibrant culture–and commitment to providing its citizens reliable and safe delivery of city water services. You can read more about Hot Springs’ Ouachita Water Treatment Plant HMI Upgrade on our Case Studies page.

Small Firm Fields Deep Bench of Big Talent:
8 Professional Engineers Among Total Staff of 13

According to the February 22nd edition of Arkansas Business, Brown Engineers now ranks among the 15 Largest Engineering Firms in Arkansas. This list is scored by counting the total number of licensed professional engineers (PE’s) employed by each firm within the state.

Small Firm, Deep Bench of Talent

With eight PE’s on staff (six electrical and two mechanical), Little Rock-based Brown Engineers is tied with two other firms for thirteenth place.

Growth Targeted Where Most Needed

Already trusted leaders in SCADA programming and power distribution for water and wastewater treatment plants, Bruce Brown and Dee Brown soon brought on electrical engineer Nick McNeill as our third principal, then a certified automation professional…and so forth. Each new team member brings new skills or reinforces specific capabilities our clients need, increasing our value to them as well our capacity to respond quickly and effectively when emergencies arise.

Experience and Expertise with Less Overhead

This quality-over-quantity approach works for our clients, as utilities and other critical environments welcome the relief of finding experienced consultants who truly “get” the challenges posed by aging infrastructure, and who they trust to help them implement the right solutions.

Our Success is Thanks to You

This year brings the most exciting changes yet for Brown Engineers, as we advance from an electrical to a full mechanical/electrical/plumbing (M/E/P) engineering firm. Each member of our team serves a vital role in our continued success: nobody here has time to feel like a “drop in the bucket.”

We never want our clients to feel that way, either: each one is precious to us. To everyone we’ve served in the past four years: Thank You! We couldn’t have made this list without you.

When Rusty White passed his PE exam on his first try last fall, it came as no surprise to us.

Despite his youthful energy, Rusty’s no greenhorn—but many are surprised to learn just how much education and experience our newest PE has to back up his license. Beginning in 1989, he learned the value of well-designed instrumentation and automation as a production planner for a specialty alloys manufacturer. By 1992 he earned his first degree, a B.S. in Industrial Technology.

Our perpetual student, Rusty, is now also an incredibly versatile electrical engineer.

After over a decade in manufacturing, Rusty turned to electrical engineering as his next challenge. Working his way through college, this husband, father, and nontraditional student earned his BSEE in 2005.

Along the way, he’s performed numerous power system studies and mastered a host of software applications during his radio telemetry, arc flash hazard analysis and SCADA* training, including this partial list:

• Micropath Radio Path Analysis for SCADA
• Allen Bradley RS Logix Ladder and Structured Text Programming
• Control Microsystems Telepace programming for SCADAPack controllers
• GE Intellution iFix Human Machine Interface applications
• Wonderware
• SKM Analysis for Modeling electrical power systems
• Arc Flash Hazard Analysis and NFPA 70E Electrical Safety in the Workplace

Rusty enjoys the personal interaction and technical complexities involved when working with treatment plant operators to identify the best solutions for their electrical infrastructure, or to determine the appropriate level of SCADA training for staff to operate and maintain their facilities’ automated systems.

Brown Engineers is proud to have versatile, well-rounded engineers like Rusty on our team. Please join us in congratulating Rusty by posting a comment to him below. We’d love to hear from you, and we will always respect your privacy.

*Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition

Engineering Industry Salutes a Leader with a Taste for Challenge, Risk and Innovation

Rick Geraci II, PE honored for Distinguished Service

Rick Geraci II, PE was awarded the 2009-2010 Distinguished Service Award from the Central Chapter of the Arkansas Society of Professional Engineers (ASPE) on February 18th.

Combining nerves of steel with intelligence and humor, Rick’s passion for his work is legendary.

Concerned over the declining number of engineers in the U.S., Rick has devoted much of his 35-year career to improving his profession and encouraging youth to pursue it. When not designing critical infrastructure for data centers, hospitals, and universities, he’s made time to volunteer in annual MathCounts competitions for Arkansas students, and lectures on engineering ethics to college seniors.

In 2001, Rick was named Engineer of the Year by the ASPE, and was inducted into the Arkansas Academy of Electrical Engineers in 2006. He also serves on the task force to the Arkansas Legislative Joint Committee on Educational Facilities, and developed the electrical standards used by Arkansas for all of its educational facilities. In 1994, he was awarded the IES International Lighting Design Award of Merit.

Rick’s idea of fun: “extremely difficult projects that others shy away from.”

This January, Rick joined Brown Engineers, LLC, drawn by the chance to focus his creative energies solving electrical engineering problems exclusively in complex and critical environments. He specializes in high-pressure, high-risk projects for mission critical systems at facilities that require high standards for power and reliability, but are outgrowing their existing infrastructure. Such projects typically feature tight timelines, high-risk environments, and zero tolerance for downtime: just the kinds of challenge Rick Geraci lives for.

Please join us in congratulating Rick!

We encourage you to post a note to him below, and we invite you to come back and visit often. Our site is updated frequently in an effort to help you find the solutions you need for your electrical, automation, and mechanical systems.

Brown Engineers is excited to introduce several new members of our team—and to announce the addition of Mechanical Engineering and 3-D Building Information Modeling to our services.

Rick Geraci II, PE

Rick Geraci II, PE, is an electrical engineer and senior project manager with over 30 years’ experience. He specializes in electrical engineering problems at data centers, educational and medical facilities, and describes his favorite type of work as “extremely difficult projects that others shy away from.” His steady nerves, creativity, and passion for high-risk environments are contagious. Rick is the driving force behind Brown Engineers’ focus on providing safe, reliable “mission critical” infrastructure improvements to facilities for which system failure is definitely not an option.

Mark Eakin, PE

Mark Eakin, PE, a mechanical engineer, is also a senior project manager with over 30 years’ experience. He and Rick have worked together for years on infrastructure upgrades in hospital, university, and industrial settings.  With Mark’s extensive background and leadership as a mechanical engineering manager, Brown Engineers now offers full MEP (mechanical, electrical and plumbing) engineering services.

Supporting Mark in this effort is Max Good, PE, LEED AP, a mechanical engineer whose expertise includes not only sustainable design but also 3D Building Information Modeling (BIM).  Well versed in HVAC, plumbing, and mechanical engineering for mission critical systems, Max is an excellent choice for large-scale sustainable design projects requiring LEED certification.

Kaylin Richardson, an experienced CAD technician and 3D BIM specialist, completes our team additions so far this year. Our staff now numbers thirteen, including eight licensed professional engineers (six electrical and two mechanical), an ISA-certified automation professional (CAP), a LEED AP, and two CAD specialists well versed in MEP and 3-D BIM systems.

What better way to celebrate and share this exciting news at Brown Engineers than with a new website?

Our goal is to make your life easier by helping you identify solutions to make your critical infrastructure safer, more reliable and more convenient. We’ll be updating the site frequently to give you a fresh, responsive and rewarding experience. Please visit often, and let us know if you’d like to see more about a particular topic in future, or if you just want to leave us some feedback. We’d love to hear from you, and we will always respect your privacy.