1940s
In 1944, H.W. Lochner, Inc. was founded by Harry Lochner, Sr.
By the late 1940s, the firm was doing work in the Midwest and Southeast, preparing street and highway plans to help cities qualify for federal aid.
Harry worked on the development of some of the country’s first urban area freeway plans, along with plans for freeway corridors between cities. These plans were a forerunner to what is now the Interstate Highway System.
Clients soon began requesting design services, resulting in the addition of highway and structural engineers to the Lochner staff.
As innovations in Interstate geometry came about, Harry successfully introduced spiral designs for interchange ramps, an important highway safety contribution.
1950s
By the 1950s, Lochner had prepared urban area transportation plans for more than 30 cities in the Midwest and Southeast. Lochner was entering a rapid period of expansion, opening new offices in St. Louis, Indianapolis and Westport, Connecticut.
Lochner expanded services by including toll revenue studies and construction inspection services.
Lochner began taking on large projects, including the East St. Louis Expressway System, I-84 and I-95 in Connecticut and engineering supervision over the conversion of Orchard Field into what is now O’Hare International Airport.
1960s
Lochner developed early engineering software, with applications for highway geometry, drainage, earthwork and bridge design.
One of the first comprehensive highway design software systems, HDPS, was developed by Lochner. HDPS was endorsed by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and many state Departments of Transportation (DOT). The firm established Techplot as a subsidiary to market the system to other firms.
Lochner’s reputation as an innovator increased with the design of the I-55 bridge over the Fox River, the first curved girder bridge in Illinois and the management of both Boston’s Inner Belt Expressway design program and Massachusetts’ statewide TOPICS program.
Other major accomplishments in the 1960s included Lochner’s management of Connecticut's statewide Interstate design program and the planning and design of the country’s first operational freeway traffic surveillance and control system for the Boston expressways.
1970s
The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) opened up new opportunities for Lochner, starting with the I-75 Alligator Alley project in south Florida as the firm’s first Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). Setting environmental standards that are still applied today, Lochner received high accolades from the FHWA and the EPA.
Harry W. Lochner, Jr. (Hal Lochner) became president in 1974.
The firm expanded into eight states, with nearly 150 employees.
1980s
Lochner continued to thrive and in the 1980s started an assortment of mega projects, including teaming with a major contractor to manage the design and construction of I-90 into Seattle.
Other mega projects for Lochner included work on freeway programs for Phoenix and Hartford, airfield construction engineering in the Puget Sound Region and Alaska, and assembling a successful team to provide CEI services for the Tampa Bay Sunshine Skyway Bridge, plus award-winning projects in Boston, including the Southeast Expressway and the Central Artery North Area (CANA).
Lochner added bridge inspection to its services and further expanded with additional offices in the West and Southeast.
1990s
Work on mega projects continued into the 1990s, as Lochner designed a large portion of the CANA in Boston and construction began on the Paris Pike and the reconstruction of the Salt Lake City freeway system, the largest design-build project in the country at that time.
Lochner completed an environmental study for the Paris Pike in Kentucky, one of the most high-profile design projects in the firm’s history, positioning Lochner as a leader in context-sensitive solutions.
Reorganization of the firm’s ownership structure led to the establishment of the Employee Stock Ownership Program (ESOP) and Officer Stock Purchase Program (OSPP).
2000s
Larry Thomas became President of Lochner in 2003, as Hal Lochner served as Chairman.
Six regions were established within the firm and a Collaboration Table of Regional Team Leaders and Corporate Directors was formed to oversee operations of the firm.
Lochner entered into a joint business venture with Canada-based MMM Group to form Lochner MMM Group in pursuit of Public-Private Partnerships (P3 services).
Major project wins continued, including the Pearl Harbor Memorial (Q) Bridge in New Haven, Connecticut, and the Mid-Currituck project in North Carolina, Lochner’s first P3 project.
Lochner grew to more than 420 employees in 26 offices in 17 states.
A progressive and comprehensive strategic plan was compiled to guide the firm into the next decade.
2010s
Jim Bishop was appointed the fourth President and Chief Executive Officer of the firm in 2010.
Lochner merged with to become a firm of 520 employees in 30 offices in 19 states.
With the merger, Lochner added new services, including aviation and municipal services, which incorporates federal, water resources and community planning.
A seventh region, the Southwest, was established following the merger.
Lochner’s Board of Directors includes Jim Bishop, Roy Bruce, Diane Creel, Hal Lochner and Larry Thomas.
Lochner continues to be selected for major alternative delivery projects (design-build and public-private partnerships), such as SR 520 in King County, Washington, and RT 1G in Saint John, New Brunswick.