Category Archives: Initiatives
Posted in Codes & Regulations | Current Events | Initiatives | Politics | Transportation by Steve Muller (Manager of Client Development) on March 4, 2013
© drouu
When Governor Corbett proposed his 2013 budget in early February, the PA transportation industry was pleased to see that one of his main initiatives is for funding transportation improvements. It has been a long time coming since release in August of 2011 of a comprehensive report from the Governor’s Transportation Funding Advisory Council. This report made a strong case for funding the $ 3.5 billion gap in transportation funds needed yearly in our state. (See an earlier LDG Blog for more information: The Transportation Funding Advisory Council)
New revenue is sorely needed to maintain and improve our transportation infrastructure in PA. In Governor Corbett’s words, “Our most costly option would be to do nothing.” In a February press release, the Governor pitched his approach to funding transportation, as proposed in his budget and outlined these initiatives:
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Posted in Employees | Initiatives | Leadership by Keith Kuzio (CEO) on October 10, 2012
Keith Kuzio (left) and Ken Larson, founder of Larson Design Group, pose around the time of LDG’s transition of ownership in 2001.
I recently had the opportunity to present a case study on Larson Design Group’s Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) experience to a group of interested people at the Lancaster Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Employee Ownership Forum. Our ESOP was formed in 2001 to assist in the transition of ownership from our first to second generation. This ownership model provided an excellent means of connecting all LDG employees to the mission, vision, values, and growth strategy that LDG has maintained during its entire history of local ownership, from 1993 to this day. The ESOP also gives all LDG employees the opportunity to benefit from the increased value of our company stock as the firm continues to grow and achieve top quartile industry performance results.
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Posted in Alternative Energy | Blogging | Communities | Current Events | Economic Development | Energy Conservation | Initiatives | Innovative Solutions | Marcellus Shale | Natural Gas by Jillian Ibbs (Marketing) on April 17, 2012
Larson Design Group (LDG) is currently designing a compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling station in conjunction with the City of Williamsport. The station will be located at the River Valley Transit (RVT) garage on West Third Street in Williamsport and will be open to the public.
Why Natural Gas?
The price of CNG fluctuates between a half and a third of the price of gasoline. Maintenance costs for natural gas-powered vehicles (NGVs) are equal to or less than those of gas or diesel. Combined with government grants, significant savings can be an expected result of CNG-powered fleets. In fact, RVT has already received a $3.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation and a $400,000 grant from the Department of Environmental Protection to help fund both the fueling station and the purchase of four CNG buses. RVT expects an annual savings of over $400,000 once the natural gas station is completed.
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Posted in Client Service | Communities | Current Events | Employees | Initiatives | Professional Development by Steve Muller (Manager of Client Development) on June 23, 2011
When is change good for an organization? When it offers more and better opportunities to those it seeks to serve. With that goal in mind, right now the LDG Ephrata office is in the midst of office-move turmoil. Packed, labeled boxes are everywhere, and there is the appropriate anxiety and anticipation of getting into a new office space.
The Ephrata office of LDG has solidified since the 2008 acquisition of Fisher Engineering, which brought the LDG name and brand to south-central PA. Jim Fisher, PE, founder of Fisher Engineering, continues on with LDG today as a Senior Project Manager, still serving many of the municipal clients that he’s worked with, some for over two decades. Our bridge structural and transportation design services have really taken off in the Ephrata office, and that team has grown, and our site design & land development services continue to serve clients in the Lancaster County area and beyond.
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Posted in Accounting | Client Service | Communication | Employees | Initiatives | Leadership by Brenda Nichols (Accounting) on June 8, 2011
Image © Elvis Santana
As we continue to transition our accounting department into a more integrated model that mirrors our organization, I realize how important full documentation of procedures and processes can be. Larson Design Group has always had good step-by-step accounting documentation such as how to record a vendor’s invoice in our accounting software, etc. However, we have learned that we were weak on system documentation; the things that really matter in making a company run efficiently, effectively and without risk of errors in the big picture.
For example, since LDG conducts approximately 20% of its business with State agencies, their audit standards require thorough review of our systems. In the last few weeks, various co-workers and I have taken the time to document our internal controls in all areas. Yes, it has been a lot of work that came with struggles in finding the right words and preparing numerous documents that ensure everyone understands these procedures. But in the big picture, it shows that in all situations, we can improve. We have looked even closer at segregation of duties within the accounting department and our approval processes. And accordingly we are making changes. The first change we made is that all electronic payments for vendor invoices will now go through an additional review and approval process to ensure more “eyes” see these.
In the end, I am even more confident with the integrity of our data and proud to be part of making these changes happen.
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