In June 2001 - Montgomery Watson, Inc. and Harza Engineering Company launched a potent new force in global infrastructure design and development, completing the previously announced merger of the two international consulting firms. The newly merged organization (renamed MWH Global, Inc.) fields more than 5,500 employees in 30 countries around the world. The company’s combined strengths in water and wastewater, energy, environmental management and hazardous waste remediation place it at the center of 21^st century global infrastructure needs.

"At a time when knowledge and its creative application to individual client circumstances is the only sustainable advantage in our industry, MWH commands significant expertise and market presence in some of the most promising sectors of infrastructure development around the world," said Robert B. Uhler, the new organization’s chief executive officer.

Montgomery Watson, among the largest privately held companies in the United States and number 17 on Engineering News Record’s annual list of top 500 design firms, specializes in water, wastewater and environmental infrastructure design, construction, finance, operations and maintenance. Privately held Harza Engineering Company, ranked 58^th on the Engineering News Record list, commands significant global market share in energy and hydropower, as well as highly competitive market positions in a variety of environmental sectors of the industry. In addition to an expanding menu of products and professional expertise, MWH will seek to capitalize on the greater financial strength and stability yielded by a larger, more diverse organization. Last year, the two merger partners generated combined revenues in excess of $700 million. Senior management believes the company’s first billion-dollar revenue year is within sight.

"Infrastructure clients today demand one-stop-shopping and results-oriented solutions to their needs," noted MWH Global, Inc. chairman Murli Tolaney. "Competition to provide those solutions is intense and, with the impact of new technologies, increasingly global in scope. In such an operating environment, the advantages of size, efficiency and breadth of service are enormous," Tolaney said.

Equally important to the potential success of the new organization are the two companies’ long histories of excellence, their similar corporate cultures honoring individual expertise while emphasizing teamwork and their shared view of the infrastructure industry’s future.

"The benefits of being ‘first-in-class’ in key markets provides clients with significant advantages, and employees with unlimited growth opportunities," said Refaat A. Abdel-Malek, president of MWH Energy & Infrastructure and the former chief executive officer of Harza Engineering Company.

MWH, Global, Inc., is a private, employee-owned firm that provides engineering design and remediation, construction, procurement, program management, and technology solutions for the environmental, land, water, wastewater, energy and power markets of the Americas, Europe, Middle East, India, Asia and the Pacific Rim.

Richard Lykins Retired from the City of Springfield January 31, after 30 years with the city. He worked his way through varies positions with the city and held the position of water distribution superintendent for 17 years.

Richard was active in the AWWA serving on various committees, served as SW district chair and was on the local arrangement committee for the State conference held in Springfield in 1995. He also was a member of the ABPA and held the position of Ohio section chair for that organization

He helped form the OTCO Backflow Prevention Course and is also and instructor for the backflow prevention course.

Richard is currently employed by Becraft & Son General Contracting. While not working he is spending his time with his grandkids and at the cabin in the woods.

Enjoy your new beginning.

Jerry Brickner was burned on June 13, 2001, while mixing lime and trying to unclog the lime feeder at the Defiance Water Treatment Plant. The lime rushed into the feeder and overflowed onto Jerry and Mike Coutcher who was treated and released at the Defiance Hospital. Jerry was admitted to St Vincent Mercy Medical Center in Toledo with chemical and thermal burns to 64% of his body. He is expected to remain in the hospital for one year.

A Fundraiser Jerry Brickner was held on September 14 at the Ottawa American Legion and was well attended by Jerry’s friends and AWWA members.

Donations to help the family defray costs can be sent to:

Floyd Brown Associates, Inc. (FBA) is pleased to announce the addition of Joseph P. Barry, P.E. to their staff of professional engineers in Marion, Ohio. Barry brings to FBA over 18 years experience in water, wastewater, hazardous waste and construction. As a Senior Project Manager, he will manage the design and construction of various infrastructure projects or the firm’s clients.

Floyd Browne Associates provides engineering, planning, surveying and environmental services to public and private sector clients and ha offices in Marion, Delaware, Worthington, Sidney, and Dayton.

August 18, 1924 – September 28, 2001

Ken Matthews was born on August 18^th , 1924. He was an Eagle Scout, graduated from Walnut Hills, class of 1942, and Purdue, class of 1945. He was a Naval Officer in WWII and the Korean War. He was proud of all these accomplishments and would get very emotional when talking about his military career.

He also loved his work. Whether making sales calls, mentoring colleagues, dining with customers, attending conferences, serving on committees, or working in his home office, Ken Matthews was the quintessential businessman. A chemical engineer, he was a manufacturer’s representative for water and wastewater treatment equipment for almost sixty years. He often referred to himself as "the oldest rep in the business." He belonged to all of the relevant professional organizations in his field, including lifetime member in Water Environment Federation (WEF), American Waste Water Association (AWWA), Water Environment Association (WEA), Kentucky Rural Water Association (KRWA), and the Kentucky Water & Wastewater Operators’ Association (KWWOA), just to name a few. He loved to mentor young male and female engineers, teach them what he would have liked to know when he began his career, and watch them thrive and prosper. He worked until the day he died; he tried to retire twice, but defined retirement as "an early form of death" and returned to work both times. He always said that he wanted to die on a weekend so that he wouldn’t have to miss work. He got his wish on Friday, September 28^th, 2001. However, to say that he was the "typical workaholic" would be a gross misjudgment.

Ken was an excellent athlete, avid reader, trivia expert, computer aficionado, nature lover, outdoorsman, birdwatcher, world traveler and devoted family man. He was nationally ranked in table tennis, won a silver ball in tennis by reaching the finals of the National 65 and over grass court championships with his doubles partner, Ray Murphy. He loved traveling with his family and went on several adventurous trips: the Mexico City Olympics, photographic safaris in Africa, fishing trips in Canada, ski trips out west, tennis vacations in Florida and sightseeing trips throughout the western United States, Europe and Scandinavia.

Whenever trivia games were played, everyone wanted to be on his team because he knew thousands of factoids. He was constantly quizzing family, friends and business colleagues about every topic known to man. No one escaped learning something when they were in the presence of Ken Matthews. The phrases he hated most when he was trying to teach were "I don’t care", "Who cares?" or "Whatever". It was inconceivable to him that a person would not care to or want to learn. Because of his love of learning, he strongly encouraged the people in his life to pursue as much education as possible. It was at his urging and encouragement that his wife, Sandy, returned to school for her doctoral degree in psychology.

His second marriage to Sandy lasted 32 wonderful years. Every day, even those times when he was traveling, he set aside time for an evening ritual with her in which they had a glass of wine and shared their day. He was very proud of his children: four sons: Bruce, Mark, Scott and Eric and one daughter, Britt. He had ten grandchildren: Erica, Jeffrey, Nicole, Doug, Kristin, Nathan, Kelsey, Julia, Emily and Amari.

For all these examples, you can see why he can’t be labeled "a typical workaholic". He was so much more and will be missed beyond measure.