Standing on the Shoulders of Giants

Recently, LDG marked a significant milestone that has given me a reason to pause and share the following reflections.

At a May 12th Chamber of Commerce PM Exchange hosted in our Williamsport office, we had the opportunity to celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of LDG’s founding. In 1986, through the acquisition of Robert Ferrell Engineering and Surveying, LDG originated as a six-person, branch office of Hunt Engineers and Architects, PC, a consulting firm based in Corning, NY.

At the Chamber event, we were very pleased to have on hand Bob Hunt, (he served as President of Hunt Engineers and Architects at the time), whom we credit with the vision and foresight to see that a full service design office could be very successful in Northcentral PA. Also joining us were Bob’s hand-picked talent – Ken Larson (he eventually became President of Larson Design Group and is whom our firm is named after), and Fred LaVancher (serving in Business Development and Marketing Hunt and LDG, and as Chairman of the Board), – who together quickly grew the Williamsport branch office of Hunt, prior to orchestrating the 1993 employee buyout that set LDG on its present course as a local, employee-owned company. And as some may say, the rest is history.

But to leave it at that would sell short the immense impact that these three retired gentlemen had on LDG then, as well as today. Through the efforts and examples set by Bob, Ken, and Fred during their years of service at Hunt and later LDG, core values and a strong sense of purpose became engrained in LDG. Their personal commitments to client satisfaction, learning, respect, teamwork, sense of urgency, quality, innovation, and community stewardship became an integral part of the company’s culture; and, as a direct result, to this day these values continue to guide the way in which we engage our clients and the communities served by our six offices and more than 220 employees.

So, as we celebrate the tremendous growth and success that has been achieved over the last 25 years, it’s fitting that we take time out to acknowledge the contributions made by these gentlemen and their influence on Larson Design Group’s accomplishments. It was my personal honor to have been mentored by Bob, Ken and Fred, and it continues to be an honor to lead and serve a firm whose employees emulate the same strong core values that Bob and Ken and Fred knew were vital to success.

Much of what we have achieved in these 25 years has come by standing on the shoulders of giants – Bob, Ken and Fred, thank you for being those giants, for helping LDG to be what it is today, and for inspiring us to continue to dream about and enthusiastically pursue what LDG can be in its next quarter century! If you have known and were influenced or inspired by Bob Hunt, Ken Larson, or Fred LaVancher, we’d love to hear from you.

Best regards,
Keith