25 Ways We Moved Our Company, Co-Workers, and Clients Forward

Over the last two decades, we’ve focused on moving our company, co-workers, and clients forward. Through professional development opportunities, community-changing projects, and strong growth, we’ve made our mark on the Midwest. With our 25th Anniversary celebration in full swing, we wanted to take a moment to reflect on how far we’ve come.

We’ve helped clients move their communities forward.

1. Since our founding, we’ve focused on building long-lasting relationships. Delivering high-quality designs and personalized client service are just two of the ways we do that. The greatest testimony to this is our client retention rate. 95 percent of organizations return to our team year after year.
2. Over the years, constituents’ needs have changed. We’ve seen a greater focus on complete streets and trails. With our clients, we’ve enhanced dozens of communities in seven states by adding new ways for residents to interact with one another and the environment.
3. We are proud of the work we’ve done in service to communities across the metro. In fact, many of our projects have received awards from leading industry organizations, like ACEC Kansas, ACEC Missouri, and APWA KC.
4. For years, our Highway Team has worked with communities to provide safer pathways to school. Their designs have made communities, like Overland Park, KS, Leawood, KS, and Lee’s Summit, MO, safer.
5. In 2019, we kicked off a complex project with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Kansas City. Spanning 5 years, the CID and Armourdale Pump Station Modifications design has increased total additional pumping capacity making the area safer during a coincident flood event.

We’ve introduced new capabilities and technologies.

6. Last year, we launched a new service at Affinis – Geotechnical Engineering. An important component of every civil engineering project, bringing these services in-house was a natural progression for our firm.
7. Structural engineers have been a part of our company since we were founded. However, their impact looks a lot different now. In the beginning, that team primarily led periodic inspections. Now, they tackle structural design work, developing solutions for federal entities, municipalities, and departments of transportation.
8. To better serve our clients, our Survey Team has strategically integrated new technology to deliver more accurate data. Over the years, they’ve added equipment, like unmanned aerial vehicles, robotic total stations, and a Seafloor Hydrone remote control catamaran.
9. Our stormwater engineers’ roles have also changed at Affinis. In the beginning, they often worked in support of our Roadway Team. Now, we have a standalone service line that manages their own projects, while still collaborating with each of our other groups.

We’ve grown. A lot.

10. In 2001, we started as a transportation-focused firm. Today, our skilled team includes Survey, Civil, Structural, Water Resources/H&H, and Geotechnical. We have also expanded our transportation group into three teams: Roadway, Highway, and Traffic.
11. Our presence in the Federal Market has also grown exponentially. In 2010, we received our first IDIQ from the St. Louis District. Since that time, we have completed over 70 task orders over the last 16 years for Federal clients.
12. Designing roadways is at the heart of what we do. In 2001, we had a single team. As we grew, we split the team into separate groups – Highway and Roadway. Highway focuses on Departments of Transportation (DOT) and LPA work, while Roadway tackles residential streets, pavement management programs, and arterials.
13. For many years, we had just one traffic engineer on our team. Now, we have four people in that group, tackling signal improvements and safety studies.

We’ve built strong partnerships.

14. In 2018, we formed the Ad Astra Collaborative, LLC with Vireo and Water Resources Solutions. This joint venture (JV) allows us to combine forces and bring a comprehensive skill set to our clients.
15. Just 2 years ago, we entered into a JV-Partnership with Eastern Shawnee Companies to form the Affinis-Eastern Shawnee Joint Venture.
16. Last year, we created a third, small business joint venture, Affinis Freese and Nichols JV, under the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Mentor-Protégé Program. These partnerships allow us to expand our capabilities and reach new communities.
17. Seven of our clients have worked with us since the beginning. These long-term partnerships allow us to jump right in when work pops up. We know each organization’s processes, people, and design standards.
18. Our clients aren’t the only people who’ve been with us since 2001. Did you know eight of our co-workers have been with Affinis for 25 years?

We supported our co-workers’ growth.

19. Service leadership is one of our firm’s core values. Every year, we challenge co-workers to perform 20 hours of community service. In 2025 alone, they completed 1,878 hours.
20. At Affinis, we are invested in our co-workers’ professional development. Not only do we encourage our team to join professional organizations, but we also support them as they take on leadership roles. Over the years, they have held 20 positions.
21. Our commitment to our co-workers isn’t just lip service. We have the awards to back it up. Since 2007, we have been recognized by the Zweig Group as a “Best Firm to Work for in Civil Engineering” 16 times.
22. We offer life-saving CPR training at our office to better protect one another.
23. In keeping with our firm’s values, we ask our team to support community-minded organizations. In fact, three co-workers have graduated from Leadership Overland Park, and two have completed Olathe’s Civic Academy.
24. In addition to those leadership programs, our teammates have completed ACEC Missouri’s Future Leader Academy and ACEC Kansas’s Emerging Leadership Program.
25. We’ve also specifically invested in our Survey Team. Our surveyors have the opportunity to attend BNSF training, Union Pacific training, first aid training, and confined space training.