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An Integral Part of Engineering Leadership

As President and CEO of WEBBER/SMITH Associates, Inc., Keith Shollenberger, P.E., brings a hands-on, team-oriented approach to the field of design-build engineering. His 38 years in facility design and project management reflect a commitment not just to leading projects, but to working alongside his team to blend engineering excellence with client satisfaction.

Educational and Professional Background

Keith, holding a B.S. in Structural Design and Construction Engineering Technology from The Pennsylvania State University and an M.B.A. from Saint Joseph’s University, credits his education for shaping his professional approach. His progression from a structural engineer to leading WEBBER/SMITH is a journey marked by hard work and a dedication to learning.

Effective Project Management

“Separating design from management in our projects ensures clarity and focus,” explains Keith. This method, honed during his management of significant projects, including those early in his career, is key to WEBBER/SMITH’s efficient operations. It reflects Keith’s commitment to proactive project management to enhance the quality of engineering work.

Building Client Relationships

“Adapting to various project sizes is essential for maintaining strong client relationships,” says Keith. This adaptability, combined with a focus on customer relations, helps WEBBER/SMITH meet the varying demands of the food manufacturing and distribution industry, handling everything from consultations to major projects.

Focus on Cost-Effectiveness and Operational Efficiency

For Keith and his team, efficiency is essential. “Our project managers do more than oversee the technical side; they ensure each project is cost-effective and operationally efficient,” he notes. This emphasis is vital for maintaining the firm’s competitive edge and effectiveness in its deliverables.

Fostering a Team-Based Company Culture

Keith is proud of the company’s culture, which is rooted in teamwork, preparedness, and accountability. “Our team members’ long tenure is a testament to the positive, collaborative environment at WEBBER/SMITH,” he remarks. This atmosphere is key to fostering innovation and excellence in engineering.

Addressing Design-Build Challenges

As an independent firm, WEBBER/SMITH encounters unique design-build challenges. Keith’s strategic, adaptable approach is central to these challenges. “Our independence allows us flexibility with contractors, adapting our methods to specific project needs,” he explains. This adaptability is crucial in the dynamic field of design-build engineering.

Understanding Client Needs and Industry Expectations

“In engineering, it’s about understanding client needs and managing expectations,” Keith points out. Striking this balance is crucial for shaping client perceptions and ensuring successful project outcomes.

Building a Collaborative Future

Under Keith Shollenberger’s stewardship, WEBBER/SMITH emphasizes hands-on management, effective project management, and strong client relationships, along with team development. His leadership is guiding the firm towards a future where teamwork and innovation are at the forefront of design-build engineering.”

Keith Makes Sure We Know: It’s All about the Team

In addition to Keith Shollenberger’s leadership, WEBBER/SMITH Associates, Inc. thrives under the guidance of other key leaders who share the same values and vision for the company. This shared commitment to excellence, innovation, and teamwork is evident in the work of Stephan Shaub, Jim Depew, and Drew Blank, each bringing their unique expertise and experience to the firm.

Stephan Shaub, as the Senior Refrigeration Systems Specialist and Principal, leads the Refrigeration Department with over 40 years of experience. His deep understanding of refrigeration systems, floor warming systems, and refrigeration control systems, along with his involvement in OSHA’s Process Safety Management and the EPA’s Risk Management Program, brings a level of technical proficiency and industry leadership that complements the firm’s vision. Shaub’s role in educating and training clients in ammonia and PSM standards further underscores the company’s commitment to client service and technical excellence.

Jim Depew and Drew Blank, serving as Vice President of Engineering and Vice President of Project Management respectively, also embody the firm’s ethos. Depew’s 34 years of experience in mechanical system design and project administration, and Blank’s two decades of expertise in project management and engineering, represent the depth and breadth of knowledge within WEBBER/SMITH. Their hands-on approach to overseeing design activities and managing projects aligns seamlessly with the company’s focus on collaborative, innovative solutions that meet client needs.

Together, these leaders form a cohesive unit that upholds the company’s values of teamwork, innovation, and a client-centered approach. Their collective experience and leadership ensure that WEBBER/SMITH remains at the forefront of design-build engineering, setting a standard for excellence and collaboration in the industry.

Join Our Journey: Collaborate with WEBBER/SMITH for Innovative Engineering Solutions

As WEBBER/SMITH Associates, Inc. continues to lead in design-build engineering, we invite you to join our journey towards innovative, efficient, and client-focused solutions. Whether you’re seeking expert guidance in refrigeration systems, mechanical design, or comprehensive project management, our team is ready to collaborate and bring your vision to life. Connect with us to explore how our blend of experience, innovation, and teamwork can make a significant difference in your next project. Let’s build the future together.

WEBBER/SMITH: Pioneers in Food Facility Design

In the dynamic world of food and beverage manufacturing, the role of specialized engineering cannot be overstated. WEBBER/SMITH Associates, Inc., based in Lititz, PA, stands at the forefront of this industry, offering comprehensive engineering solutions tailored for food manufacturing and distribution facilities across the United States. Drew Blank, P.E., Vice President of Project Management, emphasizes, “Our mission is to blend innovative design with functionality, ensuring each project not only meets but surpasses industry standards.”

The Importance of Specialized Engineering in Food Manufacturing

The food and beverage industry presents unique challenges that require specialized engineering expertise. Drew Blank notes, “In this industry, precision and compliance are not just goals; they are necessities for success.” WEBBER/SMITH’s expertise becomes invaluable here, integrating all engineering disciplines, except civil, under one roof for seamless and efficient design processes.

Navigating Industry Challenges with Innovative Solutions

One of the key challenges in the food and beverage industry is maintaining operational efficiency while complying with health and safety standards. “Our approach involves creating innovative design solutions that address these industry-specific challenges,” says Drew Blank. The firm is made up of a team of engineers and building designers creating food-safe environments for the food and beverage and related industries throughout the USA.

Master Planning and Remedial Design: Laying the Foundation for Success

Strategic overview and planning are critical for successful project execution. “Master planning and remedial design are not just about the present needs but also about foreseeing and preparing for future demands,” Drew Blank explains. This foresight is a hallmark of WEBBER/SMITH’s services.

Engineering Expertise in Dairy, Meat, Prepared Foods, and Bakery Industries

WEBBER/SMITH’s engineering prowess extends across various sectors within the food industry. Drew Blank asserts, “Our deep understanding of different food processing systems allows us to design facilities that are not just efficient but also safe and compliant with regulatory standards.”

Refrigeration and Low-Temperature Buildings: A Cornerstone of Food Safety

Proper refrigeration and temperature control are critical in food and beverage manufacturing. “Our solutions in refrigeration and low-temperature buildings are at the core of our service offerings, ensuring product integrity and safety,” highlights Drew Blank.

Adhering to USDA and FDA Food Plant Sanitation Requirements

Compliance with USDA and FDA standards is critical in facility design. Drew Blank proudly states, “Our commitment to these standards is unwavering, ensuring that our designs not only meet but often exceed compliance requirements.”

The Future of Food and Beverage Facility Design

As the industry evolves, WEBBER/SMITH continues to adapt and innovate. “Staying ahead of the curve in design practices is essential for meeting the future needs of the industry,” Drew Blank remarks, underscoring the firm’s forward-thinking approach.

Setting the Standard in Food Facility Engineering

WEBBER/SMITH Associates, Inc. represents the pinnacle of engineering excellence in the food and beverage industry. Drew Blank summarizes, “Our range of services, deep industry understanding, and commitment to innovation and compliance set the standard for others to follow.” As the industry grows, WEBBER/SMITH’s role in shaping the future of food and beverage facility design remains indispensable.

Your Refrigeration Needs

Refrigeration technology has come a long way, with various solutions tailored to meet the unique needs of different industries. While ammonia stands as a historically significant refrigerant, it’s essential to recognize that it’s just one of several options available today. At The WEBBER/SMITH Group®, we understand that one size doesn’t fit all. Whether it’s ammonia, CO2, packaged or split systems, our focus is on aligning with our clients’ specific requirements and preferences.

Why Choose The WEBBER/SMITH Group®?

Our expertise isn’t limited to just one type of refrigeration system. We pride ourselves on our ability to offer a range of solutions, from the traditional to the cutting-edge. Our client-centric refrigeration design development process ensures that we provide sustainable, scalable, and cost-effective environments. With 45 years of experience under our belt, we’ve seen the industry evolve and have always stayed ahead of the curve, ensuring our clients get the best of what’s available.

Safety and Versatility First

Regardless of the refrigeration system chosen, safety and efficiency remain our top priorities. We ensure that every design adheres to the best industry standards and codes. Our legacy is built on engineering excellence, innovative design, and an unwavering commitment to our clients.

Partner with the Best: The WEBBER/SMITH Group® Advantage

For nearly half a century, The WEBBER/SMITH Group® has been at the forefront of designing refrigeration environments tailored to the unique needs of various industries. Our legacy is built on a foundation of engineering excellence, innovative design, and an unwavering commitment to our clients. Whether you’re inclined towards ammonia, CO2, and Freon, we’re here to guide and provide the best solution tailored to your needs.

Reach out to us today and let’s collaborate to design a future that’s efficient, safe, and perfectly aligned with your refrigeration requirements.

PROUD MEMBERS OF

The WEBBER/SMITH Group® is a team of engineers and building designers creating food-safe environments for the food and beverage and related industries throughout the USA. Our client-centric design development process delivers sustainable, food-safe environments that are scalable, cost-effective, and well-executed to meet your needs, and we’ve been doing so for 45 years!

For over 45 years, The WEBBER/SMITH Group® has been at the forefront of designing food-safe environments for the food and beverage sector across the USA. Our legacy is built on a foundation of engineering excellence, innovative building designs, and a deep commitment to our clients. Our designs are not just sustainable and cost-effective, but they are also tailored to be scalable and meet the unique needs of each client. As experts in our field, we understand the intricacies of the industry and the paramount importance of food safety.

Why Consider a Facility Audit?

Even if you’re not planning new additions or expansions, there’s immense value in a proactive approach to your existing facilities. Here’s why:

Enhance Food Safety

• Identify Potential Contamination Risks: An audit can pinpoint equipment and building deficiencies that might pose a threat to food safety. By addressing these early, you can significantly reduce the risk of food contamination and costly recalls.

Ensure Operational Continuity

• Backup Systems & Redundancy: Downtime can be costly. By identifying systems that need backup or creating redundancies, you can minimize product loss and avoid unexpected shutdowns.

Prioritize Staff Safety

• Spot Building Safety Concerns: A thorough inspection can reveal potential hazards that might lead to staff injuries. Addressing these proactively ensures a safer working environment for your team.

Maintain Infrastructure Integrity

• Detect Infrastructure Damage: Over time, wear and tear can degrade your facilities and operations. An audit can highlight these damages early, preventing larger issues down the road.

Plan for the Future

• Assess Equipment Lifespan & Material Finishes: Knowing when equipment might need replacement or when materials are nearing the end of their lifespan allows for better future planning and budgeting.

Boost Production Efficiency

• Review Automation Opportunities: Automation can be a game-changer. By reviewing your current processes, you can identify areas where automation can increase output and reduce staffing needs.

Comprehensive Reporting

• Actionable Insights & Recommendations: Post-audit, you’ll receive a detailed report outlining all findings and suggested solutions. This roadmap can guide your future decisions and investments.

Think of facility audits as preventative maintenance. It’s an opportunity to identify and address issues within your current facilities, enhancing food safety, ensuring building safety, and improving maintenance and production capabilities. With The WEBBER/SMITH Group® by your side, you’re not just getting an audit; you’re getting 45 years of industry expertise and a commitment to excellence.

Consider a facility audit today. It’s an investment in the future of your business.

Among the latest buzzwords (or in this case, buzz terms) in the C-suite is what some are predicting to be the “Golden Era of Reshoring.” To examine this concept, it makes sense to first review history – because as sure is history is to repeat itself, we can learn from the times we’ve been in similar positions before. At the onset of WWII, our English roots primed our new economic well with an already-established vast trading network throughout Europe. We were already producing half of the world’s industrial output and realized the benefits of onshoring at that time – yes, during another global crisis – because we had the resources and desire to become self-efficient and self-sustaining. That trend lasted well into the 1970s, but by the end of that decade, many public companies had begun to look at off-shoring to maximize profit for their shareholders, so the floodgates swung open in the other direction – leaving many domestic factories shuttered by the time the 1980s rolled around. During the Reagan era, global trade was regarded as promoting world peace and a boon to the global economy, giving a much-needed boost to countries who didn’t have the means to create their own self-sustaining economies. We notably did not experience a global crisis, which tended to create an “inward looking” philosophy among many countries. The first big disruption to this period, believe it or not, was Covid-19 – the impact it created will be felt for a very, very long time. Of course, we’ve experienced economic effects of pandemics before: the Spanish flu between 1918 and 1920 resulted in tens of millions of deaths globally, occurring in four waves (sound familiar?). Yet it was proceeded by a decade of innovation, a transportation revolution, and a soaring stock market that saw the GDP rise by 17.7% in the United States alone. But we couldn’t get too comfortable, of course: the Great Depression was just around the corner, and with it came the stock market crash of 1929, leading to great panic in the banking industry. Many economists believe the severity of that crash is highly unlikely to occur again, given the posture and polices of today’s steadier and more calculated Federal Reserve. So here we are, nearly 100 years later: a lot has changed, but it’s interesting how many things remain the same, and which trends and reactions of the 1920s will again rear their heads in the 2020s. Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, manufacturers were accustomed to offshore transportation time tying up cash flow and accepted long lead times as simply part of the cost of a globalized economy. But due to the global pandemic dramatically increasing lead times, many companies were forced to re-examine their supply chains and find alternative solutions. Let’s examine what a golden era of reshoring could look like, and 10 ways that manufacturers can prepare and benefit:

1. Embrace it! This is the reality that we face, regardless of how we got here. In many ways, the past few years felt like a whirlwind. Kudos to anyone who was able to come out the other side still sane! This period of time will have everlasting effects. Change is the only constant in both life and business; we must learn to accept and own this.
   
2. Plan and prepare now.  Any U.S. manufacturer in virtually any sector ought to be asking how they can either produce or source domestically in 1, 3 and 5 years – and starting to plan NOW! Think about components as well, either product or packaging. Any and everything that goes into a product by the time it’s shipped to your customer is eligible for domestic sourcing. Plan both in macro and micro terms. Do your homework and create a step-by step “roadmap” to reshoring.
   
3. Land (somewhere) now. find or expand real estate ASAP for future production. We’ve seen the corporate office space market crumble due to remote work, which certainly appears to be here to stay indefinitely. Look at investing and retooling these buildings.
   
4. Automate now.  It used to be said that location, location, and location were the three most important factors of a consumer-oriented business. Other than food and some services, this is largely no longer the case, thanks to the innovation occurring within our domestic manufacturing and distribution industries. Now, the more important keywords of a business may be automate, automate, and automate! Think smart manufacturing leading to smart product management (case erecting, case packing, palletizing), to smart warehouses and smart “just in time” distribution. Robotics are here today and can assist in every single part of your process, allowing you the ability to develop products around and complimentary to automation.
   
5. Hire now, to invest in the future. The “Great Resignation,” accompanied by a mass retirement of baby boomers, and lack of skilled labor coming out of school, is leading to a workforce void. The need to hire and train around automation is critical; you don’t need people doing tasks that robotics and automation can achieve. And with a narrowing ROI, many automation components can pay for themselves within 1-2 years.
   
6. Partner now.  Build alliances with key partners who can help you navigate landmines and plan ahead. Architecture and Engineering companies like us will partner with domestic manufacturers to build modern “smart” factories that are set up to succeed and flourish for decades to come. While our firm specializes in food and beverage, many A&E companies out there in a variety of industries are available to work on your behalf and set you up for reshoring success.
   
7. Innovate and enhance quality now.  A hundred years ago we were on the cusp of one of the most remarkable decades of innovation in American history. In fact, many of the inventions from that era are still with us now! Today, technological advances are said to “double” on average every 1-2 years. This stat, coupled with a pent-up need for innovation, will lead those businesses that embrace it to an increased level of defensibility. And think about how producing your own products or sourcing them domestically will increase quality, and reduce write-offs and returns. Every country has a different concept of “quality,” and we’d like to think the United States sets the gold standard. Consider the benefits of delivering first-rate products to your customers and the impact to your bottom line.
   
8. Practice patience now. We’re already seeing industries like semiconductors announce massive domestic expansions. But because of their vast size, this will take time. While it’s important to look forward and have a sense of urgency around onshoring, it’s also important to be patient and not comprise quality for speed. We live in a 24/7/365 world with ebbs and flows daily – roll with each one, be patient and have the fortitude to march on, knowing that your best days are ahead of you.
   
9. Bank on a return of pride. Remember the “Made in the USA” campaign? It’s coming rip-roaring back, with vengeance – although it may look and sound a little different (as a marketer writing this, I think it should!). The difference this time around is that it won’t solely be a consumer-aimed campaign, but rather shared among suppliers and manufacturers. Hang your hat on this being the future of your company!
   
10. Profit later – investment is required up front, yes, but eventually profits will be stabilized as tariffs, customs, and duties become things of the past. Imagine a time when transportation and lead times are cut in half. Use this as motivation now to build a successful reshoring plan. Be a leader, not a follower!

For more than 40 years, our talented WEBBER/SMITH team of Engineers and Designers has been committed to forming meaningful relationships and creating comprehensive solutions for the Food & Beverage and other industries. Our collaborative client-centric approach delivers creative, sustainable, cost-effective, and sanitary environments that optimize new and existing spaces, utility infrastructure, and processes. For more information on how we can be of service to you, please drop us an email at info@webbersmith.com or call us directly at 717-625-4140.