An engineering firm that has produced Texas Society of Professional Engineers chapter presidents and six TSPE Young Engineers of the Year is clearly doing something right. But what makes Binkley & Barfield Inc.'s professional profile truly stand out is the fact that these leaders have emerged from a firm that has just 24 staff engineers and eight engineer interns.

Binkley & Barfield's demonstrated success in motivating and empowering its engineering personnel to become actively involved in NSPE/ TSPE activities has earned it one of PEPP's highest honors, the 2002 Professional Development Award. The award will be presented at the "NSPE Celebrates Excellence" banquet on July 14, following the NSPE 2002 Annual Convention & Expo in Orlando.

Binkley & Barfield was founded in 1972 and has offices in Houston, Austin, and Dallas. The firm is known primarily for its public works projects, but it also provides services to developers, industries, architects, and individuals. Its capabilities include flood control, transportation, waste management, industrial site development, water resources, and more.

Aside from its engineering staff, Binkley & Barfield has 16 technicians, 14 field surveyors, and seven drafters. Engineering constitutes 85% of the firm's work, while surveying accounts for 15%.

As a matter of policy, PE licenses or EIT certificates are mandatory for positions with engineering titles, and, in fact, 100% of Binkley & Barfield's engineers hold current PE licenses. The firm pays the cost of refresher courses and gives employees paid time off to take the PE or EIT exam. Licensed engineers are encouraged to use the PE suffix and to display their licensure certificates.

Engineering staff turnover is virtually nonexistent. At least part of the reason undoubtedly has to do with Binkley & Barfield's working conditions, salary policy, and professional development practices.

For starters, all of the firm's engineers have either a private or semiprivate office. With five clerical personnel for every 10 engineers, there's enough administrative support to allow each engineer to concentrate on professional activities.

Salaries are related to performance and are generally commensurate with the salary scales established in NSPE's Recommended Income Ranges. Engineers who perform superior work or achieve noteworthy accomplishments can expect to receive public recognition at company functions and may get special bonuses.

Unlike many other companies, Binkley & Barfield has a "dual ladder" promotion policy. This means that engineers who prefer to stay in the technical realm rather than move into an administrative/managerial position are not penalized in terms of their career progression.

Engineering employees' professional development and employment experience are monitored in an effort to further each engineer's career goals. Whenever possible, an effort is made to rotate work assignments to broaden the engineer's experience.

Although the firm doesn't have a formal, written policy on continuing education, it is actively promoted and fully supported. The firm not only pays all costs (registration, tuition, travel, lodging, texts, and the like) but also, when business permits, gives its engineers paid time off to attend continuing education courses. In addition, the firm sponsors in-house educational programs. Not surprising, 100% of the firm's engineers attended some form of continuing education program during the past year.

Binkley & Barfield also is heavily involved in the activities of NSPE/TSPE and other professional and technical societies. To encourage employees to take on leadership roles the firm pays membership expenses for individuals who are active on committees or become elected officers.

Clerical and editorial assistance are made available to help employees prepare technical papers or articles for publication or presentation. All achievements, which include giving speeches to civic and technical groups, are documented in the engineer's personnel file.

To encourage employees to take a personal interest in the profitable operation of the firm, Binkley & Barfield offers a profit-sharing plan. In addition, the firm has a 401 (k) pensionsavings plan, in which the firm matches the employee's contribution at a rate of 50% for the first 6% of the employee's salary that is contributed. After five years of service, employees not only become fully vested but also have 100% of their major medical, dental, life, and accidental death and dismemberment insurance coverage (employee only) paid for by the firm.

Judging by the number of engineers who have left Binkley & Barfield in the past five years (less than a handful), the firm certainly has earned the NSPE/PEPP 2002 Professional Development Award. By drawing attention to these exemplary policies and practices, PEPP hopes to encourage other firms to implement similar programs.