Twenty years ago Howard B. Ray, P.E. joined forces with a land surveying firm in Douglasville, Ga. A seasoned civil engineer and Georgia Tech grad, Howard was looking for opportunity to make an impact. His goal was (and still is) to help clients throughout the Southeastern U.S. be more successful, and to help make our communities better.
Starting in 2000, the firm was known as Hughes Ray Company. Since that time there have been changes in leadership: Clifford Hughes, the original co-owner, retired. And principals Darryl D. Ray, R.L.A. and Aaron M. McCullough, R.L.S. were brought on board as vice presidents of the landscape architecture and land surveying divisions, respectively, within the firm. As often happens in the evolution of an organization, the company is increasingly referred to as HRC.
“It is easy to say, easy to remember,” says Howard, HRC’s president. “It’s a natural way to refer to our firm, and it’s caught on.”
The logo, business cards, and signage reflect the change. Now the URL is changing too. To find the company on the web, visitors now go to www.HRCEngineers.com. (The old URL, www.HughesRay.com still works; both web addresses take you to the same site.)
“The time is right. We honor the history of our company, and this simplification of our name helps clients, partners and members of the community more easily get it touch,” Howard added.
Our firm’s been the most trusted name in civil engineering, landscape architecture and land surveying in the metro Atlanta area for more than 20 years. Now it’s easier than ever to find us on the web. Check us out! www.HRCEngineers.com For more HRC updates, follow us on social media.
As we all grapple with the immense change the coronavirus has brought, HRC, like most businesses in the U.S., has transitioned to a work-from-home environment.
The HRC team prides itself on being highly collaborative—working closely with each other, our clients and our community. The recent challenges have strengthened our belief that true partnership makes it possible for us to deliver the high-value services we’re known for. We remain committed to assure that our relationships stay strong and productive as we make the shift to working remotely.
Meeting the needs of those we serve while at the same time helping to ensure the health and safety of all involved is our focus. We wish you and yours the best outcomes possible during this challenging time.
The evening of Saturday, Feb. 8 was meaningful for HRC. Two members of the team were honored at the annual Douglas County Chamber banquet.
Office Manager Laura Mullins was named Young Professional of the Year by the DC chamber for her service to the business community and the community at large.
President Howard B. Ray, P.E. formally turned over the gavel as chamber president after his year-long leadership term.
These individuals exemplify a key HRC value: HRC team members work hard to make our clients more successful, while striving to make the places we live better.
Laura was named a Top 10 Young Professional in 2019 and 2017 by Advancing Modern Professionals in Douglas (AMP’D), a program of the Douglas County Chamber Foundation. This year’s honor was a special surprise to the active professional.
“When the announcement was made, I was honestly stunned,” said Laura. “There are so many worthy men and women who served with me, which makes getting this award even more special.”
In addition to her work with the chamber, Laura has supported her church, served on the board of the the Boys and Girls Club in Douglas County and chaired the organization’s golf tournament. She’s also done plenty of volunteering at her three children’s schools and with their extracurricular activities.
Howard was honored for his service as chairman of the Douglas County Chamber. During his tenure he undertook several initiatives to advance the interests of the business community, and to instill collaboration among members. He officially passed the gavel to Craig Owens, president, Wellstar Douglas Hospital, who takes the leadership role for the next 12 months.
In addition to leading the HRC team of 25+ civil engineers, surveyors, landscape architects and other professionals, and spearheading business development, Howard serves on the boards of Tanner Health, Douglas UnitE, the Carroll Symphony and the Carroll County Chamber.
“It’s been my pleasure to serve,” he said. “I’m proud of the opportunity I’ve had to work with very talented folks who are invested in the betterment our communities,” he said. “I look forward to staying involved over the long term—to contribute to the well-being at the local, state and Southeast regional area where we serve.” Howard added.
For more information about HRC’s give-back efforts, read this blog.
Most of our clients and friends know that our firm is located in Douglasville, Ga. That means we’re well positioned to serve the metro area of Atlanta, as well as West Georgia and East Alabama.
What many might not know is that our footprint expands even farther. We cover the entire Southeast, with an increasing number of projects in the Carolinas, Tennessee and Mississippi. In fact we’re accredited in 13 states.
The public and private entities we serve are helping to spread the word about our civil engineering, land surveying and landscape architecture abilities—and our client-first approach to business. We’re gratified by the referrals and business expansion we are experiencing.
From truck stops in Western states to a high school in Columbus, Ga. From leading-chain locations (Starbucks, Bojangles, Taco Bell and more) to the Foxhall resort located right here in our hometown. From hotels and healthcare centers to various municipal, county and state governments. We’re working in partnership to help make these clients and others more successful, and their communities better.
At HRC, we’re focused on delivering high value engineering, surveying and landscape architecture services, in partnership with our private and public clients. But that’s not all. While each one of our 25-plus team members work hard on-site and in the office to deliver high-value services that make those we serve more successful—we also prioritize making the places we live, better.
As a company and as individuals we support organizations that are good for business, and our community. That’s why we contribute to organizations that promote education, the arts, and the health and welfare children, animals and adults by providing donations, in-kind services and volunteer time.
Following are the community causes HRC supports. For more information, visit our Who We Are page.
Tanner Health System
Tanner Medical Foundation
Beyond the Front Porch
Boys and Girls Club of Metro Atlanta
Carroll County Chamber of Commerce
Carroll County Child Advocacy Center
Carroll Symphony Orchestra
Carroll Tomorrow
Cultural Arts Council Douglasville/Douglas County
Douglas County Chamber of Commerce
Douglas County Schools
Georgia Gravity Games
Humane Society of Douglas County
Mississippi State University/National Collegiate Landscape Competition
National Wild Turkey Federation
Sanctuary Village
University of Georgia Master Gardner Program
University of West Georgia Townsend Center for the Performing Arts
Howard B. Ray Named to ARC Regional Leadership Institute
HRC president one of 56 metro- Atlanta leaders selected
Douglasville, GA (July 12, 2019) – HRC Engineers, Surveyors and Landscape Architects
announced today that its president, Howard B. Ray, has been named as a
participant in The Atlanta Regional Commission’s 2019 Regional Leadership
Institute (RLI).
Mr.Ray
is one of 56 public, private, education and non-profit leaders selected from
around metro-Atlanta to serve as a member of the RLI, he will have the
opportunity to dig into key regional issues during the week-long leadership
development program.
“I
look forward to the opportunity to participate in this important initiative,”
said Mr.Ray, who heads a collaboration of more than 25 team members dedicated
to delivering the high-value services that make clients more successful and
communities better. “The goals of RLI align closely with our firm’s core
values,” he added.
According
to Jim Jaquish of the Atlanta Regional Commission, the 2019 RLI class will
delve into the importance of regional collaboration to ensure metro Atlanta’s
success, with topics including water sustainability and resources, barriers to
full employment and regional and community planning.
“RLI provides the Atlanta region with a priceless
resource – leaders who understand the power of collaboration and who can think
beyond their local jurisdiction,” said Doug Hooker, ARC executive director. “We
collaborate on issues like water, transportation, workforce development and
other topics that don’t recognize political boundaries.”
“Since
1991, more than 1,500 leaders from the business, government, education and
nonprofit sectors have participated in the RLI program. This program is
designed to expose current organizational and community leaders to the
importance of understanding specific issues and challenges facing our region
and how they are all interconnected,” said Jaquish
###
HRC is a team of civil engineers, land surveyors and landscape
architect. Led by principals with hands-on involvement and characterized by a
client-comes-first attitude, the firm offers a variety of planning and design
services to municipalities and private land developers within the metro-Atlanta
area, the state of Georgia and the United States. Headquartered in Historic
Downtown Douglasville, Ga. since July 2000, HRC has delivered on numerous master
planning, surveying, civil design and landscape architecture projects. The
company is known for its strong commitment to clients and communities over the
past years.
Engages Create2Elevate Research Lab to Attract and Develop Millennial Employees
DOUGLASVILLE, Ga. (April 29, 2019)—HRC (Hughes Ray Company) today announced winners of an innovative in-house competition designed to empower employees. The Shark Tank-style event was held March 27, 2019 at the Centre at Arbor Connection in Douglasville, Ga. Teams of HRC professionals—civil engineers, land surveyors, landscape architects and administrative experts—presented ideas designed to add value to the firm, and the clients they serve.
“HRC is looking to attract and develop the kind of workforce that can truly propel us to the next level,” said Howard B. Ray, HRC’s president. “We’ve partnered with the Create2Elevate Research Lab to help build a promising future for the benefit of our clients and our company.”
Multiple teams of three employees each competed by developing proposals to make HRC more efficient, effective or otherwise positioned to grow. The three firm principals—Howard B. Ray, P.E.; Darryl D. Ray, R.L.A.; and Aaron M. McCullough, R.L.S.—determined winners. The event was led by Kent J. Wessinger, Ph.D., CEO of Create2Elevate, an Atlanta-based firm specializing in bridging generational gaps in the workplace.
“We believe every organization has the opportunity to reduce crisis and secure growth when employees are provided with environments to develop and implement innovative ideas of value,” said Dr. Wessinger. As part of the engagement that includes the competition, Create2Elevate is conducting research among the HRC employee base, the majority of who are millennials.
“As a research lab, we’re working with HRC to develop a ‘platform of voice’ to enable employees to articulate their innovative ideas of value on an ongoing basis,” Dr. Wessinger said.
Winning team members were awarded trips or cash:
First-place winners Hope Hendrix, Laura Mullins and Jonathan Tilenis and their spouses/partners received an all-expenses-paid four-night trip to St. Simons Island, Ga. for their proposal to implement flexible in-office schedules and time off for individual and group volunteer work.
Second-place winners Jeremy Byess, Aaron Studdard and John Walden and their spouses/partners received an all-expenses-paid three-night trip to Callaway Gardens, Pine Mountain, Ga. for their proposal to develop additional standards for survey work to increase efficiency.
Third-place winners Brian Howell, Taylor Pounds and Preston Sorrell received $200 each for their proposal to develop a training program for new employees to reduce onboarding time and cost.
“Ultimately, through this effort, our entire firm ‘wins,’” said Howard B. Ray. “Instilling a culture of idea generation and exploring new ways to get things done is our goal. This competition helps us do just that.”
About HRC
HRC is a team of civil engineers, land surveyors, landscape architects and construction administration professionals. Led by principals with hands-on involvement, and characterized by a client-comes-first attitude, the firm offers a variety of planning and design services to municipalities and private land developers within the metro-Atlanta area, and throughout Georgia and the U.S. Headquartered in Historic Downtown Douglasville, Ga. since July 2000, HRC has delivered more than 250 master planning, surveying, design, landscape architecture and construction administration projects. The company is known for its strong commitment to clients and communities over the past 18 years. Visit.
About Create2Elevate
Kent J. Wessinger, Ph.D. founded the Create2Elevate research lab with one objective: To extract relevant data to create growth and elevate profit for companies with millennial employees, members, and customers. Dr. Wessinger developed a comprehensive research tool that equips leaders with accurate realities to create a future of growth with millennials. More than 28,000 individuals have participated in the two-year project and organizations from all sectors have implemented outcomes of the research. A Fortune 100 financial institution; a global engineering firm; boards of education; civic organizations; houses of worship; tech companies; and divisions of national governments are currently securing growth with millennials due to Dr. Wessinger’s research project. Visit.
While Aaron McCullough’s day job is vice president at HRC, he prioritizes time to volunteer in the community.
Aaron recently served as a judge for InVenture, a competition among fifth-graders at South Douglas Elementary School. Student teams were asked to invent a product or service.
The students came up with ideas, did market research and made formal presentations. A panel of judges, including Aaron and other business leaders and led by Natalie Benton, director of the program, determined winners.
“It was inspiring to see how these young people addressed the challenge to come up with the next grand idea,” said Aaron. “They interviewed families and friends, built prototypes, and tested their products to make sure they were viable.”
The first-place team’s invention? “A natural weed killer, using off-the-shelf ingredients,” he said. “It was inexpensive, economical and efficient, demonstrating the ingenuity of these young entrepreneurs.”
The winners will proceed to state-level competition, going head-to-head with teams from other Georgia counties, to be held later in the year at the Georgia Tech campus.
HRC Acquires Assets of Etowah Engineering & Surveying
Business Agreement Assures Client Service Continuity
DOUGLASVILLE, Ga. (March 26, 2019)—HRC Engineers, Surveyors and Landscape Architects today announced it has purchased the files of Dallas, Ga.-based Etowah Engineering & Surveying. HRC is now positioned to efficiently provide civil engineering, land surveying, landscape architecture and construction management services to private clients and state, county and city governments previously served by Etowah.
“This transaction benefits all stakeholders,” said HRC Vice President Aaron McCullough, R.L.S. “Our services complement those provided by Etowah Engineering & Surveying, making it possible to provide the continuity Etowah’s clients need to complete or enhance their land development projects.”
Etowah was located in Dallas, Ga., adjacent to HRC’s Douglasville, Ga. location. “This agreement enables our company to meet the needs of more clients, employ additional professionals and continue to add value to our communities,” McCullough said.
Business assets were sold to HRC by Etowah Engineering in early 2019. Etowah clients may contact Mr. McCullough at 770-942-0196 or amccullough@hughesray.com.
About HRC (Hughes Ray Company)
HRC is a team of civil engineers, land surveyors, landscape architects and construction administration professionals. Led by principals with hands-on involvement, and characterized by a client-comes-first attitude, the firm offers a variety of planning and design services to municipalities and private land developers within the metro-Atlanta area, and throughout Georgia and the U.S. Headquartered in Historic Downtown Douglasville, Ga. since July 2000, HRC has delivered more than 250 master planning, surveying, design, landscape architecture and construction administration projects. The company’s known for its strong commitment to clients and communities over the past 18 years, making it a preferred site design partner. Visit.
As always, this year’s Douglas County Chamber Winter Ball was a don’t-miss event for members.
Held Feb. 9, 2019, the Winter Ball celebrated the transition of leadership. HRC’s Howard B. Ray (pictured above, left) took over the reins at the annual event from outgoing chairman Kara Pearson (pictured above, right) of GreyStone Power. Ray now serves as 2019’s chairman of the board.
The celebration, known for fine food, sought-after silent and live auction items, and extraordinary entertainment, also recognizes outstanding individuals and businesses throughout Douglas County. This year’s 2019 award winners include:
Citizen of the Year, Gary Sparks
Small Business of the Year, Belletti Photography, LLC
Large Business of the Year, DeNyse Companies
Diplomat of the Year, Gail Moore, Custom Plastics & More
Chamber Spirit Award, Elena Hudson, Hudson’s Hickory House
Sam P. Roberts Community Service Award, Paul Zachos
Young Professional of the Year, Dalia Racine, Junior League of Douglas County
Chairman’s Award, Chris Pumphrey, DC Economic Development Authority
