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Crabtree Rohrbaugh & Associates FRIENDLY DESIGNS
Named one of the best places to work in Pennsylvania since 2008, CR&A prides itself on not just its wonderful work environment, but also its many architectural accomplishments.
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building success through a better philosophy on life by Rachel Goldberg
At Crabtree, Rohrbaugh & Associates, employees are treated like family, and it shows in their work. The company has been named one of the best places to work in Pennsylvania since 2008, and co-founder and Chairman of the Board Doug Rohrbaugh is as proud of that recognition as he is of their many architectural accomplishments. The key to their success is simple. “We just do things differently from most firms. We show people that we value them as a person, not just as an architect, an engineer or an interior designer,” Rohrbaugh said. By offering employees the opportunity to fulfill their own goals professionally and personally, Crabtree, Rohrbaugh & Associates has seen high employee retention and job satisfaction. Crabtree, Rohrbaugh & Associates provides staff with generous compensation, flexible hours, and one of the best health care programs in the industry. They also make sure that employees never get bored. “Because we are so diversified and because we’ve had continuous growth, you don’t have to leave to become a All photos by Alan wycheck and courtesy of Crabtree, Rohrbaugh & Associates – Architects 1. Crabtree, Rohrbaugh & Associates Shareholders. Center: Thomas C. Crabtree, A.I.A. and G. Douglas Rohrbaugh. From Left: J. Brian Haines, A.I.A., LEED AP; Paul Taylor, A.I.A., LA, REFP, LEED AP; Norm Benfer, A.I.A.; Richard C. LeBlanc, A.I.A., LEED AP; Randy Davis; Tracy Rohrbaugh; John A. Beddia, LEED AP and Eric Lee. 2-3. Cabela’s, Fort Worth, Texas. 2. Cebela’s Retail, Inc., Fort Worth, Texas. 3. Cabela’s Retail, Inc., La Vista, Neb. Summer Summer 20102010 5 5
NATIONAL | ARCHITECTURE project manager,” Rohrbaugh said. “We have that opportunity here.” Crabtree, Rohrbaugh & Associates encourages staff to continually develop their skills and explore new opportunities. One way the company accomplishes this is by providing dedicated in-house training. Recent college graduates can earn all the credits they need to become registered architects while working at Crabtree, Rohrbaugh & Associates, and thanks to regular training programs, the firm stays up to date with the latest in technology and environmental design. The firm’s generosity doesn’t start at nine and end at five. They go the
extra mile to improve the lives of their workers and the community. Employees are encouraged to coach high school sports, support charitable causes and bring their families to company events. Crabtree, Rohrbaugh & Associates stands by their office family through difficult times as well. “When employees have been sent overseas with the military, we don’t just say goodbye to them,” Rohrbaugh said. “We pay them the difference between their military pay and the pay they make here so that their families’ living standards don’t change just because their spouse is sacrificing to serve our country.”
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They provide the families with transportation to company events like the annual picnic at Hershey Park so that the families remain a part of the Crabtree, Rohrbaugh & Associates community even when their spouse or parent is gone. The few employees who do leave the company usually do so with the intent to start their own businesses, and Crabtree, Rohrbaugh & Associates’s 4. Crabtree, Rohrbaugh & Associates headquarters, Mechanicsburg, Pa. 5. Swatara Fire Station No. 1, Harrisburg, Pa. 6. Historic restoration of the Jefferson County Courthouse, Brookville, Pa.
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West Manheim Elementary School, Hanover, Pa. Colored shapes in the terrazzo corridor floors help students identify different parts of the building. The shapes converge in a large, colorful design on the lobby’s custom terrazzo floor.
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support even still continues. They know firsthand how hard it can be to start a business, Rohrbaugh said, so they help out former employees any way they can, even inviting them back to work when business is slow. The lack of turnover in their staff means that clients can count on Crabtree, Rohrbaugh & Associates’s work to be consistent and complete. They have built a broad base of clients in a wide range of sectors, including public education, health care and retail. While other companies have been
forced to severely downsize due to economic woes, Crabtree, Rohrbaugh & Associates has kept up a steady growth. “We have taken this downturn as an opportunity to go out and hire staff that in great economic times are difficult to hire,” said Rohrbaugh. “Times are tough for the architecture industry,” he said. “Because of economic panic, other architects quote unrealistically low prices and cut corners in their work.” But both Rohrbaugh and Tom Crabtree remain committed to their clients and are looking forward to even
more growth and diversification in the coming years. ALT 8. North Pocono New High School, Pa. By implementing cost effective design solutions and closely monitoring the program spaces, Crabtree, Rohrbaugh & Associates were able to provide a design for the new high school that met the North Pocono School District budget. 9. Larry J. Macaluso Elementary, Red Lion, Pa. Crabtree, Rohrbaugh & Associates designed a completely new two-level elementary school. The District purchased land based on the geographic area of anticipated population growth and the new K-6 facility has the capacity to house 1,400 students. Summer 2010 7
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