On Solid Ground

story by Rachel Murphy | photography by Katie Lewis

There’s an extraordinary power that comes when one combines great skill and a lack of care about what others think of you. Andrea Goodhope has that power. As the founder and senior professional engineer of Solid Ground Engineering will tell you, engineering is a tough industry for women. Still, her determination and expertise have pushed her to rise to the top despite her critics.

Her most recent accomplishment? Solid Ground Engineering was named as one of the inspectors for the new KCI terminal project. The project may be Solid Ground’s biggest to date, but it’s a natural step in the development of Goodhope’s business.

Andrea Goodhope is a Kansas native—she attended Olathe South High School before attending Kansas State University. Her high school interests put her on the path to the airport. She loved and excelled in math, and her teachers and counselors pushed her to pursue an engineering degree. She completed her bachelor’s degree in civil engineering at K-State and interned at Terracon, a national engineering consulting firm headquartered in Olathe.

After graduation, she worked as a staff structural engineer at highly respected engineering and design firms such as George Butler Associates and BSC Group but couldn’t find the right fit.

“I just decided that designing buildings was not for me,” Goodhope says. “I’m too much of a social person and needed to get out in the field where I could enjoy the weather and talk to people. Designing buildings is a very isolating—sitting at a desk, never talking to anyone, crunching numbers all day. It just didn’t fit my personality.”

Goodhope tried to find a better fit. She took personality tests to see what her options might be, and all the tests agreed—she was destined to be an engineer. She took night classes at JCCC to see what might spark her interest. She was at the end of her rope. She looked to God and her Bible study for support, praying that a path forward would present itself.

The next day, as she stopped for her morning coffee at QuikTrip, she ran into an old friend from Terracon. During their chat, he casually suggested something that would change Goodhope’s life.

“He said, ‘Just thought I’d throw this out there … I don’t know if you’re happy doing what you’re doing or if you’re looking to make a change, but there is currently only one women’s business enterprise (WBE) certified special inspection agency in Kansas City. It would be nice to have options, especially when we’re really busy,’” says Goodhope.

At that suggestion, Goodhope says it was as if a lightbulb was dancing around her head with a neon sign saying, “Listen to what he’s saying!” She had loved field inspection when she was training in college, and the need for female engineering businesses was real. She quit her job at BSC Group the following Monday and established Solid Ground Engineering.

Terracon acted as an incubator for Goodhope and Solid Ground—they were her primary client for two years and allowed her to use their trucks and equipment until she could afford her own. But as she found her footing, the business expanded, taking on clients such as Children’s Mercy Park, Cerner, and the Hillshire Brands KC/Tyson manufacturing facility.

But what does an inspector do exactly? Goodhope explains she and her team find mistakes before they become problems, potentially saving money and lives.

“The way I explain it is that we are construction cops,” Goodhope says. “We don’t design or build the buildings but enforce the approved construction documents. It’s basically enforcing the manufacturer’s instructions, making sure the contractors are following them.”

Her team ensures the correct products are being installed and in the proper manner. If something can’t be fixed immediately, it’s written up as a deviation to be corrected. Once the project is completed, the building can only receive its certificate of occupancy if all deviations have been corrected.

Solid Ground Engineering specializes in structural inspections, including steel framing, wood framing, masonry, and concrete. They also inspect water barriers, commercial roofing, and exterior insulation finishing systems (EIFS).

Since its inception, Solid Ground has expanded to include Goodhope and six employees, and she says she has plans to add more personnel in the near future to keep up with demand for inspections. Still, Goodhope says that more often than not, she faces snide comments and pushback from construction crews when she shows up on site.

“The industry hasn’t changed much over the years, but I’ve changed,” Goodhope says. “I no longer care if people see me as bossy when I see something wrong on a jobsite and tell them they have to fix it. I know what they call me behind my back, but I have a job to do. I’m trying to break through the glass ceiling and set a good example for my 10-year-old daughter. I’m trying to lead by example that we can do whatever job we want to do.”

This reputation for honesty and quality work is part of what lead KCI project manager Intertek- PSI to choose Goodhope and Solid Ground Engineering. The new terminal project awarded work to more than 100 WBEs and minority business enterprises—Solid Ground captured 15% of the inspection work, covering the steel framing, masonry, glass clips for the walls, the parking garage, and the glazing system for the walls. The company spent a year and a half working on the project.

That time was often spent at the top of a boom lift, overlooking the giant skeleton on the terminal. The height of the structure proved to be a challenge, and Goodhope says they had to snake the basket through the intercrossed steel.

“You can see for miles up there and it was really different from the framing that I’m used to seeing,” Goodhope says. “Trying to get the boom lift was tough when there was already steel built all around you. It seemed like it took 20 minutes to get from the ground to the highest level of framing just by making gentle movements with the lift, slowly and carefully.” While the climb, both to the top of the KCI terminal and to this point in her career, may have been nerve-wracking, it was certainly worth it for the view. Learn more about Solid Ground Engineering at www.SolidGroundEngineering.com.

Andrea Goodhope started Solid Ground Engineering when she was single and had nothing to lose. “I figured that if I failed miserably and lost my house, my cats could sleep in a cardboard box under a bridge somewhere with me,” she says. But since founding Solid Ground, she’s expanded her personal life, too.

When she’s not perched precariously on top of a naked building, Goodhope enjoys spending time with her husband, Dan, and their daughter, Gabby. Their dogs, Casey and Henry, round out the family.

On any given Saturday night, you’ll find Goodhope and her family searching out the best sushi in town, working on home improvement projects, and gardening.

SOLID GROUND ENGINEERING

P.O. BOX 860636

SHAWNEE MISSION, KS 66286

913-710-0901

EMAIL: AGOODHOPE@SOLIDGROUNDENGINEERING.COM

WWW.SOLIDGROUNDENGINEERING.COM