1979 was the year when Sony introduced the first Walkman and McDonald’s served the first Happy Meal. Mother Teresa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, and Margaret Thatcher became the Prime Minister of Great Britain. Billy Joel’s “Just the Way You Are” was topping the charts and “The Deer Hunter,” starring Robert De Niro, swept the Academy Awards. It was also when Steve Cole, a geotechnical engineer in his early 30s started S. W. Cole Engineering, Inc. (S.W.COLE) in Hermon, Maine, still the home of the company headquarters. What began in his home has grown to an approximately 120-person, nine-office company performing geotechnical engineering, construction materials testing and special inspections services on projects throughout New England. The firm also owns Seaboard Drilling, LLC, an exploratory drilling company, headquartered in nearby Bangor, Maine, with 25 employees operating from 4 locations in New England.
While much has changed in 45 years, the core values of the company have been further emboldened and inspired by its founder. The firm focuses on a commitment to each other and clients, integrity in how they operate, leadership in all they do and providing quality services.
Robert E. Chaput, Jr., PE, joined the company as a materials engineer in 1990 after graduating from the University of Maine with a degree in construction management technology. 24 years later, after helping to start two of the firm’s Maine offices and holding several management positions, he was named President and Chief Executive Officer in 2014. Chaput says that founder Steve Cole’s passion for building quality client relationships and his focus on continuing education have been important in the firm’s growth.
“Steve was a strong believer in lifelong learning and felt it was very important for the growth of the firm for employees to continually build on their knowledge,” Chaput said. The firm continues to focus on employees’ career progression, professional development, and many employees are active in professional organizations because of the networking opportunities they provide with clients and partners.
Engaging the next generation in engineering was also important to Steve, and the company has continued to build on this. Steve was an instructor for many years at the University of Maine in Orono, and the Stephen W. Cole Laboratory located there is named for him. Today the firm recruits throughout the Northeast and beyond. This summer 16 students from 12 colleges and a high school co-op student are participating in its formal internship and co-op program. The firm also develops current team members into future leaders through the Stephen W. Cole Emerging Leaders program, a 6-month long immersion into non-technical aspects of leading and running a consulting firm. Many of its graduates have been promoted to leadership positions.
The company’s long-held values are also a reason why the firm has many long-term employees who have worked at the company for 20 years or more. Jason Richard, CFO and a 25-year veteran of the firm, believes Steve Cole’s transition of ownership to a group of employees before his retirement in 2007 has been one of the keys to the firm’s success. “The 18 owners are all employees of the firm and represent the geographic spread and diverse capabilities of the firm. The firm is committed to the success of our team of employees, and in turn, we all have a greater commitment to the firm’s success.”
S.W.COLE’s slow but steady growth has come from expansion to new markets, via acquisitions and the establishment of the subsidiary, and offering new services. In the past 15 years the firm has acquired six companies across Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island. They started operating the Seaboard Drilling subsidiary in 2015 to provide exploratory drilling services. They opened a new office in 2023 near Worcester, MA. The firm’s board of directors expects that growth to continue. “Our approach has been to continually analyze opportunities to grow the firm because it allows us to broaden our service area for our clients while providing opportunities for the growth of our team members,” said Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Chad B. Michaud, PE. “Acquisitions have helped us to become a leader in the area, and we look to continue that approach to growth in the coming years.” The engineering firm operates throughout New England and New York from three locations in Maine, two each in New Hampshire and Massachusetts, and one each in Rhode Island and Vermont. Seaboard Drilling, LLC has four locations – Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island.
S.W.COLE is an employee-owned firm of about 145 engineers, technicians, inspectors, and drilling personnel providing geotechnical engineering, construction materials testing, special inspections and exploratory drilling services.
