40 McGill Moments
Moments are what make up the history and culture of a business. They are the little sparks of inspiration, triumphs, and breakthroughs that propel a company forward and shape its identity. As McGill celebrates our 40th anniversary this year, we reflect on 40 moments that have defined our firm and paved the way for our success. These moments, both big and small, have contributed to the fabric of our organization, and have solidified our position as a trustworthy partner for our clients and an innovative force in a competitive industry.
From the founding of McGill in 1984 to the present day, we have experienced numerous defining moments that have shaped our journey. We have celebrated victories, weathered challenges, and continued to evolve and grow as a firm – all while staying true to our values and mission of shaping communities together.
40 MCGILL MOMENTS
1. Our founder, Gary McGill, forms McGill Associates in Asheville, North Carolina on January 11, 1984. At the time, we offered water / wastewater and civil engineering services to our first clients.
2. In 1995, McGill expanded our services to Tennessee.
3. In 1999, McGill opened our office in Hickory, North Carolina.
4. In 2001, Joel Storrow, PE became president of McGill. Joel is still serving clients with McGill today as Principal and Vice President.
5. Also in 2001, our land planning and recreation team was added. We are so proud to have a strong land planning and recreation team here at McGill, and they are known for keeping community at the heart of their designs.
6. In 2006, our electrical team was added. Offering a full range of electrical engineering services, this in-house team focuses on responsible energy usage and delivering plans that provide cost‐effective strategies for long‐term use.
7. In 2007, McGill continued to grow and we opened our fourth office location in Pinehurst, North Carolina.
8. Up next, was the opening of our Raleigh, North Carolina office in 2014.
9. In that same year, we added our environmental services team. We saw a need for an in-house team that had expertise in creating a balance between nature and the built environment through design solutions that are sensitive to ecosystems, yet responsive to our clients needs.
10. McGill celebrated 30 years in business in 2014. Employees at our Asheville office location spent an afternoon commemorating this milestone by spending time with friends, members of the community, and local government leaders.
11. Approximately 1,000 spectators came out to celebrate the re-dedication of Goat Island. For this project, McGill provided the landscape architecture, civil engineering design, and construction administration services for two phases of the park, including the Beanstalk Adventure Playground, fitness center, dog park, disc golf course, two bridges, and trails.
12. Also in 2015, McGill celebrated the grand opening of Phase II of the Joseph McDowell Historical Catawba River Greenway. As part of the civil design and construction administration services that McGill provided, the project extends the original greenway and was constructed across the right-of-way for U.S. 221.
13. In 2016, McGill’s Knoxville, Tennessee office was focusing on giving back to the community. Knoxville office staff participated in the Knoxville Holiday Canstruction event at the Knoxville Convention Center. The event featured holiday-themed structures built out of canned goods that were donated at the conclusion of the event to Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee.
14. As 2016 was wrapping up, Rock Barn Farm Project, a 5.25 MW solar farm located on land owned by Rock Barn County Club in Spa in Conover, North Carolina, was featured in an article on Solar Industry Magazine’s website. McGill provided civil design, environmental services, surveying, permitting, construction phases services for the solar farm, which consists of 16,948 solar panels across 28 acres.
15. In 2017, McGill’s Shallotte, North Carolina office opened it’s doors.
16. Our MEP services team was added in 2017, and has been creating reliable, efficient systems for building owners ever since.
17. In 2017, our consulting services team was added. This team collaborates with communities to find innovative solutions to address their needs and map plans for their future.
18. In 2017, Sanderson Farms opened its 11th fully integrated poultry facility nationwide in St. Pauls, North Carolina. To aid in this process, McGill assisted the Town of St. Pauls with CDBG-ED and Golden LEAF funding applications in order to improve the Town’s wastewater system to accommodate the increased load of domestic wastewater coming from the new industrial facility.
19. In 2017, McGill worked with Mathews Architecture to renovate the Western North Carolina School for the Deaf gym, built in 1924, which had been unused for decades. The renovation transformed it into a space for therapy and education that includes a sensory gym, audiology suite, and recreational gym – all meet special lighting and acoustical standards for the deaf population.
20. In 2018, McGill expanded into Virginia. Now having office locations in 3 states, McGill’s reach to our clients was even greater.
21. In February of 2018, the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s State Water Infrastructure Authority Board approved the Fall 2017 funding decisions. McGill developed and supported 10 municipalities and water authorities in securing a combination of 15 grants, loans, and principal forgiveness loans, totaling $28,451,340 – equaling 11.67% of the total funds available.
22. In 2018, McGill’s MEP team was awarded a 2018 Griffin Award by the Preservation Society of Asheville and Buncombe County for completing an adaptive reuse project at 14 Riverside Drive in Asheville, North Carolina.
23. McGill’s water resources team was added in 2018. This team integrates a depth of knowledge in environmental planning, hydraulic system modeling, infrastructure design, and construction management to provide holistic water resources solutions to our clients.
24. In 2019, Andy Lovingood, PE, was named president of McGill. Before being named president, Andy was with McGill for 25 years. His strong technical skills and extensive experience advising local governments on all aspects of infrastructure solutions and economic development, made him the perfect choice for this leadership position.
25. In 2019, the 13.5-Mile Thermal Belt Rail Trail Officially Opens in Rutherford County. McGill Vice President Keith Webb said, “This project reflects the highest level of intergovernmental cooperation that McGill has ever seen.”
26. In 2019, McGill’s land planning and recreation team was hard at work making updates to the historical Haywood Streetscape area in Downtown Asheville.
27. In 2020, McGill hosted arc flash lunch n learns in Raleigh and Shallotte. Knowledge of the equipment and conditions that may cause an arc flash is important for all water and sewer utilities managers and operators, and McGill was proud to provide education and resources on this topic.
28. Ocean Isle Beach Town Center was completed in June of 2020. McGill partnered with the Town of Ocean Isle Beach to design and develop Town Center Park, which was completed in June of this year. The unique 1.7-acre park served as part of a 2017 master plan for the Town. Town Center Park has recently officially opened to the public.
29. In October of 2020, Engineering News-Record (ENR) named Mission North Tower in Asheville the Best Healthcare Project in the Southeast. ENR stated, McGill is honored to be a part of the team who completed this ambitious project that now defines the Mission Hospital campus.
30. In 2021, McGill added on a financial services team. This team possesses a wealth of experience in grant research, development, writing, and administration – including federal, state, local, and foundation funding regulations, policies, procedures, reporting, and timelines.
31. In 2021, McGill was a part of the team that recently completed an emergency watershed protection (EWP) project for the City of Wilmington.
32. In 2021, McGill’s practice areas collaborate as a full-service firm on the Bobby Setzer Fish Hatchery, assisting the NC Wildlife Resources Commission with Upgrades to the Fish Hatchery.
33. McGill attends the Bessemer City-Gastonia water pump station dedication ceremony in 2021. McGill provided preliminary water engineering, surveying, design, bidding, construction administration, and observation services for this project.
34. In 2022, McGill continued work on the Hamblen County’s New Justice Center by providing general project coordination, preliminary construction drawings, participation in design review meetings, final construction documents, final opinion of project costs, and construction phase services.
35. In 2022, The Neuse River was named River of the Year by American Rivers. In making this announcement, American Rivers thanked the efforts of many people who have contributed to the improvement of the Neuse River, including the Upper Neuse River Basin Association (UNRBA). McGill Principal and Director of Regulatory Relations Forrest Westall serves as the UNRBA Executive Director and has held that position since 2012.
36. In 2023, we added an in-house surveying services team. We view surveying as an imperative extension of our engineering services. It plays a crucial role in obtaining accurate and detailed information about the physical characteristics and topography of a site – which is essential for effective design and construction.
37. McGill opened our 8th office location in Roanoke, Virginia. Now having two office locations in the state, we feel more poised than ever to serve communities throughout the commonwealth.
38. In 2023, McGill began our McGill on the Move initiative. Celebrating the vast and diverse collection of trails, greenways, and blueways in North Carolina, the Great State Trail Coalition launched the Year of the Trail in 2023. The Year of the Trail encouraged our employees to recognize their role as champions of our natural resources and enjoy the benefits they have including health, wellness, and economic development across the state.
39. In 2023, McGill attended the Stinger Park ribbon cutting ceremony. McGill provided electrical, planning, design, funding assistance, and construction support for the park project.
40. In 2024, McGill celebrates our 40th anniversary and 40 years of shaping communities together!
REFLECTING ON THESE MOMENTS
As we reflect on these moments, we are filled with a profound sense of gratitude for the journey that has brought us to this point. We are humbled by the support and partnership of our clients, the dedication and passion of our team members, and the many opportunities that have come our way. It is these moments that have made McGill what it is today, and we are immensely proud of the legacy that we have built, and the lives that we have improved through our work.
Looking ahead, we are filled with excitement and anticipation for the future. We see this anniversary as an opportunity to chart a course for the next 40 years and beyond. We are committed to continuing to innovate, evolve, and grow as a firm, and to creating even more moments that will define our journey. We are eager to take on new challenges, explore new opportunities, and build new relationships. We are confident that the best moments for McGill are still to come, and we look forward to writing the next chapter of our story.
LEARN MORE
Although we have covered a lot of special McGill moments in this list, there are many more that have happened in between. To read more about what McGill has been up to over the years, click here. And be sure to follow along to see what is to come!
