Westlake is gearing up to celebrate our 40th anniversary this August. As the firm prepares to reach this milestone, we thought it would be fun to look back on the company’s history, and some local history around WCI’s year of incorporation, 1983.

At its time of incorporation by founding Principals Judi Haney and Len Schelsky, land surveying, civil engineering and land use planning were the only services offered. The firm was established as a Woman Owned Business (WBE).

In 1994, Westlake increased service offerings to include precision industrial measurement which reached beyond the traditional AEC industry. This unique and specialized surveying with millimeter precision provides clients with real-time capabilities in measurement, dimensioning, layout, and installation support. Comprehensive, in-depth project planning, site inventory, and remote data collection were now available to high tech, fabrication and manufacturing, and marine industry clients.

By 1999, Westlake ranked as the 19th largest engineering firm, and the 22nd largest WBE in the Portland metro area according to The Business Journal.

Westlake continued to look forward, pioneering the use of 3D laser scanning for the built environment in the early 2000’s. A natural outgrowth of our Industrial Measurement services, we were one of only a handful of firms in the Pacific Northwest to offer scanning. We’re proud that we have senior project managers leading the department now who were instrumental in developing our 3D expertise for the last 20+ years. Westlake’s 3D specialists now provide industrial measurement and scanning for complex projects in a variety of challenging environments all over the world.

During the Great Recession, Westlake leadership brought all staff together for brainstorming sessions to share ideas to diversify the type of work taken on by the firm. The uncertainty of the times led to diversification which became a positive for the firm overall. Renewable energy, the marine industry, and health/medical facilities became focus areas which continue to this day.

In 2019, ownership of the firm was transferred from Judi and Len to Principals Shad Haney, Mike Hargrave, Chris Kaleikilo, and Ken Sandblast. Westlake completed a major office remodel in the fall of 2019, including adding “touchless” energy saving features, which proved to be more forward thinking than imagined as we entered 2020 and the new owners steered the ship successfully through the major challenge of the COVID pandemic.

As August approaches Westlake is focused on honoring the past, as well as continuing to look forward and prepare the firm for the future. We look forward to sharing more in the coming weeks and months!

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Much has changed since 1983 in the Portland area. To give you an idea of what was going on around here when Westlake was founded, we’ve put together some fun facts.

• US Bancorp Tower, “Big Pink,” Completed – The building was completed in 1983. Designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, the building has a unique pink hue due to the materials being pink granite sourced from Spain. The windows, made of Pittsburg Plate Glass, are also pink and contribute to the building’s unique look.

• First McMenamins Pub Opens – The McMenamin brothers opened their first bar together in 1983, buying the Fat Little Rooster tavern in SE Portland and renaming it the Barley Mill Pub. Inspired by European pubs, the brothers’ goal was to develop their establishments into inclusive community hubs. (Westlake’s office is just down the street from John Barleycorn – the first brewpub McMenamins built from the ground up – and a frequent destination for staff happy hours.)

• “Opportunity to Recycle Act” Passed – Oregon legislature mandated every individual community design a system to provide residents and local businesses the chance to recycle. Rates charged for collecting material for recycling could not exceed the rate charged for typical garbage collection. The law also required garbage disposal sites to include recycling depots in cities with populations over 4,000.

• Costco Opens in Oregon – The chain, founded in Kirkland, Washington in 1982, opened its first Oregon store in North Portland.

• Other Noteworthy Businesses Founded in 1983
  • Leatherman
  • Willamette Valley Vineyards
  • Lattice Semiconductor
  • Hanna Andersson
  • Planar Systems
  • Escape from New York Pizza