Engineering Inc - November/December 2017 - 38

Commitment to
LAMP RYNEARSON
LAMP RYNEARSON

or Mike McMeekin, chairman of the board of directors at Lamp Rynearson, success can't be measured in dollars and cents alone.
"We talk about someone being a great businessperson, and the only
measure of that is, they're wealthy," says McMeekin, who has been with the
Omaha, Nebraska-based professional services firm for 34 years. "Well, how
do you know what else they've done in their business careers? How have they
treated their employees? How have they treated the businesses they partner
with? How have they contributed to their communities?"
McMeekin says that businesses have a responsibility to a number of
stakeholders-a group that he says includes not just shareholders, customers
and employees but also the communities in which they work, the professions to which their
employees belong and the environment.
"I think you have to define business success in terms of how you meet your obligations in
all those areas, not just one," he says. "Certainly, if you can't be profitable, you're not going to be
able to fulfill those other obligations, so we have to be profitable. But then, I think you
have this ethical obligation to share that [success] through financial and time investments in all
of those stakeholders."
This ethic is pervasive throughout Lamp Rynearson, which has approximately 165
employees spread out over four offices in three states. The company participates in more than
100 professional associations and provides financial support to more than 70 organizations
including schools, charities, public agencies and community groups. The firm codified its
commitment to giving back 15 years ago in its core values, one of which is to "contribute to the
advancement of our professions and our communities."
"It's always very gratifying for me when we compile that information and see the impact that
we have," says firm President Nancy Pridal, who oversees the company's corporate social responsibility reports. "It's amazing for me to see how committed our staff is to our communities."
The approach, McMeekin says, doesn't just help the organizations that Lamp Rynearson
partners with and contributes to, but also benefits the firm over time by creating meaningful
connections across communities and contributing to an energized work environment.
"I think [these efforts] lead to long-term success, over decades," he says. "The longer-term
approach, that's where talented people are going to be more likely to want to work...and businesses are much more effective when they have a long-term view."

COM
LAMP RYNEARSON

OMAHA-BASED LAMP RYNEARSON STAFFERS
ARE EMPOWERED BY THEIR FIRM'S DEDICATION
TO COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Some basics of land surveying are
explained to middle school students
by Lamp Rynearson employees.

Lamp Rynearson employee Tom Dea and his
fellow rider pose with their bicycle "built
for two" at "Ride the Rockies" event.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Project managers Joe Flaxbeard and Joe Zadina both serve on the community involvement
committee for Lamp Rynearson's Omaha headquarters, organizing events such as Habitat
for Humanity build days, Strike Out Hunger food drives and fun run fundraisers. But both
say they also appreciate the way the company encourages them to assist their communities in
their own way.
38

ENGINEERING INC.

NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2017

Time and talents
are shared by Lamp
Rynearson employees
at a Habitat for
Humanity build.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Engineering Inc - November/December 2017