Commercial Building Products July/August 2015 - (Page 6)

company profile DEPARTMENT Epstein helped realize I.M. Pei's original design intent with the renovation and expansion of the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York. Photo: David Sundberg/Esto West Side Story From humble beginnings on the west side of Chicago, a small structural-engineering firm grew into a worldwide company with full-service AEC capabilities. A. today, was by no means an international firm of the A. Epstein and Sons name being known throughout the world when it was founded in 1921 by recent Univ. of as an expert in the design of food-processing facilities. Illinois graduate and Russian immigrant Abraham Epstein. Work- In 1980, the firm made its international presence official by ing out of a small office at 2011 Pershing Road on the west side changing its name to A. Epstein and Sons International Inc. A signif- of Chicago, A. Epstein-Structural Engineer, as the company was icant percentage of its business was being conducted internationally, first called, provided engineering solutions for a modest mix of primarily in Europe and Israel. Epstein and Sons International Inc., as it is known industrial and commercial clients throughout Chicago. The 1990s saw a dramatic rise in high-profile corporate interiors Ninety-three years later, the employee-owned firm is still projects as well as exhibition/convention centers. Epstein also created headquartered in Chicago with offices in New York, Warsaw, striking interior spaces for many Fortune 500 clients. Bucharest, Vancouver, and Veracruz. Epstein's capabilities range Major aviation projects, massive mixed-use developments, and the from architecture, interior design, and full-service engineering- world's largest pork-processing facility were among Epstein's achieve- including civil, MEP, and structural-to a variety of construction ments in 2000, but perhaps the most significant event was the trans- services. The company was one of the pioneers of the design- formation of Epstein from a senior-management-owned firm into a build delivery method and specializes in this project delivery method. Epstein can also provide clients with a variety of strategic consulting and sustainability services, including logistics, LEED/ BREEAM consulting, energy modeling, and owners' services. Over the years, Epstein built a portfolio that includes projects Epstein provided design-build services for an $18-million, 40,000-sq.-ft. yogurt processing facility for Alpina Foods LLC in Batavia, NY. The front entry features a modern design that is welcoming to visitors and employees. Photo: Mark Ballogg/Ballogg Photography as diverse as iconic high-rise office buildings to intricate and com- 100% employee-owned firm. More recently, Epstein's New York office completed the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center renovation and expansion, as well as the design of a cutting-edge conference center in Libreville, Gabon. Epstein's new vision/mission statements, unveiled in 2014, mention goals of improving the world and enhancing communities, but plex industrial processing facilities to intensive transportation infrastructure assignments. employees took those goals to heart before that, founding the Epstein Community Foun- This success was not assured, however. Epstein faced bleak economic times during the dation (ECF) in 2008 as a charity devoted to helping communities in need. ECF has been depression in the 1930s but "miraculously thrived through incredible sacrifice, hard work, involved in numerous charitable partnerships/collaborations with organizations such dedication, and a dash of good fortune." as Rebuilding Together, Open Books, and Chicago Public Schools, as well as a current The firm's subsequent history closely parallels the country's economic growth. World alliance with Iniciativas de Paz, a Puerto Rico-based nonprofit organization devoted to War II brought with it a major push in industrial development, and Epstein's engineering improving the quality of life, education, and opportunity in developing countries in Latin talents made the firm a major player in new manufacturing projects. Similarly, in the America and the Caribbean. 1950s, what was then known as A. Epstein and Sons Inc. caught the high-rise residential Through this alliance with Iniciativas de Paz, the ECF is currently designing a com- and commercial boom, pioneering a new project-delivery method known as design-build. munity center in Haiti that will include a nutritional program to provide meals for 75 to The socially turbulent '60s were smooth and prosperous years. The firm expanded, 150 local school children and an alternative education center which aims to offer therapy opening offices domestically (New York) and internationally (Tel Aviv and Paris). The sessions to special needs children, as well as health and literacy classes for mothers and decade also saw Epstein's first partnership with a world-renowned architect, Mies van der young girls. Rohe, on Chicago's Federal Center. Like buildings, AEC firms must change and grow if they are to survive. Ninety-three The following decade witnessed continued expansion internationally with the opening of offices in London and Warsaw, Poland. The Warsaw office came about as a direct result years ago, when Abraham Epstein signed his first client, few likely imagined what the fledgling structural-engineering firm would become. CBP A . Epstein and Sons International Inc. F A C T S Founded July 25, 1921 by Abraham Epstein Headquarters: Chicago 6 100% employee owned COMMERCI A L BUIL DING P RODUC T S JUL/AUG 2015 228 employees cbpmagazine.com Offices: Chicago; New York; Bucharest, Romania; Warsaw, Poland; Veracruz, Mexico; Vancouver, Canada Services: Architecture, Civil Engineering, Construction, Design-Build, Interior Design, MEP/FP Engineering, Structural Engineering Website: epsteinglobal.com http://www.epsteinglobal.com http://www.cbpmagazine.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Commercial Building Products July/August 2015

Table of Contents I
Table of Contents II
Editor's Notebook
Company Profile
Helping Buildings Evolve Gracefully
Fan-Coil Integral In Hotel Renovation
Reclaimed Water System Scores Touchdown
HVAC & Plumbing Products
Renovation Conserves Industrial Legacy
Windows & Doors Products
Nuts To Poor Insulation
High-In-The-Sky Roofing
Exteriors Products
Youth Theatre An Engineering Challenge
Interiors Products
Building Technology Products
Relamping Brightens Gyms, Cuts Costs
Lighting & Electrical Products
Showcase
Index
Portfolio

Commercial Building Products July/August 2015