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"A Century of CRS Innovation"
You can't take a shower, play at your local park, hike a city trail, play a game of golf, dri
ve down the main street of your city, or take a drink of clear cool water without enjoying one of the many services made possible by Caldwell Richards Sorensen. In business continuously for 100 Years, CRS Consulting Engineers has been behind the scenes helping everyday life run efficiently in almost every municipality in the state.
Richard E. Caldwell and Albert Z. Richards, both graduates of the University of Utah, founded the firm in 1905. Mr. Caldwell was known for housing his survey and drafting tools on the running boards and back of his Model A Ford, going where the work was needed and providing vital infrastructure solutions for irrigation and drainage projects, roads, highways, water and waste water systems throughout the state. Mr. Caldwell served as the State Engineer of Utah for two years and was a member of the first Colorado River Commission under Herbert Hoover. A.Z. Richards made the first topographic survey of the Deer Creek Reservoir site after the Central Utah Water Pro
ject was conceived.
In 1932 Alton H. Sorensen joined Caldwell and Richards. Educated
in Illi
n
ois
, his ex
pertise in civil and structural engineering expanded CRS' ability to design sanitary sewer systems, s
ewage treatment plants and water syste
ms. By the late fifties, Sorensen was leading the firm as Executive Vice-President, A.H. Sorensen, Jr. was a Vice President and Albert Z. Richards, Jr. had assumed the presidency of the growin
g firm.
Keenly interested in solar evaporation and salt production, A.Z Richards Jr. organized the Stansbury Salt Company in 1949. This eventually led to the design and production
of Salt Harvesting Combines and the creation of CR&S International. As an important component in the production
of PVC, salt demand increased throughout the world. This Division of CRS pioneered salt production projects in Ecuador, Mexico, Nigeria, Jordan, South Australia, California, Tennessee, and Utah.
"
That same pioneering spirit is the backbone of CRS today," says Paul Hirst, President and owner. "100 years later we are still focusing on total civil engineering services. Our engineers an
d consultants are leading the way in developing strategies to keep the public involved, understanding and protecting the environment, and delivering solutions our clients can rely on." In 1988 Paul Hirst was appointed
President of the firm and has excelled in building strong relationships with municipalities, developing highway construction staking capabilities, defining areas of practice, and creating flexible teams. Paul is a past President of the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC), Utah Chapter, and currently serves on the University of Utah, College of Engineering National Advisory Board.
Since 1905, CRS has been involved in a broad range of work with projects such as the Intermountain Power Project, the Liberty Park Lake, Riverbend and Old Mill Golf Courses, K-12 school site development for Davis County and Jordan School Districts, the Jordan River Parkway, City Engineer for Farmington, ongoing professional engineering services for Taylorsville Bennion Improvement Distrct, the East Canyon Relief Trunkline, the Luge Run at the Olympic Park, the Speed Skating Oval for the Salt Lake 2002 Winter Olympic Games, sub-consulting for Legacy Parkway and the planning of the Light
Rail from Salt Lake City to Weber County.
Perhaps less visible but equally important are the culinary water, storm
wa
ter,
waste water, transportation, wetlands, site development, energy systems, pavement management, GIS, and
land surveying services provided on a consistent basis to cities, counties, districts, architects, contra
ctors, and developers throughout the Intermountain Region.
Led by a principal and discipline directors that share responsibility for the vision of the firm, CRS is now one of the few locally owned civil
engineering and land surveying firms that continues to offer comprehensive services. The CRS staff includes 36 employees of whom 8 are licensed engin
eers and 7 are engineers-in-training with a diversity of talent and a broad range of experience. A unique ability to collaborate and effectively utilize resources has brought continued success to the firm.
Creating business longevity is a challenge. "We have developed a proactive approach to change -- we learn and grow with the times," says Paul. Founded with a spirit of hon
esty and fairness, and with a performance culture based on trust and respect, primary innovations continue to guide the people of CRS today, 100 years later.
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