Awards
From Sioux Metro Growth Alliance:
Sioux Metro Growth Alliance Business Partner of the Year award was presented to DGR Engineering. DGR Engineering continues long standing relationships with many members in the Sioux Metro communities including Dell Rapids, Salem, and Crooks. DGR’s approach to partnership and community involvement in the towns they work in is something that shines in the work they do.
“They’re at every one of our council meetings talking the project, talking future projects, talking about the project that’s going on. They’re always just a wealth of information and communication,” shared Lori Heumiller, City Administrator in Salem, SD.
DGR Engineering’s longstanding relationship with the City of Dell Rapids is notable as well, with projects ranging from critical infrastructure and city maintenance to economic development and future planning.
“One of the individuals we work with is Lance Mayor and he strives for perfection in his planning and his specifications”, shared Justin Weiland, Dell Rapids City Administrator.
The Business Partner of the Year award is awarded to a company, enterprise, or entrepreneur doing business in the SMGA region that has shown outstanding community development support or regional economic development partnership activity during the preceding year.
Our Chancellor, SD Phase I Infrastructure Improvements Project
received a Concrete Award of Excellence. It was awarded through
the South Dakota Ready Mix Concrete Association at the
ACPA/SDRMCA Annual Conference in Deadwood recently.
Co-recipients included: Town of Chancellor, First Rate Excavate,
Big Al’s Contracting and Ace Ready Mix.
Representing DGR were Aaron Miller and Andrew Wolters.
Congratulations to the 2022 DGR Engineering service award winners, who were honored at this year’s fall gathering on October 15. Curt Dieren was presented with his 30-year service award. Curt is an electrical engineer and department head of the Rock Rapids Electrical Power Department.
20-year service award recipients were also honored: Justin Christensen is a civil engineer in the Rock Rapids Civil/Survey Department; Justin Groen is a engineering technician in the Water Services Department in Rock Rapids; Troy Metzger is an electrical engineer in the Rock Rapids Electrical Power Department; Kyle Mullenix is a civil engineer in the Sioux City office; and Dan Van Schepen is a civil engineer in the Rock Rapids Civil/Survey Department.
Other service award recipients:
10-year Awards: Justin Blauwet, Jolene Fisher, Sam Johnson, Tom Low, Brian Meyer, Jesse Morris and Logan Smidt.
5-year awards: Austin Gross, Tina Hansen, Evan Laursen, Amy Leuthold, Jacob Morris, Adam Norman, Jericho Poppinga, Michael Postma and Kelli Van Kley.
Blair Metzger, president of DGR Engineering (DGR), received the Wayne E. Knabach Excellence in Power Award at the Center for Power Systems Studies banquet Oct. 3 at McCrory Gardens Education and Visitor Center.
The annual aw
ard is presented to an engineer whose lifetime contributions have advanced the power industry in the Upper Midwest.
Metzger, a Rock Rapids, IA native, graduated from the electrical engineering program at South Dakota State University in 1986 and joined DGR as a design engineer. He rose through the ranks and served as DGR’s electrical power group department head from 2002 to 2010, when he was appointed company president.
Metzger was nominated for the Knabach Award by Chad Rasmussen, assistant electrical power group department head at DGR.
He wrote, “Over the course of his career, Blair’s focus has been on providing services to municipal utilities … Blair’s commitment to municipal electrical engineering was instrumental in expanding DGR’s service territory to include many Minnesota municipal utility clients. He is an expert in power supply and rate making issues in the Upper Midwest, assisting many clients with his rate development expertise.”
Through his 36-year career at DGR, Metzger has worked with scores of communities, mostly smaller ones, in Iowa, South Dakota, Minnesota and Nebraska.
DGR, founded in 1952, has 150 employees with offices in Rock Rapids, Sioux Falls and Sioux City, Iowa, and specializes in aviation, civil, electrical power, survey, wastewater and water engineering. Since 2014, it has received the Circle of Excellence for overall engineering performance by PSMJ Resources, a leading management consulting firm for architecture and engineering firms.
The Center for Power Systems Studies is housed within the Jerome J. Lohr College of Engineering at South Dakota State and has been an advocate for the power industry and a supporter of future power engineers since its formation in 1968.
DGR Engineering has once again been awarded a Top Workplaces honor by The Des Moines Register. This makes the fifth year in a row the firm has been recognized. The list is based solely on employee feedback gathered through a third-party survey. The anonymous survey, administered by employee engagement technology partner Energage, LLC, measures 15 culture drivers that are critical to the success of any organization, including alignment, execution, and connection, just to name a few.
“Earning a Top Workplaces award is a badge of honor for companies, especially because it comes authentically from their employees,” said Eric Rubino, Energage CEO. “That’s something to be proud of. In today’s market, leaders must ensure they’re allowing employees to have a voice and be heard. That’s paramount. Top Workplaces do this, and it pays dividends.”
“We are delighted that our employees saw fit once again to confirm that DGR Engineering is a great place to work,” said Blair Metzger, President of DGR Engineering. “Receiving the Top Workplace award again this year reinforces that DGR Engineering is a company that attracts and retains the best talent. We continue to be excited about the future of our growing company, the great clients for which we work, and the wonderful area of the country in which we are located.”
About Energage, LLC
Energage is a purpose-driven company that helps organizations turn employee feedback into useful business intelligence and credible employer recognition through Top Workplaces. Built on 16 years of culture research and the results from 27 million employees surveyed across more than 70,000 organizations, Energage delivers the most accurate competitive benchmark available. With access to a unique combination of patented analytic tools and expert guidance, Energage customers lead the competition with an engaged workforce and an opportunity to gain recognition for their people-first approach to culture. For more information or to nominate your organization, visit energage.com or topworkplaces.com.