Walid S. Daham
isn't exactly a household name, but most local residents benefit from
his company's handiwork on a weekly basis.
The
lighting systems in hundreds of supermarkets, department stores, schools
and hospitals have been designed by Buffalo Engineering. So have the
heating and air conditioning systems in many pharmacies, video stores,
housing projects and restaurants.
The Cheektowaga
company even played a role in designing the new state-of-the-art sound
system at Ralph Wilson Stadium.
One of its most
recent contracts involves mechanical and electrical design work at
a new Hampton Inn & Suites that is being built in the 200-block of
Delaware Avenue. The 144-room downtown hotel is expected to open this
fall. The company is currently working for Adelphia Communications
Corp. as it expands its operations in Coudersport, Pa.
All these projects
have spurred Buffalo Engineering to more than double its payroll to
36 employees since 1997. Sales have been increasing at an average
rate of about 20 percent since a decade ago.
But the tight
labor market threatens to slam the brakes on the company's continued
growth. A nationwide shortage of electrical and mechanical engineers
has wrecked havoc in the industry.
"It
has taken a real toll over the past few years," said Daham. "We've
had to turn down a lot of new business because we don't have the manpower
to handle the work. I could probably hire five new people right now
if they had the right qualifications."
To grapple with
the labor shortage, Buffalo Engineering increased its entry-level
salary by 12 percent to $28,000. The company has also launched aggressive
recruitment drives in Rochester, Syracuse and northeastern Pennsylvania.
Marketing Director
David S. Mernan said the company recently hired two Buffalo-area residents
who were commuting to jobs in Rochester, but he said the outreach
effort has yet to snare any out-of-town prospects.
"We're even
thinking of extending our recruitment effort to Albany. We've been
using the Internet to advertise our openings. But it's not easy to
find people; this is a national problem," Mernan said. Daham said
one of the problems is that many electrical engineering majors are
opting to build careers in new technologies as opposed to seeking
employment in construction-related fields.
Daniel J. Morrow's
family has been in the mechanical and electrical engineering business
for 45 years and he concurred that the labor crunch is one of the
industry's looming challenges. But he added that the problem hasn't
been as severe at R.P. Morrow Associates, because the six-person Buffalo
company had low turnover in its engineering ranks.
"In
fact, our newest engineer started 15 years ago," said Morrow, whose
firm does a lot of work for educational institutions, including the
Buffalo Board of Education, the University at Buffalo and Buffalo
State College.
Daham, an electrical
engineer, dreamed of starting his own consulting company a decade
before he and Lyman Lowrey co-founded Buffalo Engineering. Lowrey,
a mechanical engineer, retired two years ago.
Daham emigrated
from Lebanon when he was 21 years old, moving here in 1972 to study
electrical engineering at the University at Buffalo.
Why Buffalo?
"New York was
well known in the Middle East. I originally thought that Buffalo was
much closer to New York City," Daham chuckled.
He arrived in
the U.S. with $500 in his wallet and a willingness to work. He landed
a job as a busboy and dishwasher to offset costs that weren't covered
by scholarships. He also drove a Mister Softie ice cream truck during
his college years, later buying two trucks of his own in an effort
to sate his entrepreneurial appetite.
After graduating
from UB and earning a masters degree in business from the University
of Missouri, Daham worked for several engineering firms in Western
New York and Ohio. Ten years ago, he struck out on his own, landing
Tops Markets as his first major client. Since 1990, the company has
done design work on at least 100 renovation and construction projects
for Tops and its affiliated Wilson Farms stores.
In recent years,
several locally owned engineering firms have folded. Morrow said the
rising costs of computer equipment, historically low fees and the
increasing complexity of the work pose more challenges than ever before.
"It's a tough
business, but there's a lot of work around right now," said Morrow.
"The local economy appears to be headed in the right direction, although
it has been a slow recovery." Daham agreed, saying Buffalo's economy
finally appears to be catching up with the rest of the country.
Daham
said he's pleased that plans are moving forward to reform state building
codes, claiming the revisions might help to spur new investment. But
Daham still thinks there's too much governmental red tape and political
divisiveness in the region. He cited as examples recent stalemates
involving the Peace Bridge and a new convention center.
"Local politics
kills a lot of initiatives in this area," Daham said. "That sometimes
makes it tough to stay optimistic about future initiatives."
