Swanson Rink Welcomes New President Rachel Barrett

After 31 years of dedicated leadership, Gary Orazio, PE, is stepping down as company President of Swanson Rink. He will continue to support the new officer group in his role of Design Principal and Chairman of the Board. Succeeding Gary will be Rachel Barrett, who has been named the new President of Swanson Rink. Ms. Barrett has been with the company for 24 years and previously served as the Vice President of Business Development. Ms. Barrett will work closely with Tim Chiddix, P.E. ATD who will continue in his role as the Executive Vice President of Engineering. Barbara Krucke will maintain her position as Treasurer and Kisa Hanlon has been named the new Corporate Secretary (a position previously held by Ms. Barrett).

San Luis Valley Regional Fuel Farm

Swanson Rink completed another successful fueling project, this time for the San Luis Valley Regional Airport. The fueling design for the installation of two new aviation fuel tanks (one for Jet A and one for AVGAS) helped the airport to comply with State codes and current industry standards. The airport’s transformation makes it a crucial tool for the region, giving the airport the resources to meet the standards of a Class 1 Commercial Service Airport, bringing both improved access and the potential for economic growth.

With more than 50 years of airport fueling system expertise, we engineer for JETA, MOGAS, AVGAS and CNG used for ramp vehicles; and our work has included design for tank farms and hydrant distribution systems as well as truck loading.

Click here to read more about the San Luis Valley Regional Fuel Farm.

Thought Leadership Series: Passenger Journey

Improving the Passenger Journey: A Systems Approach

In 2019, Swanson Rink analyzed the Passenger Security Screening Checkpoint at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF) to determine the right number of checkpoint lanes for passenger load. The study revealed interesting possibilities, but then the pandemic hit.

With the onset of the Covid pandemic, touchless processes and social distancing became pressing concerns, so we returned to the original study and expanded our analysis to encompass the entire passenger journey from curbside to boarding. We investigated new technologies and protocols to identify the most effective means of establishing a safe, secure, journey that is not only touchless and seamless but also cost effective for stakeholders and passengers.

The expanded study focused on reducing queues and time-in-system throughout the passenger journey. We captured metrics that included the percent of passengers processed in less than ten minutes, number of passengers in queue, number of passengers that missed their flights, and the number of lanes or pieces of equipment required to process passengers at each stage in the travel journey.

Read more about our findings based on a Systems Approach at the Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport. 

 

Northern Colorado Regional Airport Reaches 30% Design

rendering courtesy of VFLA

An exciting milestone achievement as the future terminal facility at the Northern Colorado Regional Airport (FNL) reaches 30% design. The 26,000 sf building includes two ticket counters, baggage and security areas, departure lounges, concession stands and airport offices in its first phase, with room to add a second story when needed. Swanson Rink is providing full MEP, Fire Protection, BHS, and Security Screening design for the project. Read more about our aviation services here.

Rendering courtesy: VFLA

CREJ Features ARFF Facility

Swanson Rink’s design for the Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting Facility (ARFF) in Casper was recently featured in the Colorado Real Estate Journal. As the only 100% diesel fuel training facility in the US, the project’s unique and flexible design allows for customized first-responder safety training. The project involved renovating and expanding the existing ARFF facility, the purchase of a new 3,000-gallon ARFF vehicle and an expansion of the public safety building to add dedicated training space.  Read more about the project and watch a video of a test burn here.

Article located here: Colorado Real Estate Journal Features ARFF

Project Opening: New State-of-the-Art Airport Rescue and Firefighting Facility

 

Swanson Rink is thrilled the new Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting Facility at Casper/Natrona County International Airport is online and operational. Our team provided design for the training fuel storage, burner fuel delivery systems, and control system for this 100% diesel fuel ARFF facility.

Today, Casper/Natrona International Airport held a ceremony to dedicate its new $9.3 million state-of-the-art Airport Rescue and Firefighting Facility (ARFF). Casper is among only a few airports in the western U.S. with facilities to train first responders responsible for extinguishing aircraft fires. All commercial airports are required by the Federal Aviation Administration to have trained ARFF personnel on-site and they must receive training annually.

Unlike other recently constructed ARFF facilities, the new Casper facility will continue to employ a diesel fuel system, which is the most similar in character and nature to jet fuel. The fueling systems, designed by Swanson Rink, allow for burns to be customized based on the needs of the first-responder training.  This includes flexibility to adjust for varying amounts of fuel to simulating responses for different zones of the aircraft, from cockpit fires to auxiliary power unit fires in the tail, in addition to providing training opportunities for exterior engine and wheel fires. Learn more about our aviation expertise and services here.

 

Swanson Rink Ranks Top 15 in Data Center Design

Swanson Rink continues to be a recognized engineering leader in the mission critical industry. We are proud to be included in ENR’s Sourcebook rankings for top data center design firms of 2021.

Engineering News-Record (ENR)—a top news source for the construction, architecture, and engineering industries—has released its annual rankings for engineering, design, and environmental companies according to annual revenue. The rankings—found in the 2021 Engineering News-Record (ENR) annual sourcebook—recognize industry leaders in specific market subsets including data center, airports, sports, highways, retail, and more.

Check out the full article and top lists here.