Story #10 - Lehigh Valley
Story #10 is about how SSM extended its roots to include the Lehigh Valley region.
Story #10 is about how SSM extended its roots to include the Lehigh Valley region.
Our Lehigh Valley presence is over 40 years strong. In 1974, SSM purchased a small engineer’s firm named Russel E. Neal, who actually worked out of his house with 3 employees. R.E.Neal represented many of the southern Carbon County and northern Lehigh/Northampton County municipalities as well as did many of the property surveys and land development in the area. We still represent one of those municipalities: Walnutport Borough, which R.E. Neal was the engineer since the early 1950s. In 1974, SSM opened a new office on Rte. 443 in Lehighton and kept the R.E. Neal employees on staff.
In 1986, the office grew and moved to a new location in Whitehall Township near Rte. 145. Then, in 2007 we grew to 25 employees and moved to an office plaza in Bethlehem.
Our current location in the Lehigh Valley Office is in the Roma Office Building in South Whitehall Township.
Over the years our buildings changed, but our Lehigh Valley presence has continued to be an integral piece of our growth and a representation of the many communities we are proud to serve.
Story #9 - Walter E. Spotts
Story #9 is an introduction to one of Spotts, Stevens and McCoy’s founders, Walter E. Spotts.
Story #9 is an introduction to one of Spotts, Stevens and McCoy’s founders, Walter E. Spotts.
Introducing: Walter E. Spotts. Walter Spotts is the namesake for Spotts in Spotts, Stevens and McCoy.
Walter E. Spotts received technical training in the field of engineering at the Keystone Institute in Reading, having completed study in 1922. From this time until 1932, he was employed by William H. Dechant and Sons, Reading. A highlight of his employment was the layout of the Susquehanna Pipe Line from Chester PA to Syracuse, New York.
From 1932 to 1961, Mr. Spotts served as Owner and President of Walter E. Spotts and Associates. During these years, the firm provided consulting engineering services for nearly 40 municipalities. In 1961, the company was incorporated into the firm of Spotts Engineering Associates, Inc. and later merged with Stevens and McCoy, Inc. in 1970.
Through the years, Mr. Spotts received many awards and honors, including the PSPE - Reading Chapter "Engineer of the Year" award in 1963 and the Crostwaite Award (1961) and Outstanding Service Award (1971) from the Pennsylvania Association of Boroughs. Mr. Spotts was a member of the Pennsylvania Water Pollution Control Association and the American Society of Civil Engineers.
In addition to his engineering accomplishments, Mr. Spotts was also noted in the community for his activities as a bandleader and for his work in the Rajah Temple.
Story #8 - Wellhead Protection Project Profile
Story #8 is the story of SSM’s award-winning wellhead protection implementation project.
Story #8 is the story of SSM’s award-winning wellhead protection implementation project.
SSM was the engineer for an award-winning Wellhead Protection Implementation project in the Borough of Kutztown years ago. After the Safe Drinking Water Act amendments of 1986 highlighted the need for wellhead protection to safeguard drinking water, SSM worked with Kutztown Borough, as well as Topton and Lyons to provide a regional approach to wellhead protection with grant funds provided by the EPA.
This was one one of the first plans of its kind to be implemented in Pennsylvania. But, it was most certainly not the last time SSM would be involved in protecting groundwater.
Over the past 30 years, SSM has continued to provide expertise in wellhead protection plans including construction of several groundwater flow models to delineate the source water protection area for wellhead protection projects. Working directly with PaDEP through the Source Water Assessment and Protection Program as a result of the Reauthorization of the Safe Drinking Water Act in 1996 and later with the Source Water Protection Technical Assistance Program, our team continues to assist in protecting water for community systems throughout the state.
While the Kutztown Wellhead project may have been years ago, we are proud to say it continues to make an impact today
Story #7 - Communication
Story #7 is a look at SSM communication over the years.
Story #7 is a look at SSM communication over the years.
In March of 1972, SSM put out the first edition of the Newsbeat. It was a bi-weekly newsletter intended to communicate with members of the firm about current activities as well as to serve as an information source for employee news and social activities. You can enjoy reading the first edition above.
Internal and external newsletters are riddled with columns from regulatory updates all the way to employee bowling tournaments. A few face lifts here and there have given them a new look, but our value stayed the same: communication is key to our success.
Where are we now?
Our internal communications have never stopped. Although, now they reflect the hybrid work environment we maintain. Our internal communications are a part of our robust digital infrastructure. This means all of our people know everything, all the time, everywhere. And for external communications, we continue to live on the tradition of regular newsletters. Only now- we’ve enhanced our environmental stewardship by sending them straight to your inbox, no paper necessary.
At SSM we’ve always maintained a company-wide commitment to communication. We believe that whether it’s to our employees, or between us and our clients - communication is the foundation for good working relationships, quality teamwork, and project efficiency.
Story #6 - LULU Awards
Story #6 is a memory of employee appreciation at SSM.
Story #6 is a memory of employee appreciation at SSM.
You may recall a comic strip character from the 1950’s called Little LULU and the expression for something great being described as "that’s a LULU."
In 1986 SSM received permission from Western Publishing Company, Inc. to use an illustration of Little LULU for use on a certificate awarded to employees. LULU winners were those that demonstrated performance well past the normal expectation. The LULU awards concept and name was originated by our founder and former President, Lewis J. McCoy, Sr.
According to the family, “Our father had a great sense of humor and enjoyed the comics. He thought of the idea to call the award the LULU standing for “Laudatory, Unique, Lofty, Useful”. .
The first awards were presented during the 1986 Christmas Party to six SSM employees. The tradition continued on until 1996.
Eligibility of the award included:
-Can’t be an Officer or Department Manager
-Must have worked 12 months and at least 1,000 hours during the 12 months prior to voting.
-All employees eligible to win, are eligible to vote.
-You can’t win 2 years in a row.
-Employees pick up to 3 employees, excluding themselves.
There are several current SSM Employees that were recognized as a LULU award winners:
-Karen Sandman (1988, 1991)
-Craig Momose (1988, 1990)
-Mark Stabolepszy (1988, 1994)
-Donna Noll (1989)
-Darryl Jenkins (1992)
-Eileen Kaley (1993, 1995)
-Tom Rowe (1990)
Story #5 - Frankhouser Files
Story #5 celebrates the day that SSM became home of the largest and most complete repository of survey records of Berks County, Pa.
Story #5 celebrates the day that SSM became home of the largest and most complete repository of survey records of Berks County, Pa.
February 17th, 1983 was the final settlement date at which the records, plans and title: Frankhouser Associates were transferred to Spotts, Stevens and McCoy, Inc.
Frankhouser Associates was a land surveying firm for 60 years before the acquisition by Spotts, Stevens and McCoy. With this acquisition, SSM’s archives were combined with 60 years of survey records and plans developed by Frankhouser Associates. This made SSM the official home of the largest and most complete repository of survey records of Berks County, Pennsylvania.
SSM continues to be the home of these historical documents and records. Some records date to the mid-1800s. In an interview by the Reading Eagle, Steve Smith, Survey Senior Project Manager, was quoted saying “There isn’t a day that I come to work that I am not back here using this archive.”
Story #4 - MathCounts through the Years
Story #4 is a reflection on SSM’s involvement with the Mathcounts competition throughout the years.
Story #4 is a reflection on SSM’s involvement with the Mathcounts competition throughout the years.
Every year in February, 7th and 8th graders around Berks County compete in the annual MathCounts competition. This regional competition dates back to 1985 when Eric Flicker (a past SSM president) was the original MathCounts coordinator in Berks County. He is photographed holding the check (left).
MathCounts has always been a favorite memory of the SSM team. Over the years we've provided competition coordination, proctoring, oversight, and even donuts! Many years later and SSM still provides volunteers for the local competition.
Photos over the years.
Continuing the Tradition:
The SSM team continues to support youth in pursuing STEM based learning that makes the world a better place. We love to be involved in community outreach, but especially connecting with the community to enhance the minds and skills of the next generation.
Did you know: our Energy and Sustainability Team develops and helps to implement Energy and Sustainability curriculum for the Philadelphia School District.
Story #3 - Engineering Excellence
Story #3 is a celebration of Engineering awards received for our work with Pepperidge Farm Bakery.
Story #3 is a celebration of Engineering awards received for our work with Pepperidge Farm Bakery.
For Story #2 we shared the story of SSM’s site engineering work with Pepperidge Farm.
In February 1992, SSM was awarded the CEC Engineering Excellence Achievement Award for our site engineering work with Pepperidge Farm. Here’s a photo from the archives of our team accepting the award in Hershey. There are two current SSM employees in this photo: Mark Stabolepszy and Scott Miller.
SSM also proudly received the Lancaster County Conservation District's 1992 outstanding Stormwater management design award for the Pepperidge Farm project.
Story #2 - Pepperidge Farm Project Profile
Story #2 is the story of SSM and Pepperidge Farm Bakery.
Story #2 is the story of SSM and Pepperidge Farm Bakery.
At SSM, we take snacking seriously. From the farm to the table we proudly support food experts so that they get to focus their time and attention on the core of their business.
More than 30 years ago, SSM began working with a local commercial bakery. You may not recognize it by the aerial view, but you're probably familiar with their famous Milano cookies. You guessed it, Pepperidge Farm.
SSM provided complete site development services for a new bakery and facility in East Cocalico Township. This included planning, surveying and site engineering. Engineering included designs for building placement, roadways, parking, utilities, storm drainage, traffic circulation, and sedimentation and erosion control. SSM also provided ramp design, permitting assistance, and traffic improvements.
Civil Engineering Services | SSM provided services for the design and construction of the main access road to a 611,000 SF bakery facility on a 114-acre site, crossing the Pennsylvania Turnpike in East Cocalico Township, Lancaster County PA. This included roadway and drainage design, construction inspection, and a Traffic Impact Study for a 1.4 million-SF distribution center. The study encompassed 14 existing and 5 proposed intersections, and included trip operations and distribution predictions, capacity analysis, and improvement recommendations.
Site Development | Spotts, Stevens and McCoy provided complete site development services for Pepperidge Farm's new bakery and biscuit facility in East Cocalico Township near Adamstown, PA. SSM provided planning, surveying and site engineering. The engineering included designs for building placement, roadways, parking, utilities, storm drainage, traffic circulation and signalization, sedimentation and erosion control, and site grading.
Used Old Turnpike Bridge for Access | For access from the site to the Pennsylvania Turnpike and Route 222, SSM designed new ramps to an existing bridge over the turnpike. The bridge was part of a former turnpike interchange.
Coordinated with Govt. Agencies | SSM coordinated with Pennsylvania's Departments of Environmental Protection and Transportation and with the Governor's Response Team to obtain prompt approvals for the DER earth disturbance permit, highway occupancy permits, and the traffic signalization design.
In addition, SSM worked with PennDOT to coordinate roadway and traffic signalization improvements to Route 272 to help alleviate existing traffic congestion in the area.
Story #1 - Order #1 in the SSM Books
Story #1 is the story of Order #1 in the SSM books.
Story #1 is the story of Order #1 in the SSM books.
Dated September 28th, 1932 the first transaction on the books was for plotting of deeds in New Ringgold, Pennsylvania. The fees were itemized as 4 hours of Spotts time, $5.00 in wages, and $0.50 in expenses, for a total fee of $5.50.
