Timeline
2018
June 23, 1969
On June 23, 1969, George E. Butler & Associates, Inc., consulting engineers was established. The firm’s offices were located on the sixth floor at 114 West 10th Street in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. GBA started with ten employees, led by George Butler, and specialized in site development and surveying.
1969
The Jackson County Sports Complex, later named the Harry S. Truman Sports Complex, was one of GBA’s first major projects. GBA was responsible for the civil engineering design of all the site work surrounding the stadiums. This included the design of parking lots, roadways, utilities and more.
1970
George Saller joined the firm as a principal, bringing extensive mechanical and electrical engineering experience with him, greatly diversifying the firm’s services. Saller and Butler were lifelong friends – first meeting at church, then attending the same school from elementary school to their college years as roommates at the University of Kansas.
1970
GBA added water environment and mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering services to its roster.
1972
GBA began its multiple office presence and hopped the state line to Kansas in the early 1970s. The firm’s new location was in the Fairway Office Center at 4210 Johnson Drive. GBA provided engineering services for this office, which was developed by one of the firm’s earliest clients, the Linclay Corporation.
1974
GBA started offering transportation services for bridges in 1974, with its first major project in O’Fallon, Missouri. Over the next several decades, this market expanded to roadways, traffic, aviation and more.
1975
Virocon was incorporated to provide testing and balancing and commissioning services. In 1998, the company became a wholly-owned subsidiary of GBA, which it remains part of today.
1975
While the 1970s brought political and economic unrest to the country, GBA’s team was determined to prosper. The firm’s staff grew to 41 by the end of 1975, with billings totaling $975,500. This was an increase of almost $700,000 compared to the firm’s first year.
1977-1978
GBA was a major participant in the development of Johnson County Community College, providing civil/survey services on the project. Today, the college is the largest undergraduate institution in Kansas.
1977
When Jerry Buttron joined the firm in 1977, GBA added architectural services to its growing list of capabilities. One of the firm’s earliest building design projects was the Reynolds Metals Company plant, a 350,000 square foot aluminum can manufacturing plant located in Executive Park, Kansas City, Missouri.
1980
By the 1980s, GBA’s staff size increased to 80, with company leaders attributing the continued growth to many of the company’s original clients utilizing GBA’s expanded roster of services.
1989
By 1989 GBA had a full-fledged Buildings Group and began work in the Life Sciences market. This involved working in very complex manufacturing and medical facilities. Then in 1995, these skills transferred to the telecommunications industry and Mission Critical clients were added.
Early 1990s
GBA launched its first internal and external newsletters: GBA Today and Dimensions. As the firm continually grew, leaders recognized the importance of communication and the value of telling employees’ stories.
1993
GBA began implementing Strategic Planning. The purpose of the effort is to define areas of improvement to continue future development. Even today, GBA’s Strategic Plan is the same living, flexible document it was at the start, aimed at meeting the ever-changing needs of the business.
25th Anniversary
After receiving feedback from staff during a Human Resources audit, GBA hosted its first convocation on April 11, 1994. All employees were invited to Kansas City and George Butler shared updates with everyone, which also allowed for team building and friendships to form.
August 26, 1998
George Butler and George Saller celebrated retirement from their firm at the Overland Park Marriot among family, friends and coworkers.
2001
GBA’s headquarters made the move to its present office: One Renner Ridge in Lenexa, Kansas. Prior to moving in, GBA helped develop the entire corporate center and was responsible for land planning, environmental design and permitting, civil engineering, architecture, landscape architecture, land surveying and city submittals.
2003
GBA provided all site/civil engineering and environmental design services for the Sprint World Headquarters Campus in Overland Park, Kansas. The site is 207 acres, encompassing 21 buildings and 15-covered parking garages.
2004
GBA branched out again with another subsidiary, GBA Builders, LLC. As a need for a dedicated construction management company in the pharmaceutical industry grew, GBA Builders answered the call. The company offers services in the biopharma, mission critical, industrial and regulated environments
2010
GBA opened its doors in Omaha, Nebraska, where its Water Environment Group began pursuing combined sewer overflow work in the region, as well as the St. Louis and Kansas City metro areas.