SMBH

A creative culture of passionate people engaged in innovative structural design.

News

Welcome Our New SMBH Teammates!

We've been so busy that we almost forgot to tell you about our newest team additions! We're happy to introduce four new faces and one familiar back in the office. Read a bit about each of them below.

Steven Morra

Steven Morra

Project Engineer

Steven joined SMBH in 2022 with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Hofstra University and four years of experience in field engineering and designing with steel, foundation systems, masonry, cold-formed metal framing, wood, excavation support, and demolition plans. Since then, he has used his expertise in retail, manufacturing, and industrial projects.

Zach Coldebella

Zach Coldebella

CAD Specialist

Zach joined SMBH as a CAD Designer in late 2022 with ten years of CAD experience and a Bachelor of Science in Mining Engineering from West Virginia University. He has worked on many of our recent retail and industrial projects.

Sarah Freiheit

Sarah Freiheit

Project Engineer

Sarah joined SMBH as a Project Engineer in late 2022. A graduate of Cornell University with a Master of Engineering in Structural Mechanics and Materials and The Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering with four years of experience at previous firms, Sarah is well-versed in steel construction, concrete renovation, and cast-in-place concrete. In her tenure at SMBH, she has worked on various projects ranging from higher education to retail, industrial, office, recreational, and more. While already a registered engineer in the state of New York, Sarah was recently registered in Ohio as well.

Morgan Kruse 1x1

Morgan Kruse

Project Manager

Morgan joined SMBH as a Project Manager in late 2022 with 12 years of experience with other structural engineering firms, a Master of Architecture in Civil Engineering, and a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Oregon State University. Experience with his previous firms has given him a solid background in designing new builds, additions, and renovations using a variety of engineering design concepts, including steel, wood and masonry construction, moment frames, lateral and gravity design, heavy timber truss design, and foundation design. During his brief tenure so far, Morgan has worked on various projects from industrial, retail, Pre-K-12 education, residential, and more.

Caitlyn Olson

Caitlyn Olson

Project Engineer

Caitlyn is a recent graduate of the University of Dayton who started as a summer intern at SMBH in 2022 and came on full-time in January 2023. She has experience as an estimator with a local contractor, contributing to her understanding of a project's design and construction phases. While at SMBH, Caitlyn has worked on a variety of projects, including higher education, Pre-K-12 education, athletic, industrial, retail, historical renovation, and more.

SMBH Does That: Recreational Edition

Hocking Hills State Park Lodge + Other Recreational Projects

As the most visited park in Ohio, Hocking Hills State Park needed to replace their old lodge, which was destroyed by fire in 2016. The new 74,000 SF, full-service lodge was built on the existing site. It includes 81 guest rooms and suites for overnight visitors, full dining facilities featuring Rock House Restaurant and Rock House Pub, a grab-and-go cafe, a gift shop, conference and event spaces, indoor and outdoor lounges and activity areas, an outdoor all-season hot tub, and separate indoor and outdoor pools.

The lodge was designed as an iconic structure keeping with the park's natural features and surroundings and Hocking Hills region, blending rustic and contemporary design that create the hallmarks of the new lodge, which features natural, sustainable, and durable materials. The lobby features three-story high ceilings with twin 39-foot, floor-to-ceiling stone fireplaces with welcoming hearths, exposed natural fir beams, and wood scissor trusses with tongue and groove wood decking.

SMBH has worked on recreational projects for various clients in addition to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, including Columbus Recreation and Parks, the YMCA, several cities, and multiple Colleges and Universities. Some highlights of our work include Hocking Hills Visitor Center, Audubon Center, Scioto Mile, Wyandot Lodge at McKnight Outdoor Educational Center, Battelle Darby Creek Environmental Center, Griggs Reservoir Shelter, Lake Hope State Park Dining Lodge, Hueston Woods Lodge Renovations, Cedar Falls Restrooms, Salt Fork State Park Lodge Renovation and Office Facility, Shawnee Lodge Indoor Pool & Exterior Renovations, Delaware Campground, Whitehall YMCA Community Center, Westerville Community Center, and Multiple New and Renovated Restrooms at 5 State Parks, to name just a few.

Big or small, when it comes to buildings, we do it all. Contact us to talk about your next project today!

We will miss you, Ryan Harmon.

Ryan Christopher Harmon (1975 - 2022)

We are beyond sad that our teammate and friend Ryan Harmon, Senior BIM Specialist, passed away on December 18th after a three-week journey with pancreatic cancer.

Summing up what we loved about Ryan in words is difficult. He was a warm and funny friend who was always easy to talk and laugh with. He was a considerate teammate, always happy to help on projects. He was a talented drummer who pitched in at our office jam sessions. He was quick with a joke and knew how to have a great time. He loved his wife, Lisa, his sons, Chase and Gage, and his family to bits. He's irreplaceable, and his passing is a profound loss that we feel deeply.

Ryan joined us in 2013 when he started as a BIM Specialist with 14 years of previous experience. He was promoted to Senior BIM Specialist in 2020. During his tenure, Ryan worked on over 400 projects on all our project types - a wide variety. Notable buildings that bear his mark include the Westerville Community Center Expansion, Hocking Hills Visitor Center, Long & 3rd Development, Open Air School, Trolley Barn, Cincinnati Art Museum, Columbus Metropolitan Library Main Branch Renovation, Louis Sullivant Building of Newark, The View on Grant, and the Martin Guitar Warehouse. Ryan's modeling portfolio also featured educational projects for ten universities and 16 school districts, producing the models for iconic academic buildings like The Ohio State University's Pomerene + Oxley Hall Renovation, Biomedical and Materials Engineering Complex, North Residential District Transformation, and Columbus State Community College's Mitchell Hall School of Hospitality Management and Culinary Arts.

Outside of work, Ryan was a prolific musician, drumming in several bands over the years, the latest of which was Low Men - a well-established punk band in Columbus. He enjoyed working on his vintage Rambler, gardening, and doing construction.

Ryan's life will be celebrated on Saturday, Jan 14th, from 5 - 10 pm at the Fraternal Order of Eagles at 378 Douglas Ave, in Chillicothe. Fittingly, a DJ will be playing Ryan's music, and there will be a bar.

You can find Ryan's Obituary here: https://www.hallerfuneralhome.com/obituary/ryan-harmon

There is an ongoing Go Fund Me page for Ryan's family here if you want to donate: https://gofund.me/649e12dd

Ryan Harmon 1x1

Filed Under: News

SMBH 50-Year Anniversary Open House Success!

Thank you to everyone who came to our Open House earlier this month and everyone who has reached out, wishing us the best on our 50th anniversary! We couldn't have done the past 50 years without you - a detail never lost on us.

Seeing so many of you was beautiful, especially after almost three years of the pandemic. The company was incredible, the food was fantastic, the games were great, and we loved giving everyone SMBH-branded swag like wireless speakers, golf balls, measuring tapes, and more! We hope you took a few of our SMBH sugar cookies commemorating our anniversary on your way out; they were delicious!

Amongst the fun, we got a few photos and videos along with all the images from the photo booth and compiled them into this short video. Enjoy, and thanks for making all of this possible!

SMBH 50 Year Open House Hot Card Low Res Copy