National design firm SmithGroup has opened an office in Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward, marking its 14th U.S. location and its 15th worldwide, SmithGroup announced on Friday.
The firm’s Milwaukee office is located in the historic Saddlery Building at 233 N. Water St. The new office will be led by Bill Patek, SmithGroup vice president who also serves as director of the firm’s Madison location, according to a news release.
Cassie Goodwin, a principal with SmithGroup who specializes in multi-disciplinary urban design and waterfront project, has relocated from the Madison office and will serve as a key member of the Milwaukee leadership team.
In all, four people will work in the Milwaukee office to start out, though the company expects to eventually grow that number to about 15.
The new office is part of the firm’s strategy to strengthen its network in the Great Lakes region, which also includes operations in Madison, Chicago, Detroit and Ann Arbor, Michigan.
SmithGroup’s clients across southeastern Wisconsin include Milwaukee County, the city of Racine, Milwaukee Public Schools, Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District and Marquette University. Projects the firm has worked on include Lakeshore State Park, Lake Vista in Oak Creek and the 69th Street Center public plaza in Wauwatosa.
“This office will enable us to extend that talent and expertise to other southeastern Wisconsin organizations looking for unique design solutions,” Patek said in the release.
The opening of its office in Milwaukee continues a pattern of steady growth SmithGroup has seen in the last couple of years, managing partner Russ Sykes said.
“In the past two years we have made great strides to diversify our geographic presence by adding offices in San Diego, Boston, Pittsburgh and Denver,” Sykes said in the release. “We are glad to add Milwaukee to that list and look forward to the opportunity to better serve our current clients in southeastern Wisconsin.”
