Highlighting a decade of civil engineering in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest
With more than 30 years of combined engineering experience, co-owners Garret Gladsjo, PE, and Lucas Chambers, PE, know a thing or two about solving infrastructure problems in small Alaskan towns. Together with proHNS founder Jeremy Stephens, they recognized a critical gap: remote Alaskan communities often lacked access to competitive engineering services due to smaller populations, geographic locations, and limited resources. With a population of 2,500 residents, the town of Haines was facing a similar challenge at the time that Jeremy started proHNS in 2015.
“The early years of proHNS were tough – we had to scrape and claw for every opportunity. I personally consulted as a superintendent for a local contractor my first summer, followed by filling in a night shift construction surveyor role that winter. Roles I had little prior experience in, but was willing to learn and do my best to excel at with the hope of continuing to make a livable wage while building our firm’s reputation and network. I believe that willingness to learn and grow as a professional, and push the boundaries of our experience and skills, still exists at proHNS today, and many of our successes are a direct result of this mindset.” – Garret Gladsjo, PE
To support a larger client base, including municipal, state, and federal agencies, Tribal organizations, nonprofits, and private developers, proHNS ramped up hiring and expanded its highly skilled team. With the added team and mission, proHNS began taking on more complex infrastructure projects, expanding its service capabilities to support airport runways, ferry terminals, fish passage culverts, and vertical facilities—always with a commitment to local needs and long-term resilience.
Far from the days of the cold garage workspace, proHNS now maintains offices in Haines, Juneau, and Ketchikan, Alaska, as well as Sedro-Woolley, Washington. This geographic growth allows proHNS to access more remote communities (prominently in Southeast Alaska) that can often lack the on-site resources and public transportation systems to move people and supplies needed for engineering and construction projects.
“While building and expanding the team has always been a strategic goal, a lot of the regional growth we have experienced has happened organically as a result of bringing on talented and driven team members. While growing up in Sitka, I had the opportunity to explore many of Southeast Alaska’s beautiful small towns. I have been fortunate with my work at proHNS to continue that exploration and help many of the communities in this region.” – Lucas Chambers, PE
Ten years of company growth is a proud milestone for proHNS, marking a decade of success and an appreciation of the lessons learned along the way. Throughout this journey, the firm’s leadership has never wavered on their core values: People First, Professionalism, Pride in the Work, and Passion for your Job.
Growing swiftly from a handful of part-time employees to over thirty full-time and seasonal staff across multiple states, understandably, comes with its own logistical challenges. In response, proHNS offers flexible work schedules, remote and hybrid positions, and has increased its benefit offerings for the fifth year in a row. It also prioritizes giving back to the community. Last year alone, proHNS pledged over $6,600 in donations to local charities and non-profits, student organizations, and other community events in Alaska and Washington. ‘Building relationships’ is a common phrase used at proHNS and is one that acts as a north star for developing its internal and external company culture.
As proHNS looks ahead to its next decade, the team remains rooted in the same vision that started it all: to engineer sustainable infrastructure today for a resilient tomorrow.
“It is incredible to look back on our growth over the last 10 years, not only as a firm but also our team members as well. More projects, established clients, and a greater geographic reach are great, but we truly cherish witnessing the growth of our team members as professionals and leaders. Ten years is a great milestone to reach, and we believe proHNS is just getting started. Truly, we are most excited to see the accomplishments and development of our team members over the next 10 years. With their help, we hope to build a company whose legacy goes beyond just Lucas and Garret, and is one that every current, past, and future team member of proHNS is proud to share in.”