Our Story

We’ve been in business without interruption since 1913, when a young civil engineer named Howard R. Green founded the firm as a sole proprietor. Over the next several decades, the firm grew and established a reputation for technical innovation, community leadership, and accountability to the business concerns of its clients. Mr. Green remained with the firm until his death in 1969, at age 79. Since then, the firm has enjoyed further expansion and growth, diversifying well beyond our historic core business of civil engineering without leaving it behind. A hallmark of our business approach has always been a willingness to evolve as needed to meet the timeliest needs of our clients, and the communities where we live and work.

Today’s HR Green, Inc. is a confluence of Howard R. Green’s proud legacy with other successful companies who have joined us to form one strong organization. HR Green, Inc. is a professional engineering and technical consulting firm serving clients throughout the United States and beyond. We help public and private sector clients to design, construct, own and operate successful enterprises in five markets:

• Transportation – Planning, NEPA compliance, design and construction phase services for streets and highways, bridges, rail, ports and intermodal facilities.
• Water – Design, construction phase and operational services for potable and process water, wastewater and water resources management.
• Governmental Services – Comprehensive suite of program management services and software technologies to help federal, state and local agencies function more effectively and efficiently. Services include public-private partnership (P3) consulting, program management and community redevelopment.
• Senior Living – HR Green designs, constructs, owns and operates Windsor Manor Assisted Living Communities. Learn more at windsor-manor.com.
• Energy –Turn-key engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) services for clean, affordable power from solar, wind and methane.

Howard R. Green, founder of Howard R. Green Company. Photo taken in 1925.


Original Howard R. Green Company offices in the Bever Building in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, ca. 1923.


John J. Smith, PE, founder of SEC Group, Inc., which merged with Howard R. Green Company in 2009.


Edgar Barlow, PE, co-founder of Sparks-Barlow-Barnett, which merged with Howard R. Green Company in 2009.