MSG Names 4 New Shareholders

The Mannik & Smith Group, Inc. (MSG) has named four new shareholders to the ownership group of MSG, effective January 1, 2015. The new shareholders — Aric R. Bennett, Sally L. Gladwell, CP, CEM, CEI, Jean M. Hartline, PE, PTOE, and Steven C. Hermiller, PE — have also been named Vice Presidents in the firm.

According to MSG Chief Executive Officer and President Richard F. Bertz, "This transaction represents the continuation of MSG's ownership transition plan, thereby enabling a stable and vibrant business for the benefit of our clients and employees."

"These four individuals have demonstrated excellence in their technical skills, business acumen and belief in our corporate Mission, Vision and Core Values. Most importantly, the present shareholders and Board of Directors believe these four will be key drivers of our future success as a company and as good corporate citizens in the communities that we reside," added Bertz.

Mr. Bennett is a graduate of Ferris State University with a B.S. degree in Construction Management and has been with MSG for eight years. He started his service with MSG as a Construction Inspector and grew his career path at MSG to his present position of Vice President - Transportation Construction Services. In his current role, he leads strategic planning for transportation construction services, budgeting, staff coordination and oversight, quality assurance, and business development. MSG continues to project increases in this service sector and Mr. Bennett will be instrumental in leading this growth initiative.

Ms. Gladwell joined MSG in 2009 and serves as Vice President - Geoenvironmental Services. She is a graduate of Duquesne University with an M.S. degree in Environmental Science & Management, as well as a B.S. degree in Biology from Xavier University. As a Certified Professional in Ohio's Voluntary Action Program, she has more than 21 years of experience in the environmental field focused on urban revitalization, environmental due diligence, and sustainability. She brings strong grant writing skills to MSG clients and is committed to developing projects that transform underutilized land. Ms. Gladwell has become a recognized expert in her field through technical presentations at professional conferences and developing/instructing classes in technical writing and environmental due diligence.

Ms. Hartline is a graduate of the University of Toledo with a B.S. in Civil Engineering and has been with MSG for 25 years. As Vice President - Traffic Engineering, she leads many of MSG's major transportation projects. Her project management skills have been recognized by ODOT with the receipt of perfect evaluation scores for several recent projects. Ms. Hartline is a well-known and respected transportation professional and has presented on numerous technical topics at professional conferences. In her role as Vice President, she is involved in strategic planning, budgeting and business development for our transportation business sector.

Mr. Hermiller is a graduate of the University of Toledo with a B.S. in Construction Engineering and serves as Vice President - Site Development. He has been with MSG for seven years and specializes in site development and water resource management. As a former shareholder with another engineering firm and owner of his own engineering firm, Mr. Hermiller has considerable entrepreneurial experience, which was utilized by MSG in the opening of the firm's Columbus-area operation in 2007. Under his leadership, MSG has grown significantly in central Ohio.