History

We weren’t planning to be April Fools.

On April 1, 2005, friends and colleagues Larry Gadbois and Robert Dick started an engineering firm. Their aspirations were simple – offer technical excellence, great client service, and an environment where others could learn and thrive. The name they chose, Precis, means a summary or abstract – a distillation of the clearest, most compelling points. Their straightforward business model combined engineering proficiency with a culture of camaraderie and trust.

The decision to start the firm on April Fool’s Day showed their sense of humor. While everyone at Precis has always taken the work seriously, beginning with Larry and Bob, we remember not to take ourselves so seriously.

Leading by example, Larry and Bob quickly grew Precis with principal-level project involvement and a commitment to supporting clients’ business goals. Over the firm’s history, we’ve maintained their founding values – and their work-hard, play-hard mentality.

In 20 years, Precis has grown to include two offices, 150+ professionals, and a client roster with over 80 percent repeat business. Precis is a Highwire Safety Platinum Award winner and a repeat recipient of both the Philadelphia Business Journal’s Best Places to Work Award and Soaring 76 honor for fastest-growing regional companies. Our projects have also been recognized with industry honors in programs including the ISPE Facility of the Year Awards.