Bolton & Menk: Providing Solutions to Communities
MMUA is pleased to present a new series: “Vendor Spotlight.” Our associate members are crucial partners in delivering reliably excellent utility services to Minnesotans. This series will provide an opportunity to get to know them a little better, highlighting the ways they support MMUA and municipal utilities around the state.1
Bolton & Menk
Bolton & Menk is a public infrastructure focused, multi-disciplinary engineering firm to municipals throughout the Midwest. With their corporate headquarters located in Mankato, Bolton & Menk has a long history in the area and a record of success.
The company was founded (in a garage) in 1949 after John Bolton and Martin Menk saw a place for engineers who could serve towns and municipalities who didn’t have their own city engineer. By traveling throughout southern Minnesota and talking to many different people, they realized the need was real.
“Our goal is to provide real people and real solutions,” says Morgan Salo, Professional Engineer at Bolton & Menk. “Our practice of engineering is about networking and making communities safer and better for the future. For us, this means things like protecting drinking water and making sure wastewater treatment is working the way it should.”
water treatment plant projects in Saint Peter.
Bolton & Menk brings this ethos to life by having branch offices across the state to serve the needs of cities and towns. Along with their Mankato headquarters, Bolton & Menk has 18 branch offices in Minnesota to serve their customers throughout the state.
The list of major projects that Bolton & Menk has worked on is too big to list, but one recent project they worked on as of late is the Grand Rapids water project. “Our engineers worked on how to plan the new system in Grand Rapids, how to chlorinate the system,” said Salo. “We are always helping each other out.”
Specializing to serve
Bolton & Menk begins a project by understanding who they need to be on the project team. While maintaining a point person to be the main project interface with a community, the company draws on its talented engineers who work in many different disciplines. This allows them to build a team of subject-matter experts who can make the project come to fruition.
design and construct a new wastewater treatment facility.
“We’re a big family and a big team,” said Salo. “Communications is absolutely key. That helps us deliver these projects to make them successful.”
The big picture
“Engineering is about pushing the standards to be stronger and more equitable,” said Salo. “We can always improve on what has been done before.”
Being based in Minnesota, Bolton & Menk believes is their people and in the communities they serve. This has been a recipe for success ever since the two founders saw a place for their company all the way back in 1949. The success of Bolton & Menk is interconnected to the success of Minnesota’s towns and cities, all across the state.
on water treatment plant upgrades that will ensure
clean drinking water for residents and tourists.
upgraded with help from Bolton & Menk.
- ^ Spotlighted companies are generally chosen from those who support MMUA at the gold and silver sponsorship levels as a way of saying thank you for their commitment to Minnesota’s municipal utilities. Being featured in a spotlight story does not indicate MMUA endorsement of any company’s products or services.