By Mark Ambrogi
McComas Engineering handled its 25th anniversary like it would any other day.
“We just worked that day,” said Rod McComas, whose firm turned 25 Oct. 2. “We are structural engineers, and we design building and building-related structures throughout the United States.”
McComas, a Purdue graduate, worked for five different firms around the Indianapolis area and founded the Carmel company in 1991. McComas, who has lived in Carmel for 25 years, moved his business to Carmel in 1998.
“We’ve continued to grow quite a bit in the last 25 years,” McComas said. “When I started the firm, I was actively marketing my services around the United States to develop a national clientele outside of Indiana.”
McComas said more than half of the projects the firm does are outside of Indiana.
“Some of the things we’ve done in Carmel are Carmel City Center with Pedcor Development, the Old Town Shops,” McComas said. “We’re doing Allied Solutions right now, which is being erected in Midtown. We’ve done roughly 800 projects in Carmel.”
McCormas said the firm designed the Indianapolis Fashion Mall. He started working on it in 1986 when he was with another company.
“Then I started my firm in 1991, and we’ve designed everything you’ve seen there,” McComas said. “We’ve designed expansions to Castleton Square and Greenwood Mall.”
The firm also designed the River Crossing projects and Ironworks building in Indianapolis.
McComas said the company has designed numerous schools and office buildings in the Indianapolis area.
“Outside of Indiana, probably the most prestigious project we’ve done is the mausoleum structure for the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles,” McComas said.
Mausoleums and competition swimming pools, including dive towers, are two specialities nationally.
“We’ve designed training pools for the (U.S.) Navy, the Coast Guard and the Army,” he said.
McComas said his firm does a lot of retail and industrial work around the U.S.
Retail stores the firm designs around the country are Gap, Old Navy and Ultra. Restaurants include McDonald’s and Red Robin.
The firm has 14 employees, including 10 registered engineers, which McComas said makes it a mid-sized firm nationally.
“We’re one of the largest structural engineering firms in Indiana and have been for a long time,” McComas said.
