AWB Engineers was planned long before Andrew W. Booth, P.E., organized it as a Professional Engineering Design Company that focused primarily on the support of contractors and complex design projects for manufacturing clients.  After receiving Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees focusing on Structural Engineering, Mr. Booth worked for a number of defense and aerospace organizations that were doing state of the art design and computerized structural analysis from 1964 through 1973.  In July 1973, after becoming a registered Civil Structural Engineer, Andrew Booth became Vice President of Carroll Engineering Company, a structural engineering company headquartered in Baltimore, and opened their branch office in Salisbury that fall.  In April 1977, he also founded the Moducrete Corporation in Delmar, Delaware; a prestressed concrete company that produced concrete double tees that were used as walls and roof panels.

On July 1, 1979, armed with a wide variety of experience, Mr. Booth started Andrew W. Booth and Associates with one draftsman.  Almost immediately the company was asked to provide the structural design for the Delaware State University Football Stadium as a part of a design build project with W. B. Venables and Sons General Contractors of Laurel, DE.  This project would begin a long series of design build projects with numerous contractors that continue to this day.

Another early project that would define a significant part of AWB Engineers’ future work was the design of a major addition to the Country Pride Foods Processing Plant (i.e. now Perdue Farms) in Milford, Delaware.  This was the natural progression for the new company with the experience and knowledge of prestressed concrete building, the material of choice for the severe environment of a poultry-processing plant.  This project was to make a major change in the poultry industry changing the way poultry was marketed to consumers from commodity whole birds to name branded packages.  The addition allowed the plant to cut-up whole chickens, overwrap, weigh, price and label packages ready for the supermarket shelves saving labor of the store butcher.

In October of 1982, Charles F. Stuchlik, IV P.E., joined the staff of AWB Engineers as an Electrical and Mechanical Engineer.  This addition allowed the firm to provide the building engineering design services for all trades in house and facilitate sounder coordination of large projects.  In April of 1986, John R. Shahan P.E. joined the staff and brought with him experience as a poultry processing Plant Engineer also enhancing AWB Engineers’ in house capability as poultry plant designers.  In August of 1990, Kenneth R. Herman, AIA joined the staff as the Principal Architect making the firm a full service engineering and architectural design firm.  Principal Structural Engineer Matthew R. Smith, P.E. joined the staff in December of 1994 and Principal Mechanical Engineer, G. Matthew Drew, P.E., joined the staff in January of 2001 to round out our present board of directors. 

In September 2004 AWB Engineers marked its 25^th anniversary of providing outstanding engineering and architectural services to its clients.  On March 15, 2005, the firm marked a second watershed: the passing of the mantle of leadership to the next generation.

Andrew W. Booth, has distributed a majority of his interest in the company to key members of the company’s Board of Directors.  With this change in ownership, Matthew R. Smith has been elected the firm’s President, G. Matthew Drew the firm’s Executive Vice-President, and Kevin B. Oldland a new member of the Board.  Charles F. Stuchlik, IV remains the firm’s Senior Vice President and Treasurer, and John R. Shahan continues as Secretary. 

Board member Kenneth R. Herman retired on June 2, 2005, after 15 years of service to the firm.  Mr. Herman plans to devote his time in retirement to his passions of family, traveling, and community service.

Mr. Booth will remain an integral part of the AWB team, providing steady leadership as the Chairman of the company’s Board of Directors and actively providing engineering and project-management solutions for the firm’s clients.

By enabling a smooth transition in the firm’s leadership, Mr. Booth has ensured that the quality services provided by the firm shall continue without interruption.  The new team at AWB Engineers looks forward to furthering the high standards set by Mr. Booth by continuing to provide quality engineering and architectural designs that help contribute to the success of its clients.

Today AWB Engineers is a multi-disciplined Professional Design Company that specializes in Food Processing, Storage, and Distribution Facilities.  The six associate professionals are registered in 20 states and with all national boards.  In their 25-year history they have designed over 850 projects for the food production, food storage, and food distribution industry.  They have designed a hatchery as far away as Oregon City, Oregon; a further processing plant in Riviera Beach, Florida; and a specialty custom chicken slaughter facility in New York City.  Their largest most significant poultry projects include the Perdue Processing Plant in Dillon, SC and the Wampler Longacre Plant (i.e. Pilgrims Pride) in Moorefield, WV that was selected as one of the top ten plants of the year in 1994 by Prepared Foods Magazine.

AWB Engineers has received numerous design awards both locally and nationally for their designs.  AWB Engineers have enjoyed repeat business with numerous clients sometimes making 4 or 5 additions to earlier designs to handle increased production or changes in technology.  In recent years, AWB Engineers has expanded its project types and has designed numerous Automobile Dealerships, Hotel Facilities, and Office Buildings.

AWB Engineers strives to prepare drawings and specifications that clearly define expectations for the finished facility.  Owners, contractors, and Building Code Officials have repeatedly complemented them for the high quality and completeness of their completed construction documents.  This is further evidenced by the almost total absence of questions and conflicts during construction.  They share that their goal is to “exceed the clients expectations” and they work diligently to make this a reality.