HISTORY

The roots for Bucher, Willis & Ratliff date back to 1957 when James D. Bucher, PE, and Shelby K. Willis, PE, established the firm. Initially named Bucher & Willis, we were headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri. Later, when the firm was retained to help design Kansas highway bridges in Salina, Kansas, the two founding partners re-established the firm’s headquarters in Salina. The Kansas City Office was also retained.

Specializing in bridge and highway design and comprehensive planning in the early years, architectural services were added in 1966, in response to clients’ demands. When Bucher & Willis became the city engineer for Hays, Kansas, where another office was opened and as business expanded, the fields of environmental, mechanical and electrical engineering were added. Recognition followed in 1980 when Engineering News-Record listed Bucher & Willis for the first time in the magazine’s list of the “Top 500” design firms in the United States.

In 1983, William R. Ratliff, PE, joined the firm as partner and our name was changed to Bucher, Willis & Ratliff. Throughout the 1980’s and 1990’s, Bucher, Willis & Ratliff continued to grow, managing larger and more complex projects, but still focusing on personalized attention. Centering on key relationships, we attracted and retained the most innovative and talented professionals in the industry and provided them with the opportunities for growth and advancement. During the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, our expansion program established offices in Tyler, Texas; Denver, Colorado; Dallas, Texas’ and Seattle, Washington.

In 1993, we restructured from the specialized firm concept into a more corporate organization consisting of three technical divisions divided into teams within the network of offices. Our name was modified to Bucher, Willis, & Ratliff Corporation (BWR) in 1995, with the official launching of the corporation. The change in business type also prompted moving the firm’s headquarters back to Kansas City, Missouri.

In addition to the original three service offerings, BWR is now a multidiscipline firm offering services in surface transportation planning and design; architecture; comprehensive community planning; recreational/landscape architecture; environmental engineering; and compliance and structural engineering. Our clients benefit from the resources of nine offices, 17 principals, and over 200 employees.

Whatever your design needs, BWR professionals have the vision, experience, and technology to provide creative and effective cross-channel solutions.

Today, we are supported by advanced technology that links nine BWR offices to offer a full range of expertise. An expanding list of repeat clients is strong testimony to the integrity and expertise we bring to each project. Our clients not only appreciate our multidiscipline services, they also value the personal attention they receive. Our growth continues to be fueled by professional excellence and our ability to build on four basic principles:

• services are of the highest professional quality.
• projects are produced and delivered on time.
• plans, specifications, and reports are accurately prepared and presented in an organized and thoroughly understandable manner.
• senior staff members are accessible and personally involved in the services performed for each client.