Reid Catt, a senior team leader focusing on transportation, has built a career developing relationships with clients, partners, and colleagues. In this Q&A, he explains his approach to working with partners like the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT), who he has collaborated with for more than 15 years.

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Q: How do you build trust with partners and clients?

A: There are a lot of good engineers out there. And of course, every engineer needs to be technically strong. But I really think you need to be likable and responsive. Those qualities have set us apart at Olsson. We've been able to develop a trust that's led to a lot of repeat business over the years, especially with partners like MoDOT.

Q: How have you been able to cultivate that trust with your team?

A: One way is that we've hired people who have public agency experience. For instance, several of our engineers have worked for MoDOT and other public agencies. Their perspectives are so helpful. They understand the nuances of a project that you can't possibly know unless you've had that firsthand experience working for the agency. It's invaluable.

"We've been able to develop a trust that's led to a lot of repeat business over the years, especially with partners like MoDOT."

Another important aspect is that we bring different types of expertise to our work. Here's another example: sometimes transportation engineers can fall into the trap of thinking of highways as simple corridors to get from point A to point B. But they're so much more than that when they pass through an urban area or a small town. They interact with communities in ways that engineers may not always realize. But we have some amazing planners at Olsson and - because of our planning experience - I think we've been able to design better solutions in towns and cities where highways pass directly through populated areas.

Q: Tell me about some particular public agency projects that you're proud of.

A: The Mercy Hospital project in Joplin, Missouri really stands out. About 15 years ago, Joplin was hit by a devastating tornado and Mercy Hospital needed to be completely rebuilt. We at Olsson contributed in several ways to the new hospital. One way is we partnered extensively with MoDOT on interchange modifications and interstate land swaps. The new hospital was a success and navigating that complexity helped establish us as a reliable MoDOT partner.

"We've partnered on roadway projects, roundabouts, bike/pedestrian work, bridges, signal timing, safety action plans, and even helped build new community and regional activity centers."

Another example: the MoDOT Kansas City District roundabout project at Route 291 and Route 58. That had been a particularly problematic intersection with a lot of accidents, and we asked our partners to take a bit of a leap of faith and consider roundabouts. Roundabouts aren't always the most popular roadway design. But I think we overcame some initial public skepticism and were able to design a better, safer roadway.

Since then, we've continued to build our reputation and relationships with agencies like MoDOT. We've partnered on roadway projects, roundabouts, bike/pedestrian work, bridges, signal timing, safety action plans, and even helped build new community and regional activity centers. We've built up a lot of credibility in places like Kansas City, Joplin, and Springfield. And with some of our recent moves, we're starting to grow our presence in St. Louis too.

Q: What does the future look like? How do you continue your momentum?

A: We're going to continue to focus on technical expertise - we'll never compromise that. At the same time, we're always focused on relationships, collaboration, responsiveness, and trust. Those are the qualities that have built our partnership with MoDOT and with all of our clients. Like I said, there are a lot of good engineers out there. But people pick us because we're trustworthy, responsive, and understand the value of relationships.