Behind the List with Jeffrey L. Ott of Ott Consulting Inc.

Engineering firms in the Greater Lehigh Valley provide many valuable services to our local communities. Making sure you find a firm that specializes in your needs is imperative to your business endeavor.

Here to answer this week’s “Behind the List” questions is Jeffrey L. Ott, president of Ott Consulting Inc. in Emmaus. The company, which also has an office in Bangor, is looking at expanding its services into the Poconos.

Lehigh Valley Business: How long has Ott Consulting been operating in the Greater Lehigh Valley and what are its primary services?

Jeffrey L. Ott: I started the firm with Reynold Petre in 2003. In 2006, we purchased an engineering firm in the Slate Belt to expand our services into the area.

We provide civil engineering, surveying, landscape architecture and geographic information system services to private developers as well as municipal and institutional clients.

LVB: What have been some of the biggest challenges and opportunities that Ott Consulting has encountered throughout its years in business?

Ott: The housing market expansion in 2005 was a significant opportunity for our firm. However, the economic downturn in 2009 provided many challenges to our firm. We were involved in the planning of numerous residential projects which evaporated during the downturn.

However, we were able to find opportunities to work in other segments of the market by diversifying our services. Our focus shifted from the residential market to other markets, which in the long term provided more stability for our firm.

We learned to navigate a tumultuous market, which improved our business savvy.

We find opportunities in underserved segments of the market with a goal to overperform for each and every client. This strategy has resulted in a favorable reputation for our firm in the Lehigh Valley and beyond.