Was it just a few years ago when small scale Townhouse Style condominium projects provided an alternative to single family houses?

What happened to this branch of the housing industry?

Let me first  tell you the story of the Cushing Mithcell Condominium, which is located on Central Street in East Bridgewater, MA.

The rambling, 6 bedroom dwelling at 90 Central Street was destroyed by fire and was too far gone to rebuild. Thankfully no one was hurt in the fire. The owner was not interested in replacing the building. A local developer, during his negotiations to purchase the property had P.M.P. Associates, LLC perform an initial due-diligence study to establish the various constraints to re-developing this property (Zoning set-back requirements, local groundwater protection requirements, need for new sanitary wastewater disposal “septic”  system, an existing driveway access  easement and the location within an historic area).

Since the property had a six bedroom dwelling, six bedrooms could be reconstructed on the property. However, only a single structure could be built and it needed to fit within the general footprint of the destroyed building.

After several concepts and alternatives that were developed by the project’s architect and civil engineer, three, two-bedroom townhouse units with a connecting two-car open front garage/carport were selected. To maintain the historical nature of the property, the front unit was rotated 90 degrees to face the street and the stone wall feature on the abutting property was extended along the front of this property.

Here is the final engineering site plan that was approved for the project.

Site Plan Drawing

This is a narrow lot that did not leave much room for the septic system. The right side of the property has a driveway easement for the abutting property, which had to be maintained. The site design took advantage of this requirement and combined it into the driveway access for the three units and guest parking.

Here is the engineering plan for the septic system.

Septic System Engineering Design Plan

The Town of East Bridgewater has a requirement to provide for groundwater recharge. To meet this requirement, the roof drainage was collected and directed to a recharge system that was designed specifically for the soil conditions at this property. The recharge system had to be located away from the septic system as well as the building foundation.

Here is what the completed complex looks like from the street.

Cushing Mitchell Condominium - Front Unit

The other two units face the driveway and each unit is separated with an open garage / carport.

Cushing Mitchell Condominium - Units 2 & 3

Before the first unit could be sold, P.M.P. Associates, LLC prepared, the condominium unit plans and condominium site plan for the Developer in conjunction with his attorney.

At the present time, one unit has been sold and is occupied.

These units are well built and located in a desirable location. The asking price appears to have been adjusted to the current real estate market conditions. So why are there two units still available?

Has the sub-prime mortgage fiasco and today’s banking institutions totally destroyed condominium sales?

Maybe I am an optimist, you know, the glass is have full kind of guy.  I firmly believe that the smaller condominium projects are going to play a  vital part in the recovery of the housing industry. These projects provide an affordable alternative to a single family home. As local agencies continue to increase the cost of land development through increased regulations and fees, developers need to have a more cost effective housing alternative.

The Cushing Mitchell Condominium is being marketed by:

Heritage Home Real Estate

36 North Bedford Street, East Bridgewater, MA02333

Telephone 508-378-8100

Why do you need to hire a Professional Civil Engineer to design a Septic System?

How many times have I heard, “The man who pumps-out my tank said he uses a guy who can do the design for him directly and he can give me a design & construction deal that will save me money.” Does this sound too good to be true?  Have you ever heard the quote, “There’s a sucker born every minute“? (P.T. Barnum or David Hannum, you decide who said it first, but as a Tufts U. graduate, I vote for Barnum)

Everyone wants to save money. A recent “Close to Home Cartoon by John McPherson caught my attention.

When it comes to a failed Septic System, you need to get professional help.

While the man who runs the pumping truck has working experience regarding the “contents” of a septic tank, unless he is a Registered Sanitarian or a Civil Engineer, he is not qualified to prepare a septic system repair design in most States.

A qualified professional will be able to provide you with design alternatives and assist you in the selection of an installation contractor when you get price quotes based on the design plans. A qualified professional will work directly for you, not work for or be paid by the contractor (Does the phrase, “conflict of interest” mean anything?)

Please download this Free Pamphlet – “Valuable Information on Title 5 Septic System Perc. Testing,
Soil Evaluation & Design Engineering” by Michael E. Perrault, P.E.

This pamphlet was specifically designed as a checklist to assist you, as a property owner, in the steps needed to have a replacement septic system designed, etc.

I’m sick of hearing and reading all the negative news about “the housing industry”.  Every day there are more and more articles and news stories blasting out “doom and gloom” predictions with so-called experts lamenting about the “crisis” in the housing market.

In 1938, Orson Wells, presented an adaptation of H.G. Well’s novel, “The War of the Worlds” on the CBS Radio Network and caused thousands of listeners to panic. Seventy years later, our media outlets have perfected the science of creating panic. For example, when a New England weatherman is predicting a 1″ to 2″ snowstorm, they hype it up to sound like the second coming of the Great Blizzard of ‘78! On those days I stay away from the local supermarket in fear that I would be seriously injured by the little old ladies clearing the shelves of bread and milk.

Tell the truth! Do the “media” people have any idea what happened to all the general contractors, carpenters, electricians, plumbers, etc. that work in the housing industry? They didn’t just vanish, did they? No!

In direct contradiction to the naysaying media, I say that there is new housing construction in Southern New England.

As a civil engineer involved with land development design, I get invloved with different types housing projects, right from the very beginning when a builder wants an evaluation of the development potential of the raw land. Before a single board can be nailed on a new house, the raw land has to be converted into building lots, which involves a permitting process that could make your saintly grandmother swear.

When you consider the cost of the raw land, engineering, permitting, local & state fees, roadway & utility construction costs and then the actual house construction with the lot improvement costs, it is no wonder why new housing costs have been so high.

Just last year I had the opportunity to design a five duplex-lot residential subdivision in Bridgewater, MA. My client was experienced in house construction and with my assistance, received an education in subdivision design and permitting. Upon approval from the local planning board, he proceeded with the roadway construction and then the development of the first of five duplex units.

The construction of the new duplex house is allowing this developer to keep his crews employed during the slow winter months. One of the units will be used as a combination temporary sales office and model unit. The developer is incorporating “green” components into his construction and plans on having a variety of options available to customize each unit to the buyer’s specifications.

Since this location in Bridgewater (off High Street, just west of Route 18) has a public water supply but not a municipal sanitary sewer system, the individual lot designs needed to include an on-site sanitary wastewater disposal system (commonly know as a Septic System). The developer has elected to have each unit in the duplex served by their own individual system (Septic tank and leaching system).

Here is a photograph of the duplex unit that is under construction on Lot 3.

The developer is Mr. Michael Cochrane with Home Town Construction Co., 204 Court Street, Plymouth, MA 02360

What a long cold winter! The snow is finally melting and I can actually see some lawns.

How do you know that Spring is near?   The Red Sox are in Ft. Myers?   The St. Patrick’s Day decorations are available in CVS & Walgreens? The pot-holes in the street in front of your house resemble the Grand Canyon?

I know that Spring is near when septic system contractors start constructing replacement septic systems. All those designs that were completed before the ice-age hit last December became “shovel ready” over Winter. Homeowners living with a failed septic system just want to get it fixed so the yard will be normal come Summer. The same applies for those people trying to sell their homes. They want to get the new septic system installed and the yard restored thereby eliminating last minute construction before the closing.

Just this week construction started on one of our septic system repair design projects. The septic installer coordinated the construction with our office and the Board of Health to confirm that we would be available to perform the multiple construction phase tasks. For example, once the excavation is completed, the design engineer has to visit the construction site to observe and confirm that the unsuitable soils have been removed and that the excavated hole is ready to be backfilled with sand. The Health Agent also performs his own observations as the work progresses. The contractor had already installed the new 1,500 gallon septic tank and 1,000 gallon pump chamber in order to provide a temporary holding storage while the replacement system was being constructed.

Once the sand had been placed, the septic contractor installed the leaching chambers, distribution box and connecting pipes. Since this system will use gravity flow from the distribution box with a pump chamber to lift the septic tank effluent to the distribution box elevation, the distribution box and the chambers are designed with vent pipes. To help reduce the overall construction cost, our design used a chamber system that does not require any washed stone according to the State approval documents. The completed leaching area is also covered by a geotextile filter fabric. The State Sanitary Code requires the design engineer to observe this construction, make sufficient measurements to confirm that the components were properly installed and then prepare a plan showing the constructed system (This is called the “as-built” plan). The as-built plan is submitted to the Board of Health with a letter signed by the professional engineer, which states that the system has been installed in accordance with the approved plan.

Now that I have proof that Spring is near, what proof do you need?

How about some good news?  The cost of replacing a failed septic system is low. The slow down in construction has increased competition and reduced the costs. So now may be the best time to get that failed septic system replaced.

Is there bad news? Yes, be sure to investigate the qualifications and reputation of the “lowest price” contractor and carefully read the contract for items that are not included.

P.M.P. Associates, LLC has created their own, non-taxpayer funded, economic stimulus package!

On January 17, 2009 a series of e-mail blasts were sent out to over 400 Real Estate Professionals and Business Contacts outlining our approach to stimulating the economy.

The e-mail announced that, until July 1, 2009, the Massachusetts licensed septic system inspectors in the P.M.P. Associates office would perform a free preliminary Title 5 Septic System Inspection for qualified property owners in the Towns of East Bridgewater, Bridgewater, West Bridgewater, Halifax, Hanson, Middleborough and Easton. These towns are within a reasonable driving distance from the P.M.P. office.

Typically, a Septic System Inspection would cost about $250.00 plus the cost for pumping out the septic tank or cesspool. In Massachusetts, you must have your septic system inspected before you sell your property. Older types of septic systems, such as cesspools, typically fail their inspection. A preliminary inspection can usually determine if the system will not pass the inspection without having to perform the full inspection procedure and then add the cost of the pumping on top of the inspection fee. (See my blog, “12 steps to replace a Septic System“)

The offer to perform a free preliminary Title 5 Septic System Inspection did require the need to arrange for an inspection appointment.  The appointment requirement allows our office to coordinate the inspections with the other project engineering work schedules.

The intent of this offer was not to eliminate the need for an official septic system inspection, but to help a property owner save a little money when they know that their septic system is marginal and would like to have it pre-inspected.

Do you want to be successful?

Would you like to know a secret?

Here it is………….. “To be successful, hire successful people.”

Here is a true example on how to be successful in Land Development, without having to be in the land development business.

A couple owned a single family house on several acres of land in southern Massachusetts. They assumed that the vacant land had some value, but did not how to go about the process. They hired a real estate professional that was experienced in land development to make an initial determination to see if their assumption was correct.  When he confirmed their assumption, he suggested that they hire a civil engineering & land planning consultant. This couple knew the “secret” and selected an established civil engineering consultant who was not only experienced in land development projects, but also had a good reputation. Based on the advice of their civil engineering consultant, the couple first had an initial due-diligence study performed. This study established the multiple development constraints imposed by the shape of the property, wetlands, State Codes, local Zoning Laws and local municipal regulations. This study also resulted is a conceptual development plan with recommendations for a step by step approach for the permitting process. The couple now had a full understanding of the process to convert their vacant land into new residential house lots. They authorized their civil engineering consultant to proceed with this “step by step” process and converted their property into five new house lots plus a lot for their own house.

The couple knew that their success was strongly dependent upon the performance of their hired consultants. Knowing that there are no guarantees in a land development project, the couple understood that by using a team of successful professionals, they increased their chances for a successful project.

The same “secret” applies to the real estate professional and the civil engineering consultant. By working to make your client successful, you increase your chances to be successful.

Do you want to be successful?

Then you should not only hire successful people, but you should also do everything you can to be sure that they remain successful, since your success depends upon them.

It may be human nature to want to get something for nothing. Free samples. Free trial services. Free membership. Buy one, get one free.

With tough economic times, why not try to get something for free or a a great discount? Comparison shopping is becoming the rule and not the exception. There is nothing wrong with this.

What about free engineering or discounts for engineering services? Does the consumer really get a discount or engineering services for free? A favorite author of mine used the acronym “TNSTASFL” (There is no such thing as a free lunch). I am a firm believer that when it comes to professional engineering services, there is no such thing as free engineering services.

For example, a potential client will call to request a proposal to provide engineering design services for a replacement septic system. During this call, we listen to his request, ask specific questions to gain a better understanding of his needs, answer his questions and based on his request and generally describe the professional engineering services that we offer. We then follow-up with a detailed written proposal outlining our services and associated costs that are specific to the potential client’s property and situation.

Since this process of engineering and replacing a failed septic system can be overwhelming, we contact the potential client to discuss the proposal and answer any questions.

This is where the concept of free or discounted engineering services enters.  The potential client has a family member or friend that told him that our prices are too high and he knows a guy that will “do it” at 2/3 of the price, or some other low number.

Are the services being provide by the “guy” the same? Are they clearly spelled out in a written contract?

What I have found, when I have lost a client to the “guy” with the discounted price, is that he did not include the construction phase services and had to charge extra. The “guy” never returns a telephone call or is hard to contact. The “guy” takes “forever” to complete the design. In some instances, the “guy”, in order to reduce his costs, he provided the client with a standard minimal design, even though it may not be suitable for the individual property.

To perform services at a reduced cost, the amount of time being spent has to be reduced (no one works for free). When this happens, the quality of the design is compromised. The reviewing authority may question the design and require revisions prior to approval (careful, these revisions may be charged back as an extra). While the basics are provided on the design plan, the details, specific to a client’s property may not be clearly shown.

Maybe the “guy” has reduced overhead costs and can pass these savings onto his clients. For example, the “guy” may not have any Professional Liability Insurance or General Liability Insurance.

So the client now gets a set of plans at a discounted price, then asks several contractors for a bid price for the installation. While contractors know the costs for installation of various components, each design for an individual property needs to be reviewed and priced. When the plans are vague and the details are not really or clearly presented, the contractor will need to include extra costs in his bid. A complete set of plans that are well presented will minimize the need for a contractor to include a large contingency in his bid.

What was “saved” on the design plans can easily be spent during construction. So much for a discount.

There is noting wrong with comparison shopping among qualified engineering consultants. The consumer however, may not find out until it is too late, that the discounted price actually cost him more.

By Michael E. Perrault, P.E.

So you have a few extra acres of land and want to sell off some lots. Before you post a “Lots For Sale” sign on your land, there are a few steps that need to be followed to transform your raw land into actual building lots.

These steps are based on my personal experience gained in over 30 years in land development civil engineering and are my own opinion. We all know that opinions are like noses, we all have one, so you will have to decide if my opinion is worth anything.

Probably the most important first step is to perform a “due diligence study”, which is a fancy term for “doing your homework”. This study is basically researching a bunch of data, rules, regulations, etc. that relate to your land. For example, is a public water supply available to serve the new lots and what are the requirements for extending the water system to the lots (permits, materials and don’t forget costs). A basic due diligence study will evaluate local zoning requirements, subdivision regulations, utilities, health codes (when on-site septic systems and or drinking water wells are needed), wetlands, endangered species, soils, local permitting as well as state & federal permitting. The goal of this due diligence study is to allow you to make an informed decision to proceed with the development process.

Now that you decided to go ahead, the next step is to prepare a “conceptual design”. Generally, your property deed is used to prepare a worksheet plan of the perimeter of your land, since not all deeds make a reference to a detailed property survey plan (this is especially true in New England). The local Zoning requirements and subdivision regulations are applied to create a concept plan. This plan can include other general information such as wetlands, general topography and available plan data. The “conceptual plan” is an important, low cost, planning tool. You do not need to spend money at this time on a perimeter or topographic survey, since you are still trying to determine if you can develop your land. The “conceptual plan” allows you to ask the “what if” questions and look at alternatives. At this stage, general initial budget numbers can be established for the two major components, Engineering / Permitting and Construction.

Before spending a lot of money and time, there are a few steps to take to help you decide to move forward.

The first is associated with wetlands. There are Federal and State Wetland Regulations that limit land development. To make matters more complicated, local municipalities are also adopting Wetland By-laws and regulations that prohibit work in the wetland buffer zones. Before doing anything, have the wetland resource areas on and adjacent to your property delineated. While you may not have a wetland on your land, you may be within a buffer zone of the wetland on your neighbor’s property which would impact your development. An assessment of the extent of the wetlands, without performing an on-the-ground location survey, will help you determine if your development project can move forward. In some States, there is an application process that allows you to have the wetland resource area approved, which basically freezes the wetland line for a period of years, allowing you to proceed with the permitting process without having the wetland line shift and causing a major re-design.

Another of these initial steps has to do with properties that do not have a municipal sanitary sewer system available and have to rely on individual on-site septic systems. The soils on your property has to be suitable to allow for the design and construction of these septic systems. Soils mapping can only give you a general indications of the surface soils and general geology. The conceptual design can be you guide in performing some initial test holes to obtain actual data regarding suitable soils and percolation rates as well as the elevation of the high groundwater. If you land needs to have septic systems and it does not have suitable soils, then unless you can extend a municipal sanitary sewer to your land, you have a very serious problem with going forward.

The next step is the “Preliminary Plan”. Each local planning agency has their own set of rules regarding the format and content of “Preliminary Subdivision Plans”. While these preliminary plans are intended to present general design information, some communities have insisted on having more detailed design data shown at this phase. For those projects that present unique ideas for the laying out of the roads and lots, which may not be looked upon in a favorable light with the local planning agency, it may be wise to schedule an informal discussion with the planning agency during one of their meetings. The updated conceptual plan can be presented for comments and questions. The results of this informal meeting can be used in the preparation of the “Preliminary Plan”.

In order to prepare the “Preliminary Plan”, the perimeter of your property needs to be determined, the physical features and topography surveyed as well as the locations of the wetlands. The local Zoning and Subdivision Regulations evaluated and applied in the design of the subdivision roadway layout and lots. The “Preliminary Plan” also needs to show, in a general manner, the public water supply, storm drainage, etc. The local planning agency will schedule a formal meeting to discuss the “Preliminary Plan”. Some communities require all abutters within a certain distance to be mailed a notification of this meeting and a notice published in a local newspaper. There are certain legal benefits in having a local planning agency approve a “Preliminary Plan”. Just to be clear, the approval of a “Preliminary Subdivision Plan” does not mean that you will get an automatic approval for the “Definitive Subdivision Plan”.

The “Definitive Subdivision Plan” step is where all the formal design plans are created for your land development project. There are multiple drawings / plans that make up the “Definitive Subdivision Plan”. There is a plan created for the geometry of the roadways and lots (this is the plan that gets recorded at the Registry of Deeds ), a plan showing the existing and proposed topography, a plan & profile for the roadways, a plan & profile for utilities not within a roadway layout, and a series of plans showing details for the road and utility construction. The layout design for the various utilities (infrastructure) is presented on these plans. Also included on separate documents are lot & roadway geometry calculations, drainage calculations and specific environmental reports mandated by local planning agencies.

A formal “Public Hearing” will be advertised and held to discuss your subdivision plan. The abutters and certain agencies are all given written notice of this public hearing. Other municipal agencies are provided copies of the plan to review and make comments. Some communities have an independent peer review performed on the subdivision plan. The public hearing can be continued over several meeting nights to allow for comments to be addressed, which may result in revisions to the design plans. Once the planning agency is satisfied (if they are not satisfied, they can deny your project) that your plan is complete and acceptable, they will close the public hearing and vote to approve the “Definitive Subdivision Plan”. Most communities have an appeal period that follows this approval, which allows for a legal appeal of the decision.

If the project falls within the jurisdiction of a local or state agency regarding work in or adjacent to wetlands, a formal permit application needs to be made to allow the project to be built. I am a firm believer in doing this wetlands permitting in parallel with the “Definitive Subdivision: process. This approach allows you to gain review comments from two permitting agencies at the same time. These comments can be addressed and shown on the revised drawings / plans during the public hearing process. The overall result will be one set of approved final plans that do not require you to go back to get re-approved by the other agency.

These steps, as presented, are only an overview of the more common permitting tasks in converting raw land into building lots and does not include any construction phase items.

As an example, the drawing below is an “Open Space ” residential subdivision that I designed. The project involved all of the above described steps and more! Each of the lots has their own on-site septic system with drinking water provided by a municipal water supply.

Here is what the site looked like in April 2005.

As you can see, as of the date of this aerial photo, the majority of the project was complete (it is now fully completed).  Hard to believe that this residential subdivision was once a gravel pit!

This blog was intended as an “overview” to the land development process. I intend on creating a series of blogs with more detail on the individual steps and tasks.

By Michael E. Perrault, P.E.

When does a septic system design need to include a pressure distribution leaching system? Prior to the 1995 changes to the Massachusetts Sanitary Code (310CMR 15.00), a pressure distribution system design was not required. The 1995 Code revision did not have any actual design criteria except for a requirement to utilize a pressure distribution system when certain thresholds were reached. The actual design methods were contained in a Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) policy document . This “policy” called Title 5 Pressure Distribution Design Guidance, has been further revised to address the technical questions that were raised by the original policy (Policy#BRP/DWM/WpeP/G02-2, effective May 24, 2002). The more recent revision to the Sanitary Code appears to have added more confusion.

My office recently prepared a septic system repair design for a small manufacturing facility located in an industrial park. The total facility design flow was less than 2,000 gallons per day (GPD). The proposed design included a gravity style distribution to the leaching system, but needed a pump system to bring the flow from the septic tank to the gravity distribution system.

The local health agent reviewing the design plan was of the opinion that the design needed to use a pressure distribution system. Unlike a conventional gravity style system, a pressure distribution system uses a force main pipe from the pump chamber to a larger diameter manifold pipe (can be a central manifold or an end manifold). A series of smaller lateral pipes are fed from the manifold pipe. These lateral pipes have a series of small diameter holes spaced along the length of the lateral pipe. These holes in the lateral pipes thereby spray the pumped effluent under pressure into the leaching system. Pressure distribution systems are more expensive to install as compared to the conventional gravity systems.

When the health agent first questioned the design, I explained that the Sanitary Code, under 310CMR15.254(1) allowed for dosing pumps for systems with a total design flow less than 2,000 GPD provided that there is a gravity distribution system. The health agent did not agree with my reading of the Code and contacted the regional office of the DEP to get an “official” opinion. The DEP engineer actually sent a fax that stated that all pumped systems had to be pressure dosed and attached the section of the Code related to pressuring distribution (310CMR15.254(2)). Once I was given a copy of this DEP fax document, I contacted the same engineer at the DEP and suggested that he not skip to the second paragraph in the Code section 15.254 that he cited, but start at the first item that clearly allows for pump dosing to a gravity distribution system for design flows under 2,000 GPD.

I explained that pressure distribution systems, while an option, are not typically used on small systems. For example, if an existing small single family house, under a repair design, needed to have a slightly elevated leaching system due to high groundwater, and the plumbing location prohibited a total gravity system, then, under the “all systems using a pump” opinion, this property would be forced to have a pressure distribution leaching system.

I then went through the appropriate Code section wording with the DEP engineer and discussed the differences between the two paragraphs. The DEP engineer then issued a new fax to the health agent correcting the earlier fax and noting that the pumped system design was allowed and that “pumped” systems without pressure distribution is acceptable provided that they meet the Code criteria.

At that point, the health agent, under the authority of the Board of Health, approved the design plan and issued the construction permit.

If I had not insisted that the DEP engineer had been incorrect, my client would have had to pay for an expensive pressure distribution system.

An engineer who does not have a good working knowledge of the Massachusetts Sanitary Code as well as the experience in both pump dosing and pressure distribution system design would not have questioned the health agent’s opinion and definitely would not question a DEP engineer.

There is no substitution for experience.

I recently heard about an example of how experience impacted a pressure distribution system project. A local contractor, was installing a pressure distribution system (not one of my designs, thank you) when the local health agent had him tear out the manifold and lateral connections. The design plan, according to my source, did not detail how these connections were to have been made and the contractor built what he thought was correct. A more experienced design engineer would have had that detail presented on his plan, since that piping connection is one of the more critical components of the pressure distribution system. This lack of detail not only resulted in more work and expense for the contractor but delayed the completion of the system construction.

This is one of my typical pressure distribution system design details.

Clients do not appreciate an engineer gaining on-the-job training on their projects.

While there are some people that base their decision to hire an engineer on the lowest price, the smart consumer looks at experience, reputation and integrity in combination with the cost to establish the “value” of a project.

By Michael Perrault, P.E.

My first real experience as a participant in a “Trade Show” was with the local community business association. They decided to hold a trade show on the Town Common in September on the same day as the opening day for the fall community soccer program. The soccer program, in our Town, has an opening day parade for about 1,500 children of all ages, that ends at the Town Common. The business association hoped that the parents and the children would also stop by the big tent on the Common to visit the tables being manned by the various merchants in the Town. In anticipation of that show, I created a nice display with photographs of typical engineering projects as well as technical promotional handouts, company pens and coffee mugs with our company logo, etc.

The business owners arrived early and set up their table displays with great anticipation. What happened that day was similar to a biblical story describing swarms of locusts devouring everything in sight. If it was not firmly attached it was gone, baby gone. Children grabbing every and any free item as quickly as possible. A well seasoned magician could not have made those items disappear as fast as they did that day.

Parents did wander through the tent at a more refined pace and sometimes paused at the booths to talk with the business owners. Even long time Town residents came by to say hello and some actually asked a few questions. Those same people in subsequent years stopped by and asked the same questions again.

The intent of the trade show was to have the townspeople become more aware of the local business and what they have to offer the community. If the overall quantity of pens and other “freebies” bearing the names of the various businesses that were distributed that day are considered, then the intent of the trade show was met, provided that the children shared their “booty” with their parents and these collected items were not confined to the kitchen junk drawer.

For several years I participated in this September trade show. Each year I updated the display, handouts and give-away items. After four years, I noticed that certain people became regular returning attendees, like the elderly Maine couple that returns every year to the Fryeburg Fair (you will have to ask me about this story, it’s worth the $10). Same questions asked and the same answers given.

With all the costs, time and effort made to prepare for these annual trade shows, I could not clearly state that my business received any new customers as a direct result from participating in the trade show.  When I decided, after several years, not to participate any longer in the local Business Association trade show, several of the business members were surprised. Of course they represent local Banks, Insurance Agencies, Restaurants and other similar businesses. Civil Engineering and Land Planning consulting firms are a little different from these types of local businesses.

The idea of doing another Trade Show was not on my top-ten list of things to do. However, I decided that a change of location, a different market target and new participants may have different results. The Metro South Chamber of Commerce was having a trade show / exhibition in conjunction with their annual awards luncheon. Being a member of this Chamber of Commerce, I thought that maybe this was an opportunity to network with other members that would be attending the luncheon meeting. The type of booth display, promotional handouts and “free’ items needed to be brought up to a more professional level as compared to the local show. The booth looked great and I was correct that members attending the luncheon would be present to visit the various displays on exhibit.

Experience is a harsh teacher. First, not all persons attending the luncheon arrived early enough to visit the various tables and displays, nor did a large number of these participants linger after lunch to view them either. Second, the total potential number of Chamber Members and Associates, etc. was limited to those people who chose to participate in the luncheon. Third, the reason that some people attended was simply that their boss bought a table for the luncheon and needed bodies to fill the empty seats. These casual participants, while not being interested in networking, became a new breed of trade show locusts.

What I did learn was to not hide in my display area, but to wander around and talk with the other businesses manning their own booths while leaving one person at my booth. The exchanging of business cards and brief introductions provided as many leads as the booth’s “raffle box”.

Having learned this valuable lesson, I experimented with a slightly different type of business exposition. One of the target markets for potential leads for a civil engineering and land planning consultant is the real estate sales industry. The Jack Conway Real Estate Company, who is probably the largest real estate firm in southeastern Massachusetts, holds an annual conference for their sales staff. This conference includes training seminars, workshops, presentations and a luncheon banquet. This conference includes a limited trade show exhibition area for businesses associated with the real estate industry. Having already made a presentation to over thirty sales managers, I thought that this show would be a good opportunity to re-introduce PMP Associates to not only the sales managers but to over a thousand sales professionals. New handouts and “freebies” that were associated with the real estate industry needed to be prepared and distributed. For this type of venue, the “raffle box” was quite valuable in harvesting business cards. Since all the participants are the “target”, it was important to feed these locusts. Since that day at the Jack Conway conference, I have been allowed to present a small seminar at six of the Jack Conway regional offices during a monthly sales associate meeting.

Since the experience with the Metro South Chamber was not everything that I had hoped, I decided to participate in the Plymouth Area Chamber of Commerce Business Expo. This one-day event had a luncheon for Chamber Members but the exposition hall was open to the general public. The event was well advertised and was well attended.  For this event I kept the “freebies” limited to avoid having the display look like a tornado blew through the hall. Because of the larger scale of this Expo, there were more opportunities to network with the other business and have these businesses visit my booth and hopefully gain a better understanding about what we as civil engineers do for our clients

The photo to the right is the trade show booth at the Plymouth Area Chamber of Commerce 2008 Business Expo.

The leading question, “Trade shows - Are they for civil engineers?” can not get a simple answer.

If the intent of the Trade Show is to generate new work, for example, a kitchen sales company at a Home Show, then my answer in NO.

If the intent is to be introduced and network with the other businesses participating in the Trade Show, then I have to ask, why did I spend the time and money? I could have just attended without manning a booth. Final answer on this one is also NO.

Participation in a Trade Show may be worthwhile if the intent is for a long term marketing program that combines networking and name recognition. This long term program can not be limited to an annual trade show but must be combined with monthly events.