Monthly InsidAR - Summer Recap
Annual AR Summer Gathering
In August, AR families gathered to celebrate summer and enjoy some time away from the office. We feasted on amazing BBQ from Q It Up and a smorgasbord of delicious desserts. The littles had the amusement of a bounce house and adults played some backyard games, the bounce house may have been a little fiercer than the backyard games! It was a good time to talk outside of the office and enjoy good food and wonderful company. Cheers to an amazing summer and a great team!
AR Summer Interns
This summer AR Engineering hosted two Western Michigan University interns: Luke Macleay and Noah Proctor. Luke, who joined us in fall 2023 from Kalamazoo Valley Community College, has become key to the design of many large projects. Noah completed a successful first summer, helping surveyors with construction staking and field work and gaining site development experience by researching zoning and assisting with CAD. We look forward to working with both through the school year and watching Noah finish his senior year. Go Broncos!
Annual Summer Garden
The AR garden is back and growing strong in 2026! This year's garden includes tomatoes, sweet onions, peppers, cucumbers, pumpkins, and squash. We were also delighted to find several volunteer plants from last year's garden making a return appearance. Of course, every garden comes with its challenges. Along with the endless weeds, we've found ourselves competing with some hungry local wildlife for the season's bounty. A big thank you to everyone who has helped make the garden a success. Whether you prepared the beds, donated or purchased plants, planted seedlings, watered, or pulled weeds, your hard work and enthusiasm are greatly appreciated.
ABC Excellence in Construction Awards
In early June, AR Engineering judged the West Michigan Chapter ABC Excellence in Construction Awards. Thom Carpenter joined judges touring regional project sites, meeting owners and reps to review construction, challenges, and contractor performance. Evaluations identify projects exemplifying construction excellence. After scoring, West Michigan ABC holds an awards celebration; category winners may advance to the national Excellence in Construction Awards at the ABC National Convention.
Kalamazoo Growlers STEM Expo
Another fantastic year at the Kalamazoo Growlers STEM Expo is in the books, and the AR Engineering team had a blast spending the morning with students from across Southwest Michigan. Our MSE sandcastle station was busy from the moment the gates opened, students rushed over ready to dig, build, experiment! The hands on activity gave students a memorable look at real engineering principles in action, and our team loved watching them make connections, ask questions, and discover how civil engineering shapes the world around them. It’s one of our favorite events each year because it blends curiosity, creativity, and pure fun. After a morning full of STEM exploration, everyone headed into the ballpark to cheer on the Growlers - always the perfect way to wrap up the day. We’re proud to support this event annually and to help inspire the next generation of builders, thinkers, and problem solvers.
Grilling/Camping Season Kick-Off!
AR Engineering had a grilling and camping season kick off surprise lunch party in May with some backyard burgers and brats. We enjoyed some famous Hawaiian brats from Mister Bratz in Orland, Indiana. Everyone was also introduced to some Special $%!# Seasoning for the burgers too, and even grilled up some Impossible burgers also. Aaron brought in some of his camping gear to get things started!
Testing out the Picnic Table:
Maybe next time….
