Black and white photo of nine people standing in a row behind a reception desk, most smiling, with a large piece of bridge-shaped artwork hanging on the wall behind them
In 1992, Hanson employees who were based in Hanson’s Willow Knolls Drive office in Peoria, Illinois, included three who still work for Hanson: Senior Vice President and Project Manager Don Fleming, P.E., far left; Senior Structural Engineer Consultant Tom DeJarld, P.E., third from right; and Resident Project Representative Consultant Jeff Hecht, P.E., far right.

In 1966, Hanson expanded from its Springfield, Illinois, office to open its first branch office in Peoria, Illinois. Sixty years later, the Peoria office is one of 28 Hanson locations across the U.S.

Two men talking in an office, both seated. Window in background at left and shelves with overhead bin at right; shelves lined with books; briefcase and boom box radio on desk under shelves.
Don Fleming, P.E., now a senior vice president and project manager at Hanson, meets with a colleague at Hanson’s Peoria, Illinois, office in 1992.
Exterior photo of single-story, brick building with Hanson Engineers sign at right and two cars and a van parked in front
In the 1990s, Hanson’s Peoria office resided at 2900 W. Willow Knolls Road.

The late Gene Wilkinson, who joined Hanson as a structural designer in 1962, became manager of the Peoria office at its opening and directed all the engineering project work by its staff until he was appointed lead structural engineer and returned to Springfield in 1973. Senior Vice President and Project Manager Don Fleming, P.E., S.E. — at that time a design engineer and project manager — then assumed management duties of the Peoria location. When Don joined Hanson in 1968, he, Gene and a part-time draftsman were the only three employees in that office. Today, Don works with 31 colleagues in Peoria, including Vice President and Senior Project Manager Cindy Loos, P.E., who currently serves as Peoria’s regional office manager.

Before Hanson established its Peoria location, the company provided structural design services for Peoria architectural firm Phillips Swager Associates. Since its opening, Hanson’s Peoria team has expanded to partner with municipalities, transportation agencies and other clients on roadway and bridge projects, traffic and transportation engineering, surveying, geotechnical services, railway projects and power generation and transmission.

Hanson’s Peoria team has also contributed to improvements in nearby communities, such as Pekin, Morton, Washington, Germantown Hills, Metamora, East Peoria, Dunlap, Chillicothe and Eureka.

The Peoria office is located at 1300 W. Commerce Drive, Suite 200, Peoria, IL 61615, and can be reached at (309) 691-0902.