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Celebrating nearly a year in their new building, the Norman staff of Garver Engineers will open the doors to their 8,000-square-foot offices Friday.

The office, in the Quorum Office Park at 1016 24th Ave. NW, will be open to the public noon to 4 p.m., said Vice President Steve Jones. The Norman Chamber of Commerce will start the festivities with a ribbon cutting at noon.

Jones, who has been an engineer in Norman since the 1980s, said he opened his own engineering firm in downtown Norman in 2001. The firm was acquired by the national firm of Garver Engineers in 2004.

What started as a staff of just Jones and an assistant has grown to a staff of 17, said Keith Duncan, Norman office manager and transportation team leader.

Jones, who also is the corporate water business line director, said Garver built a 10,000-square-foot office building and opened it in June. He said 3,000 square feet is ready for sublet. The vision for the other space is eventually to be filled with 50 employees.

"We are already the largest consulting engineering firm in Norman," Jones said.

Garver Engineers was founded in Little Rock, Ark., in 1919, Duncan said. He said it is recognized as one of the oldest and strongest engineering firms in the south and southeast part of the country.?

Duncan said the firm has grown to eight regional offices located in six states, with a combined staff of more than 260. The offices are located in Alabama, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Mississippi and Texas.?

Garver represents three major business lines -- water (including supply, potable water treatment and supply and wastewater conveyance and treatment), transportation (including streets, highways, bridges and drainage), and aviation (which includes taxiways and runways at general aviation, regional and air carrier airports). Duncan said Garver also provides planning, surveying, mechanical, electrical and construction management services in support of the three main business lines.?

From the Norman office, Garver serves clients throughout central Oklahoma including Norman, Oklahoma City, Mustang, Del City, Elgin, Clinton, Lawton, Ft. Sill, Ada and Pauls Valley to name a few.??

Jones said the Tulsa office covers transportation and aviation projects in the eastern side of the state, while the Norman office covers the western portion. The Norman office covers the entire state in the water business line, he said.

Duncan said the Norman staff includes engineers, technicians and administrative staff.?Jones said the staff is predominantly a civil engineering firm with several environmental engineers and support service groups.

"We are a very community- and family-oriented company," Duncan said.

Besides regularly hiring University of Oklahoma interns, Duncan said the staff is full of little league coaches and community volunteers.