Our story of Aguirre & Fields began in 1999 when a technically proficient design visionary named Oscar Aguirre formed Aguirre Engineering Consultants, LP and a management-minded, skilled engineer named Richard Fields formed Fields Engineering Consultants, Inc. Oscar was an innovative, detail-oriented structural engineer who was always searching for ways to improve efficiency and reduce errors in engineering. He started by developing calculator programs to speed up engineering calculations. He then began developing software that aided in the automation of a variety of engineering tasks. With little capital and a lot of faith, Oscar started his own company. He worked hard, solved difficult structural engineering issues, and gained a solid reputation in the county and state which translated into an influx of steady clients for his fledgling company. Richard was a transportation engineer with experience in roadway and bridge design. His management skills and his focus on clients helped steadily grow Fields Engineering.
The two men collaborated on a railroad bridge design project for State Highway 21. The project not only required Union Pacific Railroad approval but also had a very important constraint; the existing bridge had to be removed and replaced in a 12-hour window. A few months later, Oscar, Richard, and their teams completed the design documents for a “roll-in” bridge and obtained approval from UPRR.
After several months of discussions, Richard and Oscar concluded that merging their two companies would help them succeed. They started the company with six employees. In December of 2003, Oscar and Richard, as partners, observed the new steel railroad bridge over SH 21 being rolled in to replace the existing bridge that had been demolished earlier that day.
Both of strong character, Oscar Aguirre and Richard Fields shaped the altruistic culture of Aguirre & Fields from the very start. The founders emphasized community benefit and forward-thinking over their own gain.