Anyone who walks into the Arthur H. Howland & Associates office in New Milford is guaranteed to leave smiling after doing business with the company. So says Paul Szymanski, 28, who owns the firm that specializes in civil engineering, land surveying, soil testing and land planning.
“We’re full service. We do everything,” said the owner, who purchased the business in November of 2005 from Arthur H. Howland, who had owned the company for 43 years. The staff at the 50 Bridge St., New Milford, office includes 13 full- and three part-time employees.
Among the business’ offerings, the company designs septic systems, public water and sewer mains, public roads and commercial site plans. All maps and layouts are designed and printed in color. Mr. Szymanski said he and his staff will tend to all aspects of projects, including obtaining land use permits, attending town meetings for presentations and discussion and participating in wetlands delineation.
Washington zoning and inland wetlands officer Mike Ajello said he is impressed with Mr. Szymanski’s “extremely high” level of accuracy on plans presented to various commissions and boards in town, as well as his personable and professional approach to business. Paul is a charismatic individual,” stated Mr. Ajello, “whose strongest suit is his ability to interact with all people,” including clients, town officials and commissioners. “If you talk to him for five minutes, you smile,” he observed. And, in front of commissions, he “exudes a certain confidence” and “will have an accurate and concise answer or will say ‘I don’t knew, I’ll get back to you,’ ” when asked questions at meetings, Mr. Ajello related.
Since Mr. Szymanski bought the business, the services have expanded to include planning for large subdivisions and commercial sites. Before he took over, there was more of a focus on small residential planning and engineering services, “We try to match our services with what New Milford requires,” the owner said. Mr. Szymanski, who previously worked as an assistant town engineer in Winsted and for a private engineering firm in Southington, said his company has an “understanding of where the town is going” in terms of development and is therefore able to weave clients’ dream plans into the town’s landscape.
Joe Enright of the development company E&R Commercial, LLC of Sherman and Greenwich, who has used the firm for the past year, values Mr. Szymanski’s “feel for the town” and the “personalized service.”
To make clients feel at home, the Arthur H, Howland & Associates waiting room features comfortable couches and a fish tank. In addition, there’s a good chance an employee will ask a customer if they would like a beverage or snack while they wait.
Soon, Mr. Szymanski hopes to implement a, customer relationship program through which the company would send cards to customers for special occasions such as birthdays and anniversaries. “We want to create personal connections with our clients, give them something that they’ll remember,” said Mr. Szymanski, who received a civil engineering degree from the University of Connecticut.
To bring a smile to someone’s face and brighten someone’s day is what it’s all about, the Roxbury native emphasized. Last Halloween, a staff member donned a gorilla costume, held up a “Honk for Halloween” sign and distributed bananas in downtown New Milford. “Everyone smiled,” Mr. Szymanski said. “We’re wacky, we’re unconventional … we like to have fun,” the owner said, He explained how that work environment maintains happy employees who, in turn, “love their job” and provide quality service to clients.
For more information about Arthur H, Howland & Associates, PC in New Milford, call the office, located at 50 Bridge St., at (860) 354-9346 or email owner Paul Szymanski at pszymanski@322webdev.com.
BY DEBORAH ROSE NEW MILFORD SPECTRUM