About
WJE History
Jack Janney founded WJE in 1956 as Janney and Associates, a one-person engineering consultancy. More than sixty-five years later, we have evolved into an international interdisciplinary company that has been called upon to solve some of the world's most challenging construction-related problems.
To learn more about our history, view the WJE 50 Years | 50 Most Significant Projects book (PDF) we created in 2006 to celebrate our 50th anniversary.
Our Core Ideology is the unchanging cornerstone of our success. It includes our Mission, our Vision, and our Values—the what, the why, and the how of our existence and the foundation of our culture.
Our Mission
Delivering Better Solutions to Problems in the Built World.
We solve structural, architectural, and materials problems in all types of structures and facilities. We aspire to consistently deliver practical, innovative, and technically sound solutions—solutions that are better than those provided by others, better than our clients expect, and better than we have delivered before.
Our Vision
Extraordinary People Working Together to Set the Standard in Our Business.
Our vision is to make a positive difference in the world by consistently setting the standard in every key aspect of our business, starting with the people we employ, the level of excellence and collaboration we expect, and the work environment we create.
We seek therefore to employ a diverse group of only C2E2 people—people with outstanding Character, unwavering Commitment to our core and culture, strong Expertise, and genuine Enthusiasm for their work. We expect all our employees to strive to become extraordinary professionals, to work together in a highly collaborative manner, and to help us achieve unsurpassed excellence in everything we do.
In return, we are committed to creating the most fulfilling work environment in our business: one that is inclusive and genuinely values and fairly treats every employee; one that is based on trust and personal responsibility; one that encourages open communication, continued learning, innovative thinking, excellence, and teamwork; and one that provides each employee a combined opportunity for personal, professional, and financial growth that is unsurpassed in our business.
Our Values
The Principles that Guide All Our Actions.
Consummate professionalism
We are unwavering in our commitment to the highest standards of integrity and ethical conduct. We treat fellow employees, clients, and all others fairly, honestly, and respectfully. We believe that it is our responsibility to contribute to the betterment of our profession and our society, and we encourage and support our employees’ involvement in worthy professional and community activities, particularly those aligned with the performance of our Mission and the realization of our Vision.
TECHNICAL EXCELLENCE
Technical excellence is at the heart of our culture. It underlies the solutions we deliver to our clients and all our other work. Our staff leads the profession in technical capabilities and achievements. We make technical mentoring and knowledge sharing among our highest priorities. We encourage continuing education by sponsoring in-house research, seminars, workshops, and similar knowledge development/sharing efforts. We also support employee participation in outside professional associations and other worthwhile technical development activities.
Exceptional service
It is our goal to deliver exceptional service to every client. The resources of the entire company are available, as needed, for every project. We respond promptly to client requests, honor our commitments, and bill fairly for our services.
Shared destiny
We are an employee-owned company, committed to working safely and to helping one another succeed. We believe that putting the greater good of the company ahead of personal gain ultimately ensures the greatest rewards for each of us. We are “in this together” for the long term and will strive to ensure that the company endures for generations.
Fiscal responsibility
Operating our business in a financially sound manner and returning a fair profit are essential to achieving our other objectives and providing financial rewards for our people. We believe that profit is a natural result when extraordinary people, committed to professionalism and technical excellence, work together to deliver exceptional service.
Safety and WJE
The most important thing in our business is the safety of our people. We have been committed to safety since Jack Janney first opened our doors in 1956.
Everyone is responsible for safety. We believe that a safety program cannot be effectively implemented by any one person or select group of individuals. The ultimate objective of a safe, accident-free work environment can only be accomplished through a dedicated and concerted effort by each and every individual. In our culture, each individual realizes his or her value to the company and the cost of accidents in monetary, physical, and emotional terms.
Our Shared Destiny core value provides a foundation for each individual to play an important role in creating, administering, and fulfilling a companywide safe work ethic. Shared destiny fosters the responsible application of safety to our work and focuses our attention on reaching the objectives of our safety program.
We strive for a safe, accident-free work environment. Planning for a safe work environment begins at the proposal stage and continues throughout the lifecycle of our projects. We integrate our efforts with the safety programs and requirements of our clients. A dedicated team of full-time safety professionals is always available to support and provide counsel to our staff and our clients.
We routinely perform work involving:
- Fall protection systems
- Aerial and scissor lifts
- Suspended and supported scaffolding
- Industrial rope access
- Crane-suspended platforms
- Confined spaces
- Personal protective equipment
"Leave it better than you found it." It’s a simple but guiding principle at WJE. We apply that standard to every project and every new challenge. But it isn’t just a business model; it’s a mentality we bring to everything we do, including how we give back to the communities where we live and work. Each year, our employees contribute their time, resources, and energy to a wide variety of organizations and events, seeking to make a difference. From food drives to disaster relief to mentoring and pro bono work, our people work hard to leave their communities better than they found them.
