GLWIB Member Profile
John Haas
Business Development Manager
Nobis Engineering, Inc
Website:www.nobisengineering.com
John is a US Navy Veteran with a BS degree from The Ohio State University. He served for seven years in the Navy Nuclear Power Program and after college joined Stone & Webster Engineering Corp in 1977 out of the Boston office. He traveled all over the world as a consultant for this company. In 1982, he joined two other consultants to found a nuclear engineering and consulting company in Framingham serving over 50 nuclear utilities throughout North America. In 1995 he joined a small civil engineering company in Pennsylvania as the Operations Director where he worked until 2000 when he received a great offer to come back to Massachusetts as a Regional Manager for a mid-sized engineering firm. In 2007, John joined Nobis Engineering as the Business Development Manager.
John is very active in the community both in Lowell and in his town of Kingston. He is on the Leadership Committee for Lowell General Hospital, a board member for the Realtor Commercial Alliance of Massachusetts, and the Advisory Board for the Salvation Army. He is also a member of both the Merrimack Valley and the Greater Lowell Chambers of Commerce. In addition to being a member of the WIB, John chairs our newly created Emerging Sectors Committee. He also leads four networking groups with representatives from the private sector, including one in Lowell that focuses on getting companies to relocate here. John is Chairman of the Zoning Board and a member of the Government Study Board in his home town of Kingston.
Organization Description:John is the Business Development Manager for Nobis Engineering, Inc. Nobis was founded 21 years ago in Concord, New Hampshire by Nannu Nobis. Nobis started as an environmental engineering firm but has since expanded to include geotechnical and civil engineering services. Nobis now has two locations and 90 employees. Nobis is an employee owned company which has been voted a "Top Ten Best Employers to Work for" due to their Corporate Core Values of integrity, respect, trust, teamwork, and an open corporate culture.
Nobis Engineering serves commercial, federal, state and municipal clients mostly in the Northeast region of the country. The Company expanded to Lowell, MA in 2008 investing $5 million to historically restore an old mill building on Middlesex Street, to which they received Gold LEED certification for the project. Nobis is committed to Lowell and is looking to grow.
Nobis is also committed to social responsibility. The Company designates up to 5% of its annual profits to charitable organizations with support focused on hunger relief, education and development of youth, workforce development, health and social services, and affordable housing. They also encourage their employees to get involved offering 24 hours of paid leave per year to volunteer in the community.
Upcoming and Ongoing Projects:Nobis Engineering, Inc., Lowell Office Building, 585 Middlesex Street, Lowell, MA
Rehabilitation of the former Davis Sargent Lumber Company into its Massachusetts office for Nobis Engineering. The 20,000 square foot historical mill building complex was redeveloped in a way that respects its historical and architectural integrity while also incorporating green elements into the design. This beneficial re-use project was approved by the National Park Service as a certified historic rehabilitation project, while also being certified by the U.S. Green Building Council as a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) project. Important green design elements include solar panels on the roof, high-efficiency lighting systems, use of recycled and local materials, high-efficiency heating systems, and use of non-VOC emitting materials in construction. Nobis' building is the first LEED certified historic rehabilitation project in Lowell.
City of Lowell, Brownfields Sites, Lowell, MA
Nobis was selected by the City of Lowell (City) for a Brownfields contract that is fully funded by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and administered by the City. As part of the contract, Nobis submitted a Generic Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) to the EPA to address environmental sampling and investigations conducted within Massachusetts.
West Boott Cotton Mills, Lowell, MA
Nobis Engineering provided civil engineering services from the permitting phase through the construction phase for the renovation of the former Boott Cotton Mills. The complex contains mills built from the mid-1830s to the early 20th century, reflecting the early use of water power, steam power and electric power. The project entailed converting the western portion of the mill into 110 units of loft-style condominium housing.
East Boott Cotton Mills, Lowell, MA
Nobis Engineering provided civil engineering services from the pre-acquisition phase through the construction phase of the $20 million renovation of Boott Cotton Mills. The complex contains mills built from the mid-1830s to the early 20th century, reflecting the early use of water power, steam power and electric power. The project entailed converting 215,000 square feet of the former Boott Cotton Mills building to 154-units of affordable housing units.
To learn more about Nobis Engineering, Inc. visit their website www.nobisengineering.com