IPD Engineering opens office in Buffalo, hires two

SYRACUSE — IPD Engineering has opened an office in Buffalo’s Electric Tower to service clients and pursue work in Western New York.

It also hired two engineers from the Buffalo area to operate the new office.

IPD Engineering, based in Syracuse, provides heating, ventilation, and air conditioning; plumbing; fire protection; electrical and structural-design services.

The engineering firm is a sister company to VIP Structures and operates in 6,500 square feet of space between two floors at One Webster’s Landing, off Clinton Street in Syracuse.

IPD provides engineering work for projects ranging from hospitals, elementary and secondary schools, colleges and universities, office buildings, and industrial structures.

Buffalo office, hires

The company was aware of two “all star” engineers in the Buffalo market and “wanted to … duplicate what we had done in Syracuse” and contacted them, says Sam Cosamano, president and co-owner of IPD Engineering.

“We proposed a new office to them, and they are basically in charge of running that office,” says Cosamano.

The Buffalo location opened May 15.

IPD’s new hires include Charlie Raimondo, a project manager and mechanical engineer who has worked as an engineer for 16 years. The second hire is Jim Kinbaum, who also joined IPD as a project manager and electrical engineer. He’s worked as an engineer for 10 years.

When asked how IPD Engineering was familiar with its newest staff members, Cosamano indicated that “employees here knew them from previous employment with another employer.” He didn’t indicate where they previously worked.

Raimondo’s LinkedIn profile shows he worked as a mechanical engineer at GHD for the last year until this May, at IBC Engineering P.C. for the three years before that, and at M/E Engineering P.C. for nearly 12 years prior.

“They’re looking for opportunities in Western New York and we will support them here until they have their own staff … in that office,” he says of IPD’s new hires.

IPD’s Buffalo office can accommodate between 10 and 12 employees. Cosamano says they’ll hire based on the work that the office generates.

“I foresee a couple of employees in the near-term future,” he adds.

Verizon Communications is IPD’s “biggest client” in Western New York, as one of the new hires has handled work for that firm, according to Cosamano.

IPD also provided engineering work on a paper-mill project in Western New York “a few years ago.” It’s also worked with VIP Structures on other initiatives in that region.

“We just know that the Buffalo area is booming … We want to take part in that,” he adds.

When asked if IPD Engineering has plans for any other offices, Cosamano says he wants to see how the Buffalo location performs for “at least a year” before pursuing any new offices elsewhere.

Cosamano says he discovered the space in the Electric Tower was available by doing an Internet search, noting that he “loved it” from the first time he saw the building.

The space didn’t require any preparation work, other than purchasing some furniture, he adds.

IPD Engineering has considered opening other offices in the past but decided against it because engineers like to have an office close to where they’re working.

“We needed to have the right people in place and until now, we didn’t have that,” says Cosamano.

CNY projects

Locally, IPD Engineering was involved in the massive renovation project at the Marriott Syracuse Downtown, the former Hotel Syracuse, says Cosamano.

The firm also worked with Hueber-Breuer Construction Co., Inc. on a new milk-drying plant that Grober Nutrition built in Auburn, he adds.

“That was a very significant project for us. It had a lot of process engineering involved,” he says.

IPD will also provide “a piece” of the engineering work for the upcoming hospital project in Utica, according to the IPD president.

Besides Cosamano, the firm’s owners also include Sam Gramet, the company’s VP, and David Nutting, IPD’s CEO.

Cosamano describes IPD Engineering as a $5 million company.