History
G. D. Houtman & Son, Inc. was founded by its name sake, Gustave D. Houtman, in 1945. Gus Houtman was born in Woonsocket, Rhode Island in 1894 and was a graduate of Brown University. Gus Houtman moved the to Delaware County area in the 1930’s practicing all phases of Civil Engineering. Following World War II, Gus Houtman opened a Civil Engineering and Land Surveying firm with his son, John E. Houtman (1945). The firm of G. D. Houtman & Son has been a fixture in Media ever since providing the Southeastern Pennsylvania region with Civil Engineering and Land Surveying Services.
The Early Years
Gus Houtman actively practiced all disciplines of Civil Engineering. Gus designed over 14 County bridges that span the major streams within Delaware County, many of which are still functioning today. Significant accomplishments of the firm during Gus Houtman’s leadership included the design, lay-out and supervision of the Earthen Dam for the Foote Mineral Company in North Carolina, design survey and construction lay-out for the Media By-pass, structural design of the Media Parking Garage, re-construction of the Rose Valley Sewage Treatment Plant, Municipal Engineer for over 15 Delaware County Municipalities and the Media Municipal Authority. Gus was instrumental in the Media Water Company’s decision to become one of the first water suppliers to inject fluoride into the water supply. Gus was also very active politically, being president of Media Borough Council for many years.
Although Gus Houtman practiced a wide variety of civil engineering disciplines, G. D. Houtman & Son is widely recognized for its Site Engineering, Land Surveying, and Municipal Engineering Services. G.D. Houtman & Son has performed countless boundary and topographic surveys, subdivision plans, street, sanitary and storm sewer design, and environmental and other State Permitting resulting in the addition of over 25,000 residential dwellings in the southeastern Pennsylvania Region.
The Next Generation
The firm was managed by Gus Houtman and his son, John E. Houtman (Jack), through the early 1970’s. As Gus’s professional activity slowed, the firm was managed by Jack and Gus’s nephew Edouard N. Houtman. Presently, the four sons of Ed Houtmann (Edward, Matthew, Gustave, and John) are providing the Engineering, Surveying, and Design expertise for the firm.
G.D. Houtman & Son, Inc is the Municipal Engineer for Bethel Township, Rose Valley Borough, Chester Heights Borough, Pennsbury Township, and Alternate Engineer for Chester Township. G. D. Houtman & Son, Inc services many area home builders as well as national home builders that have been active in the area. The firm also provides surveying and Land Development Services for individual property owners. G. D. Houtman & Son, Inc completed its 35,000 project during the past year.
Some notable projects that have been completed or worked on in the last few years include the Site Engineering for the French Creek Golf Course (2002), Stream Bank Stabilization Project for the Chester Valley Golf Course (2003) , the 500 unit residential mixed use development, Millview, in the City of Coatesville (2005) , several re-development projects in the City of Chester (2007), the Spring Lake Retail Center in Concord Township (2008), Belmont, a 280 unit active adult community in Bethel Township (2005), and the new Sport, Spirituality, and Character Development Center for Neumann College (2008). The preparation of subdivision plans ranging from two-lot subdivisions to 100 lot subdivisions has remained the staple of work for the firm.