Criterium Engineers was founded in the days when building plans were meticulously designed and drawn by hand. The dedicated engineer’s talisman—the plastic drafting triangle—could once be found on almost every drawing table in our offices. And while a clear plastic triangle might easily be lost on piles of white paper, bright orange drafting triangles always stood out brilliantly from the rest.
Yes, computers have replaced some of our tools, but the orange drafting triangle still serves as our logo today. It symbolizes knowledge built up over generations. A true passion for helping people better live and work in buildings they know and love. An unrelenting determination to bring value and to be the very best. These are still the elements of quality engineering consulting—and still the reasons why Criterium Engineers stands out from the rest.
A company’s name can reveal a lot about the values and interests of a company or its owner and in this case, both. Criterium Engineers’ founder’s passion for biking is part of the history for the basis of our Criterium name.
In the 1980s, H. Alan Mooney, P.E., an avid cyclist, then and today, was working with an ad agency to come up with a new company name that would be based on setting the standard for what we do.
An advertising representative, who knew nothing about cycling or Alan’s love of the sport, was intrigued by the level of detail and criteria involved in our day-to-day work. She suggested a name that she thought she made up: criterium. Alan explained that a criterium is a French word that already exists and is used across the globe for spectator-friendly bicycle races.
From Merriam-Webster Dictionary
Criterium: noun
cri·te·ri·um | \ krī-ˈtir-ē-əm : a bicycle race of a specified number of laps on a closed course over public roads closed to normal traffic
The Criterium name struck a chord and was ultimately selected and trademarked. We are now known as one of North America’s leading consulting engineering firms working with building owners, real estate investors, contractors and homeowner associations.
The history behind a name, including Criterium Engineers’ name, tells a lot about the brand, but this one also has a personal connection.