Culture by Design: How D.H. Charles Engineering Built a Best Firm to Work For

D.H. Charles Engineering has grown from a small founding team into a construction engineering firm with offices spanning California, Colorado, Illinois, Oregon and Washington. But when the company was named a Best Firm to Work For, what struck leadership most wasn’t the growth story — it was the sustained culture of this 30+ year old firm.  

“What stood out most was how consistently our employees recognized the culture we have worked intentionally to build,” says Katy Carreiro, Operations Manager, DH Charles Engineering.  

The firm has long emphasized strong leadership, employee wellbeing, inclusion, mentorship, and professional growth, but seeing those priorities reflected so clearly in employee feedback carried real weight. It confirmed something leadership had suspected, but hadn’t fully measured: that culture at DHC isn’t a top-down initiative. It’s something employees themselves have carried forward and strengthened, including many who started in entry-level roles and grew into leadership. 

Why This Award Matters Most 

That distinction matters personally to Carreiro. Of all the recognition a firm could pursue, she says Best Firm to Work For means the most because it speaks directly to the people behind the work. Impressive projects and strong client results matter, but they aren’t what ultimately define a firm’s success. What does, in her view, is whether employees feel supported, valued, challenged and proud to work there. A firm can win plenty of industry accolades; this one, she says, is the one that actually reflects whether DHC is doing right by its own people. 

Staying a “Best Firm” Five Years From Now 

Sustaining that reputation for another five years, Carreiro says, will require the firm to keep growing as a team as much as a company. That means expanding into new markets and regions, but it also means continuing to invest in the people already there — listening to employees, adapting to their needs and giving drafters and engineers real opportunities to build new skills and advance their careers. Growth and retention, in her framing, aren’t competing priorities. They reinforce each other, as long as the firm stays open to change and keeps its people at the center of that expansion. 

The 25-Year Employees 

Nowhere is that philosophy more visible than in DHC’s retention numbers. In an industry known for job-hopping, the firm has staff who have stayed more than 25 years. Carreiro attributes that longevity to something simple but not easy to manufacture — employees who feel genuinely valued and connected, not just to their work but to the people around them. DHC has built a culture where colleagues support each other through life’s challenges and celebrate milestones together, recognizing that employees have priorities beyond the office. Long-tenured staff, she says, are proof of that culture rather than an exception to it — people who’ve had room to grow, take on meaningful engineering challenges and feel real ownership in the company’s future.  

“When employees trust that they’re contributing to something larger than a single job, staying becomes the natural outcome,” Carreiro says.  

Keeping Culture Consistent Across Five States 

Scaling that culture across five states, however, hasn’t been simple. Carreiro points to consistency as the central challenge of geographic growth: making sure culture and communication hold steady regardless of which office an employee sits in. DHC has addressed this partly through technology, building a custom project management platform that lets employees across the country collaborate in real time, with transparent documentation and clearly defined timelines that keep project delivery consistent for clients regardless of location. 

But Carreiro is careful to note that technology alone doesn’t preserve culture — relationships do. DHC was founded with the goal of becoming North America’s premier construction engineering firm, and its expansion reflects that vision taking shape. To keep offices connected as the company grows, DHC encourages interoffice collaboration, giving employees chances to visit and work from other locations. The firm also supports internal geographic mobility, allowing team members interested in relocating to grow their careers within DHC rather than seeking that growth elsewhere. The combination — investing in both connective technology and the people using it — has let the firm expand its footprint without diluting what made it a strong place to work in the first place. 

The Real Measure of Culture 

Ultimately, Carreiro points back to employees as the clearest evidence of DHC’s culture. One team member described the company’s culture as among the best they’d experienced, praising the firm’s dedication to quality work alongside genuine attention to personal wellbeing. For Carreiro, that kind of unprompted feedback confirms a belief the firm has held since its founding.  

“Investing in people pays off in the results they deliver for clients,” she says.  

So, creating an environment where employees feel supported, challenged and valued isn’t simply good internal practice, it’s a core reason DH Charles Engineering continues to attract strong talent and earn the trust of clients across North America.