Ackerman-Estvold’s Jones Earns Professional Registration

Cole Jones, PE

Minot, N.D. – Ackerman-Estvold is pleased to announce that Cole Jones recently earned his North Dakota Professional Engineer registration from the North Dakota State Board of Registration.

Jones has been with Ackerman-Estvold since 2018 as a full time Civil Engineer with a focus on transportation projects for counties and cities throughout the state. He is serving as City Engineer for some of our smaller rural clients. In addition, Cole spent four years as a summer intern with the company before graduating which provided a lot of experience in the field gaining knowledge in construction, inspection, and project workflow.

Jones earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from North Dakota State University in Fargo, North Dakota.

Ackerman-Estvold is a professional engineering and architectural firm headquartered in Minot, ND, with an additional office location in Fargo and Williston, ND and Boise, ID. The firm provides planning, design, and construction services for public and private clients throughout North Dakota and surrounding states. For more information about Ackerman-Estvold visit ackerman-estvold.com.

Ackerman-Estvold’s CEO Ryan Ackerman Honored with Professional Water Wheel Award at 2024 Joint North Dakota Water Convention and Irrigation Workshop

Ryan Ackerman, PE., President/CEO of Ackerman-Estvold Receives Water Wheel Award.

MINOT, N.D. — On December 12th, 2024, our CEO Ryan Ackerman was honored with the Water Wheel Award at the 61st annual Joint North Dakota Water Convention and Irrigation Workshop in Bismarck.

The Water Wheel Award is a joint award given by the North Dakota Water Users Association and the North Dakota Water Resource Districts Association in recognition of distinctive leadership and perseverance for the protection, development and management of North Dakota’s water resources, thereby fostering a better quality of life for residents of North Dakota.

Ackerman is one of the founders, and the President/CEO, of Ackerman-Estvold, a full-service civil engineering and architectural consulting firm providing planning, design, and construction services for public and private clients throughout North Dakota and surrounding states. His passion lies in water resources engineering, with a focus on flood control. Ackerman’s leadership on the Mouse River Enhanced Flood Protection Project has been vital to the region and continuing the completion of flood protection to the basin for the benefit of all residents. Through his work as an engineer, spokesperson and administrator for the Souris River Joint Board, he has been instrumental in assisting in the recovery from the devastating 2011 flood. Ackerman is dedicated to his community and the state in a variety of capacities, serving as chair elect of the Minot Area Chamber EDC board of directors as well as a board member for the Greater North Dakota Chamber. Ackerman and his wife, Jessica, also founded Aksal Group in 2017, a property redevelopment company specializing in revitalizing historic buildings in downtown Minot with a mission to provide space to support entrepreneurs and organizations looking to the future. Ackerman lives in Minot with his wife and two children.

ACKERMAN-ESTVOLD ARCHITECTURE DESIGN TEAM VISIT FLOORING MANUFACTURER FACILITIES

An important part of the architectural design process is planning the finishings of each build. A few of our interior design teammates recently had the opportunity to travel to Dalton, Georgia, home of the nation's leading floor-covering manufacturers, to learn more about the products they choose for their projects.

During their visit, the pair toured various Mohawk manufacturing plants where they saw how carpet, resilient, and sheet vinyl goods are made - from design, to material sourcing, manufacturing, and distribution. They received a comprehensive view of the carpet production process, along with a complete overview of the company, its history, and the types of flooring produced. The tour also included the mill's sustainability practices and use of eco-friendly materials.

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The amount of design, engineering, and passion for the reduction on environmental impacts was mind-blowing to witness.

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Project Designer Kimberly Keller, Assoc. AIA, stated, "We observed how recycled plastic water bottles are transformed into yarn, created into carpet, and how it is packaged and ready for delivery across the world. It entirely changed the way I view flooring."

The team learned that Mohawk reuses 58% of their total manufacturing waste and were surprised to learn that the carpet we walk on was once a water bottle! This gave them a greater perspective of the importance of reducing waste, how the design trends of carpet are generated, and the science behind different qualities and backing of the flooring.

Interior Design Director Jessica Egge, Assoc. AIA, ASID, gives an overview of the agenda and their learning experience.

1. Raw Materials Section:

   • Introduction to the materials used, such as wool, nylon, or other fibers.

   • Explanation of the sourcing of materials and their preparation, including cleaning, dyeing, and blending.

2. Weaving Process:

   • View machines that weave carpets, typically large industrial looms.

   • Explanation of various weaving techniques (e.g., tufted, woven, or needle-punched), that determine the texture and durability of the carpet.

   • Automated systems and hand-finishing processes

3. Dyeing & Design:

   • Learning how carpets are dyed, either before or after weaving.

   • Overview of design processes, from traditional patterns to modern custom designs, often using CAD technology.

4. Quality Control:

   • Demonstration of how carpets are inspected for defects, tested for durability, and treated with stain or fire-resistant coatings.

   • Explanation of the mill’s standards for quality and safety.

5. Cutting & Packaging:

   • How the carpets are cut to size, finished with edges, and prepared for shipment.

   • Insight into logistics and distribution processes.

6. Showroom:

   • Received a tour of the mill’s showroom, where finished products are displayed.

   • A hands-on QA session to feel and see the variety of textures, colors, and designs and ask questions about how the design is conceived.

7. LVT

   • View and experience the production and design engineering of LVT

Jessica Egge exclaimed, "The LVT process was engineering gold, it takes a whole building to produce the runs, the climate, the precision, and the process were the utmost impressive down to the packaging robots.

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Mohawk utilizes AI to help with production and packaging, to become more efficient and productive.

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During each visit, the pair were invited to engage with carpet mill representatives to gain a deeper understanding of specific production techniques or design innovations.

Egge continued, "From a business perspective, the marketing, distribution, and outreach strategies were particularly intriguing. It's hard to imagine how many tons of carpet are shipped worldwide, and the engineering behind it is truly impressive. It really puts the scale of the operation into perspective. The company's recycling efforts go above and beyond, reflecting a deep commitment to sustainability and the environment. As a tribe, we are responsible for providing for the future, and Mohawk embodies that philosophy. As a designer, this was fascinating and inspiring. The employees' sunny dispositions demonstrate the strong commitment Mohawk has to its workforce. I was genuinely impressed by the entire operation and the logistics of production. The experience was invaluable."