VBFA (originally Van Boerum and Frank Associates) and BNA (originally Becherer Nielsen Associates) are two powerhouse local engineering firms that virtually every Utah architecture firm has worked with at some point, either separately or in a combination, as engineering consultants for their projects. They are mainstay Utah firms that are known for providing consistent, reliable mechanical/electrical (VBFA) and electrical (BNA) engineering design services for a myriad of different project types and a wide range of owners. They are now one firm: RESOLUT. On March 24, 2025, this fully integrated engineering practice launched their new corporate brand as a firm that provides mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection and acoustical engineering as well as security, audiovisual, architectural lighting design, controls, fire protection, procurement and commissioning. The 210-person engineering firm has self-sustaining offices in Murray, Logan and St. George, Utah, as well as Spokane, Washington, and Tempe, Arizona. Additionally, and impressively, the organization has contracts to provide engineering services in far-flung places across the globe: from Utah and Nevada to Saudi Arabia, Fiji, Ghana and Dubai. Their very diverse portfolio includes healthcare, higher education, corporate offices, K-12, civic spaces, military installations, churches, temples, municipalities, sports and entertainment, and a remarkable number of water parks. This broad field of experience, and wide range of services, allows them to pivot when specific markets encounter the inevitable downturn. Both VBFA and BNA were formed in 1972: 53 years ago. They flourished and grew as independent mechanical and electrical engineering firms, respectively. And, not surprisingly, engineers from VBFA and BNA have worked together for those 53 years on many of the same projects in the Intermountain West and for the same clients in other locations, some of which are pictured in this article. Creating an engineering firm with this combination of services has been discussed by different generations of VBFA and BNA leaders since the 1980s. It was just never the right time to marry firms until now. Jeff Watkins (VBFA) and Brian Hicks (BNA) are leading the consolidation effort. Hicks said, “We have dated for decades; we have had a long courtship.” Both companies dabbled in other specialties, hoping to develop a more comprehensive engineering package to offer clients. “It took the right leadership at the right time, saying, ‘I think we can accomplish more together than on our own.” VBFA + BNA Is Now RESOLUT Abravanel Hall Delta Center Hockey Remodel Hale Centre Huntsman Cancer Institute WCSD Career Tech High School 8 REFLEXION
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