Since his days as a young boy growing up in Hong Kong, Simon Wong (left) has been an engineer at heart. His unyielding drive to put things together and discover how things work remains with him today as he leads Simon Wong Engineering (SWE) — a successful San Diego-based structural engineering and construction management firm. “Hong Kong has a lot more high rises because land is so scarce, but in the U.S., 90 percent of buildings are just one to two stories. Here we have earthquakes and complicated seismic zones, whereas Hong Kong has typhoons and hurricanes. Other than that, the engineering is the same,” says Wong who came to the U.S. in 1975. “It’s about discovering innovative ways to create structures that serve the public’s need.”  | | The award-winning San Diego Metro Biosolids Center is a major sludge processing facility that consists of a centrifuge dewatering building, biosolid storage building, operations and maintenance building, energy building, a pump station, a digester complex including five concrete tanks, basement and tunnel, and a chemical building. The plant is critical in the treatment and disposal of the region’s waste. |
After getting his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in structural engineering from the University of Nevada – Reno, Wong entered the workforce as an “employee,” until 1986 when he decided to establish his own company, founded on his unique engineering standards and principles. Since then, SWE has flourished, completing the majority of its work in the San Diego region, and occasionally branching out to Riverside County, Los Angeles County and Nevada. Notable San Diego projects include the $200 million San Diego Metro Biosolids Center; Lindberg Field Terminal 2 East and Commuter terminals; the Black Mountain Reservoir; Vista Village Drive Bridge; and the Rancho Carrillo Pedestrian/Bicycle Overcrossing Bridge. The firm will also serve as construction manager for the Sprinter — a high-speed commuter rail that will connect Escondido and Oceanside. “This construction management role is a new direction for us,” explains Wong. “It will compliment our expertise in bridges, buildings, waste water facilities, civic and government facilities, and seismic retrofits. We are unique in that we can offer a full service approach to structural engineering.” In 2002, SWE became a member of the Jacobs School’s Corporate Affiliates Program (CAP) and an industry supporter of the School’s new Camp Elliott structural engineering test facility (http://www.jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/Camp_Elliott/) — the latest addition to the UCSD Powell Structural Research Laboratories. Wong is the vice chair of Camp Elliott’s board of directors. Membership on the board is achieved by a minimum contribution of $25,000.  | | One of Simon Wong Engineering’s latest endeavors is the San Diego Grossmont Hospital ED/CCU Addition Project, currently under construction. |
“Some of our best engineers have come out of the Jacobs School. It is regarded as one of the premiere programs in the country. The research facilities and faculty are world-class, and this mix produces the best students,” says Wong. “And I have known Frieder [Dean Frieder Seible] for a number of years – he is truly a structural engineering guru, especially with regards to bridge research and design. So partnering with the Jacobs School was an easy sell for us.” SWE looks forward to taking advantage of CAP’s extensive recruiting services to continue to draw a stream of talented, reliable engineers from the Jacobs School. “We are not a software company, we do not have any patents,” explains Wong. “Our product is our engineering knowledge; our assets are our engineers. So getting the best engineers available is critical for our success.” The firm is also interested in establishing research collaborations with the university as it continues to explore new ways to grow. “A lot of times, by partnering with specialty firms and organizations we learn new things as we go,” says Wong. “Sharpening our skill sets, exploring new techniques and research trends is what keeps us competitive. Our relationship with UCSD and the Jacobs School is a vital for this.” As the San Diego region has grown and prospered, so has SWE. “I could have left San Diego to work for a bigger company, but I wanted to stay local and be a part of the San Diego success story. I chose to live and die by the local economy, and after nearly fourteen years, it is rewarding to see the region prosper and diversify,” smiles Wong proudly. |
