About Us

A half century of making big ideas in the built environment possible

Committed. Pragmatic.
Adept. Honorable.
Self-Assured.

At VLMK, we deliver pragmatic, expert solutions to a wide range of clients, both as subconsultants and prime consultants. The services we offer include both engineering and design. As a multifaceted team of trustworthy and genuine professionals with a wealth of knowledge and skills, we are driven by a relentless focus on the success of our clients. Our enduring success over the past 50+ years is the result of our commitment to honorable business, hard work, and excellence.

Graphic with four older white men - founders of the company
Exterior of midcentury modern office building with trees
Photo of 12 white males in front of an office space

Company History

1971: Firm Founded

Founded in 1971 in Portland, Oregon by Fred Van Domelen. Within the first year,  Dirk Looijenga joined the firm to create Van Domelen / Looijenga Consulting Engineers who shared a two-room office space with an interior designer before moving into an old house near the Ross Island Market. The firm’s primary emphasis at that time was on providing quality consulting structural engineering services. Fred’s involvement in the tilt-up industry, led the firm to also work on Design-Build projects. In time, the firm ventured into designing industrial buildings as the prime design consultant, with the assistance of an architectural sub-consultant. This approach differed from the more traditional model in the A/E industry, where the architect usually takes the lead.

1980s: McGarrigle & Knauf Join The Firm

After 10 years of successful operations, founding partner Fred Van Domelen began expanding the firm’s expertise into civil engineering and a broader range of planning and design services. A forward thinker by nature, Fred anticipated the need for the next generation of leadership and welcomed Roger McGarrigle and Jim Knauf to the firm as partners. VDL & Associates then became known as Van Domelen, Looijenga, McGarrigle, Knauf Consulting Engineers.

1990s: The Second Generation of Leaders

During the 1990s, the second generation of leaders at VLMK arrived on the scene: Greg Blefgen, Chris Palmateer, Havlin Kemp, Kevin Kaplan, Jason Sahlin, John Brooks, and Trent Nagele. The staff grew to 40 people and the iconic mid-century modern office building in the John’s Landing / Lair Hill neighborhood underwent its own expansion.

In 1997, Fred, along with the other original owners of VLMK, began their internal transition with the new partners before fully retiring in the early 2000s.

2010s: A Rebranding

In 2015, the firm rebranded from VLMK Consulting Engineers, Inc. to VLMK Engineering + Design and a new iteration of the company logo was created. The new logo — its current form — features a plumb bob as a symbol of justice, integrity, precision, and longevity.

2020s: A New Wave of Leaders

Around 2020, VLMK welcomed additional partners, beginning what will become a third generation of leadership.

“I have worked with VLMK on 5 different projects, in 3 different states. VLMK earns a rock solid A, concerning value engineering, understandable and comprehensive drawings. However, the best part of working with VLMK, and where they really shine, earning them an A+, is their cooperation, accessibility, approachability and real time lighting fast responses, giving you answers for those inevitable unforeseen problems that always crop up. VLMK keeps the job moving forward, and is invaluable for helping keep the project on schedule! I would not hesitate for one second recommending them for any would be client for their structural design/engineering needs.”

Clark Harris, Tilton Pacific Construction

“We believe in recognizing the experts in and out of our organization. Trusting VLMK as the expert saved us invaluable time in a very compact window to complete this project on schedule, even with unforeseeable environmental challenges associated with building through the winter months. We realized savings by partnering with VLMK to also do project management and cost control on items we would not have had the knowledge base to question.”

Steve Mickels, American Steel

“VMLK’s team is excellent at blending professionality with personality. They are thorough in all project interactions and provide fast and accurate responses to keep projects moving. Having worked with them for several years and with multiple clients, it has been easy to develop strong professional relationships that foster project success as well as cultivating friendships along the way.”

Lauren Markus, MCG Architecture

“They are proactive, consistent, transparent, hardworking, open and honest. In 15 years of work I have not met another consultant, let alone an entire team, that meets the level that VLMK attains. You have created the benchmark I judge all other engineers against, regardless of discipline. That is no BS, just the truth.”

Brian Peters, Woodblock Architecture
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VLMK Engineering + Design does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability, national origin, veteran status, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit, and business need.