Since 1930, van Zelm has given back to the world in which we work and live – through sustainable business practices, charitable contributions and community involvement.
A balanced life allows our employees to bring energy and enthusiasm to the demands of an exciting and challenging work environment.
We believe that time at work should be balanced by time spent with family, friends and on outside interests. Our company activities are always changing to reflect the interests of our team.
We are a people-oriented firm and that includes the children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews of van Zelm staff!
Since 1992, we have held an Annual Holiday Card Competition. The winning design, selected by an ever-changing team of judges, is proudly featured on the firm’s greeting cards.
The gallery of winning designs from 1992 to the present can be seen below . . . Enjoy!
Our deeply rooted culture of professional performance, honesty, imagination, and commitment has allowed us to attract and retain exceptional employees who enjoy working in a friendly, supportive atmosphere.
van Zelm fosters an environment where employees can work both independently and in teams on a wide variety of projects. Here, you are encouraged to be yourself, to be respected, and to grow professionally, while working on a wide variety of interesting, cutting-edge projects.
From the firm’s earliest days, we have been dedicated to the importance of investing in the future – the future of our employees, our projects, our community, and the world we share.
From its earliest days during the Great Depression, van Zelm Engineers has believed in the importance of philanthropy, maintaining a steady commitment to stewardship within the communities we serve.
We believe strongly that our Firm’s responsibility as a corporate citizen is to maintain an active involvement in civic and charitable organizations, through personal and corporate contributions.
van Zelm is committed to fostering student interest in STEM disciplines. Our management and staff are involved as mentors. They serve on university academic program advisory boards, and teach as adjunct faculty. They are active nationally in university construction management accreditation.
A member of the ACE Mentor Program of Connecticut since its inception, van Zelm has provided generations of mentors for ACE student teams, as well as Chapter and State Board Leadership. Our firm also makes significant annual financial contributions to ACE – CT.
van Zelm’s Joel Baker ACE Outstanding Mentor Honoree for the New Britain Chapter – 2017 Joel Baker (center) with Steve Krawczynski (left) and Tom Menditto (right)
In 1990, the van Zelm Heywood & Shadford, Inc. Endowed Scholarship was created to provide scholarships for students in the University of Hartford College of Engineering, Technology and Architecture.
In addition, van Zelm supports the award of annual scholarships through Professional Women in Construction, the New Britain Boys & Girls Club, and other AEC industry associations.
In addition to ongoing support of a number of philanthropic organizations, van Zelm is regularly involved in activies to help those in need in our community. Some past and current charitable giving programs include:
The Gingerbread House Contest was a great success in bringing teams together to design and implement their gingerbread house creations. The majority of the gingerbread house submissions were donated right before Christmas to the “We Are The Children” foundation/program.
“We Are The Children” is an organization founded in 1985 by Gary Craig, morning radio personality based out of Hartford, CT, and works alongside a committee of individuals and organizations to help raise funds and provide services to local children in need. For more information on the organization visit here.
Our donated houses were displayed for children’s enjoyment since 2016 “We Are The Children” annual Christmas day party. Representatives from the organization were more than happy to receive any/all donations for the kids.
According to Firm legend, the central figure shown holding the slide rule is our founder, Henry B. van Zelm.
