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Allen and Shariff was founded in 1993 by Bill Allen and Zack Shariff. The company opened
for business in Columbia, Maryland and despite a nationwide recession, grew and developed
a reputation for quality design services in MEP: mechanical engineering, electrical
engineering and plumbing.
Today Allen and Shariff provide services in building design, construction, project management,
and project finance worldwide.
In 2012 Mary Cannon was promoted to President of the company. Dr. Bill Allen also transitioned
to the role of Dean of the newly launched Allen & Shariff University, which provides
continuing education to all employees.
It was 1999 when I retired from the Navy that Bill and Zack brought me on board. After about
the first five years the construction side really took off and blossomed into what it
is right now.
A turning point for the company came in 2001 with the contract for MEP and IT design
of Baltimore's East Inner Harbor. The 1-million-100-thousand square foot project consisted of 2 hotels,
a 7-plex movie theatre, an office building, condominiums, retail, health club, and parking
garage. The project helped launch Allen and Shariff into a decade of recognition and growth.
The company took off, winning numerous projects in the Mid-Atlantic region, serving clients:
in office buildings, health care facilities, R and D labs, schools, multi-use town centers,
movie theaters and NFL stadiums. In fact, Allen and Shariff was part of two separate
design teams that built Heinz Field, home of the Pittsburgh Steelers and M and T
Bank Stadium, home of the Baltimore Ravens.
I'd say our reputation is that we are great team players, that we provide really great
service, we seem to get the harder jobs in town, and our clients just love the way we
provide service and are proactive in helping them find solutions to problems.
To ensure people and processes were aligned to support the company's explosive growth,
and to guarantee that the company stayed true to its values of integrity, excellence and
corporate citizenship, Allen and Shariff adopted the Malcolm Baldrige model, and in 2007 won
the Maryland Quality Award.
Our focus and our success has been our people, and the culture that we have within the company
and the culture of excellence that we want to continue to build upon and create within
the company
In 2008 Allen and Shariff and Consortio International launched a joint venture and went international,
opening a operation center based in Abu Dhabi to support the Middle East and North Africa.
Today, that office oversees dozens of projects throughout the region.
I always say, "you have to pretend like this is your project. When you're designing
this building pretend like you're the owner. How do you want it? You're the guy paying
for it. So what are you going to buy? What are you going to put in it?" We take that
approach. There's a lot of ways to design systems and buildings' I think that's
been part of our success too, is to be able to develop the practical solutions.
Always forward thinking, Allen and Shariff was one of the first design/build firms to
establish an environmental policy, committed to using solar and wind energy, and to offering
Green, Energy Efficiency Services. Many projects have achieved LEED certification.
Recognized as one the best places to work, Allen and Shariff has been featured in Building
and Design Magazine, and its projects have won top industry awards, including Zweig White's
'Hot Firms' award, and in 2012 Ernst and Young awarded Zack Shariff the Entrepreneur
of the Year amongst Maryland Engineering Firms.
I think you'll find that Allen and Shariff has a small business feel, but we have a big
business capability. And that's one thing you're going to see throughout this company.
In 2013 Allen and Shariff launched its health care consulting group, which focuses on serving
its healthcare clients in compliance, operations and litigation.
We have a lot of exciting things going on. We are just starting our healthcare consulting,
which has a lot of potential. I'm very excited about that.
Initially we will offer services to existing relationship clients, in the area primarily
in compliance.
So how will Allen and Shariff expand on the culture of excellence in the future?
I see us almost as an Ernst and Young, or SAIC, L3, somewhere in that high-end consultancy
company. Where people recognize the name globally.
Thanks to outstanding leadership and a talented and committed workforce, Allen and Shariff
is the company everyone is talking about. The company clients are turning to, to solve
complex challenges in building design, construction, energy project finance, and health care
consulting. Allen and Shariff is ready. Here to serve you and make your project a
success.