The Discover Milwaukee Relocation Guide has a list of top reasons you belong in Milwaukee!* The list includes city features like being a fabulous coastal location on beautiful Lake Michigan and being home to Summerfest, the largest music festival in the world. Of course, food and drink made the list naming Milwaukee as a foodie scene and a brew city. And notable for those of us in the Transportation Industry, the list includes easy transit with the Milwaukee streetcar, called “The Hop”; the Milwaukee County Transit System; and the easily accessible Bublr Bikes.
Another reason to love Milwaukee? It’s home to Civiltech’s newest office! Our Milwaukee office officially opened in October of 2024 and is located at 330 E. Kilbourn, an exciting location in the center of the City, blocks from Cathedral Square Park, the Marcus Performing Arts Center, the river, and Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE).
It’s been less than a year since we established our presence in Milwaukee, and in that short time, we’ve already realized benefits and growth. We caught up with Director of Milwaukee Office, Amanda Kleinwachter, P.E., for an update on Civiltech-Wisconsin Style.
What has changed in the Milwaukee office since it officially opened in October?
First and foremost, we’ve grown quickly. When we opened in October, it was just me supported by staff in our other offices. Now we have 5 people in Milwaukee including a Senior Project Manager, two Design Engineers, and a Transportation Planner. All are from the Milwaukee area which is a great benefit to our work here. We’re thrilled to hire local talent and to benefit from their insight, experience, and knowledge.
Our Milwaukee presence has provided the opportunity to work more closely with our client, the City of Milwaukee Department of Public Works. We are gaining a strong working knowledge of the area and the transportation network. With our Milwaukee office, we gain direct experience and understanding of the issues that we’re working to address. And of course, being located in the city allows us to more actively visit project sites which leads to better design solutions.
What is the current project load in the Milwaukee Office?
We currently have over 10 active projects. The projects range from our ongoing rapid implementation bike and pedestrian facility design work to full roadway reconstructions. Our work includes locally funded projects, grant funded projects, and WisDOT Local Program projects that require designing to federal funding requirements. Most of our current projects are related to bike infrastructure and traffic safety improvements, and many projects include addressing reckless driving and traffic issues on a variety of different streets.
While most of our work is currently in Milwaukee, we have a side path design project in the City of Franklin. This project is in its preliminary stages, but we are excited to expand our services with this new client.
Has the Milwaukee office been a benefit to connecting with the transportation industry in Wisconsin?
Yes! We’ve enjoyed the opportunity to attend more in-person meetings with City of Milwaukee staff, and we joined ACEC-WI. With our Milwaukee location, we’ve been able to attend events, make new connections, and build new relationships. Also, I recently volunteered as a presenter at an MSOE engineering summer camp. I learned about the opportunity through following WTS-WI.
We have had the opportunity to host and attend Meet and Greets with local agencies, and other consulting firms. It’s exciting to meet others in the industry in Wisconsin, and our presence here has enhanced our ability to get to know other quality firms that we can partner with or utilize for subconsultant expertise.
What do you enjoy about the new office location?
I love our Milwaukee office. It’s located in a beautiful area, close to the river and to great restaurants. It’s easy to get to and close to our project locations, and we’re adjacent to the Milwaukee Department of Public Works.
What excites you the most about the future of the Milwaukee Office?
I’m most excited about growth and opportunity in the Milwaukee region and Wisconsin at large. We are actively pursuing projects with WisDOT and look forward to growing our client base.
The Milwaukee office is beneficial in recruiting young, local talent. I find it exciting to work with MSOE and other Wisconsin universities and provide young engineers opportunities with Civiltech. As for the office culture itself, I’m excited to bring in more staff to start rounding out the Milwaukee office with expertise in the many disciplines we have company wide. I’m also excited to learn from the “locals” about the Wisconsin way of life!
Favorite Things About Wisconsin From the Civiltech Team: 
MKE: Milwaukee
— “I really love that Milwaukee is a big city with so many cool and accessible outdoorsy things to do in and around it.” — Sam P.
— “The Milwaukee Public Market is very cool.” — Dave B.
— “My favorite part about Milwaukee is how great its park system is.” — Max L.
— “Milwaukee’s bodies of water and the restoration efforts.” — Barry S.
1. — “I’m a big fan of Wisconsin’s lakes and fishing spots!” — Zaneta M.
2.— “The bluffs along the Mississippi River are beautiful!” — Max H.
3.— “The great camping spots along the Kettle Moraine Forest. Fun fact: I got engaged and married in the state of Wisconsin.” — Amanda K.
4.— “Going to the Wisconsin Dells as a kid.” — Katie B.
5.— I love the picturesque villages of Door County.” — Tamara G.
6.— “Apostle Islands for sea kayaking!” — Keith N.
7.— “Devil’s Lake is a great place for scuba diving and snorkeling.” — Mark E.
8.— “EAA AirVenture (Oshkosh Air Show).” — Anna M.
9.— “#1-The beer, #2-The cheese.” — Phil H.