Firm History

In 1989, the US economy was looking pretty good. Eight years removed from a long and devastating recession, the unemployment rate in Indiana even dipped below 5%. However, what looked like smooth sailing ahead proved to be anything but. By 1991, the economic roller coaster was again heading downhill, which meant that unemployment was headed up. At that point, the only thing certain was that things were un-certain, and no one knew where the next turn might go. But right in the middle of it all, when logic said to stay put and ride this out, Bob Lamson, Dave Ter Horst and Mark Fisk launched Ter Horst, Lamson & Fisk, Inc. And the rest, as they say, is (our) history.

Ter Horst, Lamson & Fisk, Inc. came into existence on June 1st, 1991 and reported to work for the first time on Tuesday, June 4th, with an original crew of five. In those very early days, the main client was the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and the bulk of the projects concerned the Brickyard Crossing Golf Course. The Superintendent of Buildings and Grounds for the Speedway was the late Charlie Thompson, and it was Charlie who put his faith in this startup company, giving them a chance to do some work, prove themselves, and get their feet on the ground. His kindness will always be remembered.

1992 saw an increasing amount of work with another client by the name of Eli Lilly and Company. New names began to appear, as well, and many - like Eli Lilly - formed long-term relationships with TLF. Today, many of those clients from the first few years are still clients - and friends. Sadly, some are no longer doing business, while others have simply moved on. Still, TLF is grateful for these relationships, all of which enabled this young company to go from startup to grown up. At the end of 2005, Bob Lamson said goodbye and retired from TLF. Bob’s absence in our office has been sorely missed, but oddly enough, he rarely visits. Some have suggested that Bob has grown to enjoy pursuits beyond the day-after-day, 8-to-5 world of engineering.

Since those early years at TLF, the company has grown in a number of ways. We’re now able to provide clients with a wide range of services, including both structural and site/civil engineering, industrial architecture, landscape architecture, and industrial facility design. TLF’s business has grown as well, from $2.2m in overall sales in 1998 to $6.8m in 2008, and the number of employees has multiplied from the original “starting five” to a team of 40+. To accommodate that kind of growth, TLF has made a few moves over the years. Our most recent relocation was in November of 2009, when we moved into a new, 13,700 sft space at 3901 W. 86th Street. Coinciding with this move, we decided to make our moniker our legal name, so that we are now officially TLF, Inc.

Services

• STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING ensures that structures support the system elements critical to their function.
• SITE ENGINEERING highlights your building and provides external functionality.
• ENGINEERING SUPPORT SERVICES provides a variety of services tailored to your special needs.
• INDUSTRIAL FACILITY DESIGN provides the leadership to plan, design, construct and launch your facility.