Freese and Nichols endeavors to be responsible stewards of our communities and the environment through our comprehensive approaches to the life cycle of planning, design, implementation, monitoring and assessment projects. We strive to satisfy present needs of society and our communities while preserving the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

130 Years of Sustainability at Freese and Nichols

As we celebrate our 130th anniversary, we reflect on the resiliency of our own firm, as well as the resiliency of the communities where we live. Our longevity is a testament to our commitment to several key values: unwavering and innovative support for our client’s long-term sustainability, investment in our employees to support their continuous development, and formal succession planning – all so we can remain a strong, long-term solutions provider.

We believe that sustainability extends beyond just environmental issues. Today, it includes how we invest in our people and communities and how we hold ourselves accountable for socially responsible decisions while conducting business. These considerations are important for clients and employees, which is why our Sustainability Committee was formed more than a decade ago. It is also why we established a Corporate Social Responsibility Steering Committee to expand our lens of sustainable best practices to include efforts related to corporate giving, DEI, workforce and employee resource groups.

Our focus on continuous improvement means we advance our goals with a variety of tactics, such as: improving sustainability measure conversations and collaboration across technical groups for our client projects; funding and tracking our staff’s Envision or LEED certifications so we can better serve our clients; hosting sustainability-themed sessions with our clients and universities to educate the next generation of consultants; partnering with minority organizations on projects or for hiring; mobilizing a variety of corporate giving efforts; supporting our staff with robust and clear career advancement opportunities; offering employee benefits geared toward work-life balance; and more.

This On Balance report highlights the efforts of our leaders firmwide who are working to make Freese and Nichols resilient and sustainable for the next 130 years and beyond.

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The Framework

Our Board of Directors oversees our Corporate Social Responsibility work using a CSR framework that enables us to achieve a balanced approach to community stewardship with regular review of our metrics, client and employee feedback, and study of environmental and social needs over time. The Board receives annual updates from the Corporate Social Responsibility Steering Committee on our progress, and this framework serves as a basis for our report which includes three sections: Environmental, Social and Economic, and Accountability and Capacity.

This annual report reflects our dedication to tracking and improving all aspects of our influence as a business on the environment, our communities, and our profession.

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Responsibility for the Environment

Our commitment to environmental sustainability and resiliency guides our office practices, but the nature of our work as an infrastructure firm allows that commitment to extend to supporting our clients to help further their environmental stewardship goals, and planning, designing and implementing infrastructure projects with the conservation of earth’s resources in mind.

VIEW THE ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT
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Responsibility for People and Communities

Since our firm began in 1894, we have been dedicated to creating livable and enjoyable communities by way of practical and innovative infrastructure solutions. We continue to have unique opportunities to influence community-based economic development and enhance health, safety and wellness in the areas we serve and within our own business practices. In everything we do, from our hiring and outreach to employee resource groups to project partnerships, we work to grow a diverse and inclusive working environment for a better today and tomorrow.

VIEW THE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC REPORT
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Responsibility to Our Team

With a focus on building our team’s abilities to make strategic, sustainable, socially responsible decisions, we improve ourselves, our support for clients, and our positive influence on our communities. We continually find ways to equip our staff with technical and management tools to allow for growth as a well-rounded organization. Our Board of Directors is focused on sustaining Freese and Nichols as a key provider of challenging and rewarding career opportunities for our employees, meaningful and impactful projects for our clients, and reliable growth for our communities.

VIEW THE ACCOUNTABILITY AND CAPACITY REPORT
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About this Report
With plans to update it annually, the On Balance report reflects our dedication to tracking and improving all aspects of our influence as a business on the environment, our communities, and our profession.