Coffman Engineers Principal Robert Bigtas Reaches 30-Year Career Milestone

HONOLULU, March 16, 2023 (Newswire.com) - Coffman Engineers, Inc. (Coffman) is pleased to announce a 30-year career milestone for Fire Protection Engineering Principal Robert Bigtas, PE, FSFPE.

Coffman's Pacific Region Managing Principal John Thielst said, "Robert's career is marked by his dedication to this profession, his loyalty to clients, and Coffman. We congratulate him on this significant milestone and look forward to his leadership for many years to come."

Bigtas' depth of technical knowledge, passion, and client relationships has led to trusted partnerships with the local architectural and engineering communities as well as the U.S. Navy, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Air Force. Bigtas has worked on more than 80% of all military bases in the Indo-Pacific and completed services on more than 90% of all military facilities in Guam. 

Clients and colleagues across the industry celebrate his dedication and experience:

"Congratulations, Robert on making 30 years! It's been a pleasure working with you these last 20+ years." — Kendall Ellingwood III, AIA, LEED AP, Design Partners Incorporated

"I can always rely on him for thorough, up-to-date, and accurate information." — Francis T. Hino, PE, HDR

"As the Prime, it is 'reassuring' knowing that our clients and government engineers are familiar with Robert professionally and respect his fire protection experience and knowledge." — Warren Nakamura, WTN Architecture

Bigtas was born and raised in North Kohala on the Big Island of Hawaii and graduated from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. He joined Hawaii's first full-service fire protection engineering consulting firm, S.S. Dannaway Associates (SSDA). SSDA joined Coffman through an asset acquisition in 2016. Today, Bigtas is a principal and leads Coffman Honolulu's fire protection engineering department.

Bigtas is the current President of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) Hawaii Chapter, an active member of his neighborhood watch council, and values his relationships with the Hawaii fire departments. He is recognized by the national SFPE as a Fellow, a title given to members who are nominated by their peers and demonstrate significant contributions to the profession.

Bigtas credits his career success to those who paved the way for fire protection engineering in Hawaii and fellow principal Jay Higashi, who he has worked with for 29 years. "Jay is my partner in crime, and I credit most of my success to him. I'm also grateful to have learned from Sam Dannaway. He is a pioneer in this industry and had the foresight to train up leaders around him." 

About Coffman Engineers

Coffman Engineers is a multidiscipline engineering consulting firm that integrates many disciplines, including civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, fire protection, and other specialties, to offer local, high-touch services. Coffman has 695 employees in 20 offices across the U.S. committed to the team effort it takes to build a better world. Visit coffman.com or connect with us on social media.

Source: Coffman Engineers, Inc.