About Us // Our Story
Stewardship through Design
Fluent Engineering was formed in 2008 to achieve three goals, the pillars of our firm:
- Enhance the communities we serve
- Elevate our profession by applying our engineering method for the success of our clients
- Provide an effective outcome to our clients by utilizing a nourishing work environment for our employees so they can be creative and innovative to serve society best
This is best summed up by our motto: “Stewardship Through Design”
Listen, Learn, Adapt
We started off with one employee – our founder, Matt Cash, P.E., zero projects, and one client during the great recession of 2008 – and learned to never take our clients, projects, or employees for granted. As a company, Fluent grew to who we are today by providing quality, consistent engineering, not only through our deliverables, but also by being there when the client needs us and providing solutions to problems, projects, and processes.
We provide engineering services for the contracting method being utilized – We provide design engineering services for design/bid/build, construction manager / general contractor (CMGC), and design-build contracting methods and we have developed a process to listen to our clients to learn their styles, understand their needs, and foresee solutions. While we may start a new relationship with a client for assessment services, the method we employ usually expands into helping our client with financing, planning, contract methods, assessments, testing, and construction administration, not to mention design engineering services.
That is why we have a broad range of experts in many fields, including architecture, project management, estimating, commissioning, energy, thermography, specifications, and design – to be there for the full life cycle of the project and provide any solutions our clients may need now or in the future.
We are often asked, “how did you grow a company and become successful during the recession period?” The answer: by listening, learning, and adapting to our clients’ (and their stakeholders’) needs. Our success came from letting our clients define quality and delivering to exceed their expectations. Instead of chasing projects, we focused on forming a strong foundation, building long-term relationships and valuing every client and their resources, a principal we value highly.
PROMISE
Fluent’s Approach to Excellence
Meet to Understand
We will utilize the Owner’s Project Requirements (OPR) process to document and ensure that we begin from a common understanding of objectives, budget, schedule needs, and limitations.
- Timeliness
- Quality / Service Partnership
- Meet Project Goals
Communication
Once we understand the Client’s objectives and resources, we get to work executing the solution into the project deliverables and provide regular updates.
- Maximize Value
- Cost Savings
- Productivity & Effective Solutions
Quality Results
In our quality control process, the project deliverables are thoroughly reviewed for accuracy and clarity so that you get a high-quality finished product that is easy to understand and implement.
- Quality Workforce
- Environment
- Leadership
Learn, Adjust, & Revise
At Fluent, growth is an ongoing process. All of the client feedback we receive is used to refine our internal systems and increase our level of service. We’re constantly working on ways to improve processes and client relationships alike and this includes using tools like lessons-learned documents from each project to learn from the experience.
Owner’s Project Requirement Process
One of the best ways involvement can be managed is by utilizing an Owner’s Project Requirements administrative process. This process is an extremely valuable communication tool that details our understanding of the Owner’s needs, objectives, goals, requirements, and limitations. Prior to the project kickoff meeting, our team develops a draft Owner’s Project Requirements Document (OPR). The draft OPR document is provided to the client before the kickoff meeting for review and comments. This document is very useful for project managers to use for stakeholder assurances and buy-in. We’ve found that clients with multiple stakeholders find great value in this approach.
See below for an example OPR similar to one we’ve used on a recent Facility Condition Assessment.
Meet Our Leadership
Matthew Cash, P.E., P.Eng, F.PEO
President
Licenses
USA
- Alaska
- Arizona
- California
- Colorado
- Florida
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Iowa
- Kentucky
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- Minnesota
- Montana
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Oregon
- South Carolina
- Texas
- Utah
- Virginia
- Washington
- Wyoming
CANADA
- British Columbia
- Saskatchewan
Matt grew up in eastern Washington State (Richland) among scientists and engineers, including his parents, both of whom hold graduate degrees. The youngest of four siblings, he was raised with an appreciation for entrepreneurial efforts: His family history encompasses a four-generation food business, his father’s engineering company, property management, and the family pool chemical/services business.
While studying for his electrical engineering degree at the University of Portland (BSEE- 1999), he was named Student Leader of the Year, an award that recognized his leadership, involvement in volunteer services, campus ministry, and ideas for improving the student processes at UP.
Matt began his professional career at a lighting controls company, where he leveraged his knowledge of microprocessors and embedded systems design. He then discovered consulting and has not looked back since.
In 2001, Matt began working in a consulting firm. In 2006, he worked as a Project Manager/Principal Engineer for a local multi-disciplined architectural firm. Here, Matt’s entrepreneurial upbringing and professional training sparked an idea, and he began to formulate what would later become Fluent Engineering.
“My motivation is to continually improve the consulting process for the benefit of our clients.”
Matt started Fluent Engineering in 2008 with the three pillars of the firm summarized in its motto: Stewardship Through Design.
When he’s not at the office, Matt enjoys volunteering for his church/leadership council and serving on the Board for the Professional Engineers of Oregon as well as outdoor activities.
Jeremy Wenger, P.E., M.B.A.
Vice President & Mechanical and Plumbing Lead
Licenses
USA
- Alaska
- Hawaii
- Oregon
Jeremy serves as company Vice President and leads the Mechanical and Plumbing services department. He also serves as Project Manager for a wide array of multidisciplinary projects and is a member of both ASHRAE and the American Society of Plumbing Engineers (ASPE). When not working, Jeremy enjoys spending time with his wife and children, playing golf and basketball, and volunteering at his church.