1923 – 2023

Celebrating a Century of People, Projects, and Partnerships

100 Years of
Responsive People | Creative Solutions

Our cornerstones have empowered us to deliver exceptional results for our clients for a century.

Humble Beginnings

The year 1923 was an active one for beginnings. The original Yankee Stadium opened. The first issue of Time magazine came off the press. Disney Studios began filming. The Hollywood sign was erected, and Charles Lindbergh took his first plane flight. That same busy year an engineer in two rooms in a Baltimore townhouse launched a new civil engineering firm. What was started as a small firm by Richard Sandlass, then joined by George Wieman, enjoyed steady growth over the decades and evolved to become Rummel, Klepper and Kahl in 1951.

Now known as RK&K, our success is rooted in the culture and values enacted by those early leaders. RK&K has always been a firm dedicated to the concept of collaborative teamwork, professional excellence and unsurpassed quality and service for the client. The RK&K Way has proven a successful strategy for a century.


Notable Moments in RK&K’s History

1923
Richard Charles Sandlass (left) and George Arnold Wieman (right) started Sandlass & Wieman Consulting Structural Engineers in 1923 in Baltimore, Maryland.

Sandlass & Wieman Consulting Structural Engineers Opens

Richard Charles Sandlass & George Arnold Wieman open “Sandlass & Wieman Consulting Structural Engineers” at 107 W. Saratoga Street in Baltimore, Maryland.

1936
Edward “Ed” Frank Rummel was hired in 1936. He helped form the partnership known today as RK&K.

Edward “Ed” Frank Rummel hired

Sandlass, Wieman & Associates hire Edward “Ed” Frank Rummel.

1946
Howard Schaefer Klepper hired

Howard Schaefer Klepper hired

Sandlass, Wieman & Associates hires Howard Schaefer Klepper.

1946
Due to the growth of the firm, Sandlass, Wieman & Associates move company headquarters to larger offices in Baltimore’s Mt. Vernon neighborhood.

Sandlass, Wieman & Associates Move to Larger Offices

Sandlass, Wieman & Associates move to larger offices at 1021 N Calvert Street in Baltimore, Maryland.

1947
William “Bill” Kahl was hired in 1947. He helped form the partnership known today as RK&K.

William “Bill” Kahl hired

Sandlass, Wieman & Associates hires William “Bill” R. Kahl.

1951
Rummel, Klepper, & Kahl Painting

RK&K’s Modern-Day Chapter Begins

Sandlass, Wieman & Associates formally changes name to Rummel, Klepper & Kahl (RK&K).

1988
Following several booming decades, RK&K’s growth led the company to move its headquarters to 81 Mosher Street in Baltimore. (The building is now part of the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) campus)

RK&K Expands to Larger Location

RK&K’s growth as a firm through the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s with new offices in several states spurred the move of our headquarters to larger offices in Baltimore.

2017
Candler building in Baltimore, Maryland

RK&K Moves to Present-Day Location

As RK&K expanded throughout the Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, and South Central United States, and its employees grew, the company relocated its headquarters to its present-day location along Baltimore’s Inner Harbor.

2023
RK&K employs 1,500 people with offices located strategically throughout the Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, and South Central United States.

Present Day

RK&K employs nearly 1,500 people with offices in 12 states and the District of Columbia.

Ready to work with us? Let’s get started.