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Quad City Business Journal
40 under 40

Chris Townsend, 33

President, owner

Townsend Engineering, Davenport

Education: Townsend graduated from Central High School in Davenport and The University of Iowa, where he received a bachelor's degree in civil engineering. He became a licensed professional engineer, or PE, in 1999.

Background: After college, Townsend began working for Doug Frederick, Johnson County's engineer. "I was fortunate enough to join him at Hart-Frederick Consultants in Iowa City, where I stayed for the next six years," he says. "Next, I joined Ashton Engineering, allowing me to move back to Davenport. Three years later, I had to make the decision to move back to Iowa City and partner with Hart-Frederick or stay in Davenport and start my own business. I chose to stay. It's been a year, and I'm happy with my decision."

Biggest influence/inspiration: Townsend says his former employees, Doug Frederick and Bill Ashton, have been his biggest inspiration. "They both had excellent work ethic and a great rapport with their clients. They let me control all aspects of my jobs and never micromanaged me. Because they let me do this, I was able to gain the confidence I needed to start my own business," he says. "They were also great people outside of the office. They volunteered for various community activities and had a genuine interest in seeing other people succeed."

Advantages/Disadvantages to being younger than 40 in business: Townsend says he is happy that he "took the plunge" and opened his own business at an early age. "I feel the long hours I'm able to put in now will pay off in the future. Being a Davenport native also is a plus," he says. "With the support of family and friends here, I've been able to get referrals and have a successful first year."

Future goals: "Starting Townsend Engineering was the best decision I've made. I want to continue growing, adding more staff members and clients," he says. "I also would like to get more involved in the community because I believe Davenport is a great place to live.
- Kolona News
  Professional Opinions:
.......Jason Duwa appeared by the council to present letters from engineers stating that oil sprayed on rebar in a cement foundation at 507 N Avenue will not have any adviser effect on the integrity of the foundation. City Administrator Morgan had removed the red flag on the foundation after receiving the engineering report from Christopher R. Townsend of Townsend Engineering, Davenport.
He urged that the city decide what they are going to enforce in the building code so all contractors can be treated objectively. He also urged the city to decide if Morgan is going to do the inspections when the City Building Official is not available due to his job in Cedar Rapids. Duwa said he was not asking for any special treatment, but would like to know what to expect for code enforcement.....
to read the entire article goto: www.zwire.com/site/news.cfmnewsid=19866817&BRD=1140&PAG=461&dept_id=
- Quad City Engineering & Science Council
  Bridge Building Contest
In 2008, the Quad City Engineering and Science Council sponsored it's first bridge building contest as part of a series of workshops supporting the Da Vinci Exhibit at the Putnam Museum in Davenport. Based on the success of the contest, the plans are to make this annual event with the 2nd annual contest scheduled for Saturday, February 7, 2009 at the Putnam.
Location:
Putnam Museum & IMAX Theatre
1717 West 12th Street
Davenport, IA 52804
General Information: (563) 324-1933 extension 205
www.putnam.org

Category:
The contest is open to any student, grade or age. A team may consist of one, two, three or four people. Teams will be categorized accordingly. All members of the team must be signed up on the registration form. Registration is limited to the first 30 teams
Team Categories:

Sponsors:
Quad City Engineering & Science Council
Society of American Military Engineers
American Society of Civil Engineers
Ashton Engineering
Townsend Engineering
Graef, Anhalt, Schloemer and Associates Incorporated
University of Iowa Engineering College
Iowa State University Engineering College
St Ambrose University
- Radish Magazine
  Taming of the Slough
River Action's Taming of the Slough, Aug. 23 on the Mississippi River in downtown Moline, Ill. This race is for hardened racers and newbies alike, and is best described as a sprint race since it takes less than two hours to complete. It challenges participants with a 2-mile canoe/kayak leg, a 7-mile mountain bike and a 2-mile run/hill climb where the urban setting meets rugged country. Last year's individual men's winner, Ray Nees of Silvis, Ill., had never competed in an adventure race until the first Taming of the Slough in 2006. "Seven years ago I had a 'heart episode' and my doctor told me I had to stop drinking, smoking and take better care of myself," says Nees. "I began training for a couple sprint triathlons with my brother, but thought I was going to die of boredom. A buddy took me mountain biking and it's been off-road ever since." In addition to the excitement, Nees says his new lifestyle and racing has helped him lose 40 pounds. Chris Townsend of Davenport, Iowa, an avid mountain biker who rarely gets a chance to canoe, says Taming of the Slough "gets people up close and personal with the mighty Mississippi in Sylvan Slough, which is a controlled environment with calmer waters." He also likes that the event has individual, team and relay options as well as racing, competitive and novice divisions. "The feeling I had when I finished is what's bringing me back," he adds. "I know I won't win, but it felt great running to the finish line. I couldn't remember the last time I spent one-and-a-half hours straight working out. I forgot how good it can feel."