History & projects
Five decades on Conejo Valley ground
From a soil lab in a Westlake Village garage in 1973 to a purpose-built facility on Old Conejo Road.
How it started
Civil engineer Gerald Gorian founded the company with colleague Robert McCardell in 1973. The first soil laboratory was in the garage of Gorian's Westlake Village home. After six months the firm moved to a small Westlake Village office, which grew over five years to 4,000 square feet and 30 employees.
Gorian was president of the Ventura County chapter of the Building Industry Association in 1978, the year he died after a heart attack. The firm kept the name out of respect for its founder. In 2002 it moved into its newly built facility at the west end of the Conejo Valley.
From the archive
Representative projects
- Six Flags Magic Mountain, Viper coaster ride
- City of Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza
- Children's Hospital Los Angeles
- Alice C. Stelle Middle School, Calabasas
- Beverly Canon Retail Center, Beverly Hills
- Large landslide investigation, Somis
- Simi Village slope stabilization and basement construction
- Retaining wall repair and beach erosion protection
Clients and communities
Geotechnical consultant to Prudential Development Group through the stages of the master planned North Ranch project, plus major hillside grading for builders including Griffin Homes, Shapell Industries and The Lusk Company. Commercial work includes Westlake Business Park, North Ranch Corporate Center and Koll-Leonard Camarillo Center.
Public clients include the cities of Thousand Oaks, Agoura Hills, Simi Valley and Camarillo, Ventura County Public Works and Ventura County Flood Control.