Bloom Companies LLC

The I-35 Bridge collapse in Minnesota during rush hour traffic in 2007 highlighted the fact that our nation’s infrastructure had been ignored too long by both federal and state agencies. Mathew Tharaniyil, founder and president of Bloom Companies LLC (Bloom), says that he’s surprised that it hadn’t happened sooner. “State budgets are tight, I understand that, but something as basic as structural integrity should never be overlooked. Lives are at stake.”

Tharaniyil, who started out as a civil engineer for the city of Milwaukee, decided to leave his job and founded Bloom in 1998. From the beginning, the company’s talents have strived to offer cost-effective design solutions partnered with superior service.

Diversification Fuels Company Growth

In 2003, Tharaniyil expanded his service offerings with a construction division, Vista Design & Construction LLC. “There are many benefits to following a design-build model, and the addition of the construction division allowed us to offer a value-added service to our clients and pursue new opportunities,” said Tharaniyil. Today the company offers its clients a wide range of architectural, engineering and construction services. In 2008, Tharaniyil added another division, Bloom International LLC, to pursue projects outside of the United States. Tharaniyil says that the company is currently studying the feasibility of additional branch offices in the former Soviet Republics and the Middle East as it continues to thrive. Tharaniyil’s company has grown to more than 100 employees spread across five offices in the United States. Bloom is headquartered in Milwaukee, Wis., with branch offices located in Chicago, Ill., St. Paul, Minn., as well as Madison and Green Bay, Wis. The company also embodies international offices in India and Russia. Tharaniyil says that federal and municipal targets are paramount to continuing the company’s growth, in spite of the economic downturn.

The company has established a strong relationship with its clients due to the quality of Bloom’s extraordinary work. “We do a lot of specialty work and you need certain skills to meet client’s standards. But what it really comes down to is the quality of the work that you do. We’ve been able to grow because our clients really like the work that my employees do,” reveals Tharaniyil.

The company’s work has been recognized by Tharaniyil’s peers in the industry. The work Bloom conducted on the Calhoun Road Reconstruction project was recognized as one of the Wisconsin Public Works Projects of the Year by the Wisconsin Chapter of the American Public Works Association. This nearly $15 million project consisted of reconstructing the existing two-lane rural roadway to a four-lane divided urban roadway and replace the overhead IH 94 bridges. Bloom provided construction management services during the construction of this project.

Soaring Beyond Expectations

Bloom has been involved in numerous award-winning projects through the years. The one project that Tharaniyil is most proud of is the Historic West Kilbourn Avenue Bascule Bridge Rehabilitation Project. Bloom was recognized by the American Public Works Association (APWA) for the company’s exceptional design work on this historic structure, which is a vital link to the central business district of the city of Milwaukee. The project was recognized as a Public Works Projects of the Year during the APWA 2010 International Public Works Congress and Exposition in Boston, Mass.

This $16.5 million project involved the rehabilitation of the historic structure originally constructed in 1929. It required extensive structural, mechanical and electrical system upgrades designed to meet current standards, while preserving historic features. The goal of the project was to provide a rehabilitated bridge that addressed the city’s safety and operational concerns, met all of the state and federal requirements and maintained the historically significant aspects of the structure.

The successful rehabilitation of the historic bridge reinforced the city’s dedication to the heritage that made Milwaukee the place it has become and solidified Bloom’s presence as a trusted consultant.

Like most successful companies, Bloom enjoys contributing and giving back to the communities that have made the company a success over the years. Bloom encourages its employees to participate in periodic blood drives that are held adjacent to its headquarters. Bloom also collects food and financial contributions at the end of each year to help local food pantries.

In industry terms, 13 years is just a blip on the radar, but in that short amount of time Mathew Tharaniyil has been able to grow Bloom into one of the region’s fastest growing engineering and construction companies. The company’s outstanding, award-winning work and strong roots in the community more than explains Bloom Companies LLC’s impressive growth.