MSA 1978

In 1978 MSA Engineering Consultants began as Marc Simoncini Associates (MSA) in a one room office totaling approximately 750 SF. The office was above a bowling alley in Sparks, Nevada. Our office was located under the “Greenbrae” sign shown above. The desks were built using 2x4’s and plywood. The drafting boards consisted of hollow core doors with barco drafting surface taped on one side to provide a finished work surface. The drafting boards were tilted using bricks as support and had the latest T-square technology….parallel roller bars!

Imagine a world without cell phones, PDA’s, iPods, computers, color copies, overnight delivery, and fax machines. We did have an IBM selectic lll typewriter, liquid white out and an AM/FM radio with 8 track tape player.

David Melroy began his engineering career in this office. He was hired during his  freshman year at UNR for $3.20 per hour. He knew how to draft from high school classes and had a vehicle to run errands. The outdoor windows were handy when it came time to change the ammonia in the blue print machine.