On August 28, 1975, we opened our doors as Fitzgerald & Hagan, Inc. What began as a small drafting and design firm quickly evolved: within a few years we added engineering services to better serve our clients’ complex challenges. About five years in, we embraced a new name—Norwest Engineering—and a broader vision for what we could build together.
Our earliest projects were in Pulp & Paper, where we learned the rhythms of heavy industrial operations and the value of practical, buildable solutions. That foundation propelled us into a much wider footprint. Today, Norwest provides multi-discipline engineering and design across all of heavy industry, partnering with clients to modernize facilities, expand capacity, improve safety, and meet sustainability goals.
Fifty years later, our story is still written by the people who choose to work with us: clients, partners, and the Norwest team. We’re proud of the long-term relationships forged on job sites and in meeting rooms, of projects that moved from back-of-the-napkin sketch to startup, and of the trust placed in us to solve hard problems the right way.
Our 50 years are, at their core, a story about people. From designers to project managers, engineers, and support teams, every milestone we’ve reached traces back to the expertise, care, and grit of our employees and collaborators. As our Founder Mike Hagan put it, “It’s our people who make us the best.”
To everyone who’s worn a Norwest hard hat, reviewed a drawing at midnight, caught a risk before it became an issue, or stood shoulder-to-shoulder with us in the field: thank you. Your work is the reason clients trust us, and it’s the foundation we’ll build on as we take on the next 50 years, together.
As we mark our 50th Anniversary, our commitment remains the same: practical expertise, responsive service, and results that last. To our clients and partners: thank you for the last five decades of collaboration. We’re excited to build the next 50 years of success together.
