Who we are

Who we are

Who we are

The shared ideals of exceptional engineering
Design Tree provides expertise in engineering to lead planning and design processes in both urban and rural settings throughout the country. We have formed strong business-driven partnerships in the industry to deliver work that supports and improves both the built and the natural environment in the long term. Through our open internal culture and collaborative approach, we are driven to achieve a better future for your business and for the infrastructure of the communities in which we live and work. At Design Tree we are guided by our core values of Responsive, Accountable, Trustworthy, and Excellent while instilling our Humble, Hungry, Smart character in every interaction.
Aaron Mueller
Ownership Team - Electrical
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Aaron Mueller
Ownership Team - Electrical
Aaron Mueller
Ownership Team - Electrical
763-270-6313
PLANTED MAY 2013
PE, LEED AP, WELL AP
Aaron is one of four owners at Design Tree and an Electrical Engineer with over 16 years of experience. He started his career with 6 years as an electrician before attending NDSU and coming to the design side. He’s obtained his PE and is a LEED AP & WELL AP. Aaron has a seat on the company board, a member of our Executive and Senior Leadership Teams, manages the metro office and our Electrical Team, and is a crucial part of our electrical design processes.
Aaron Watkins
Structural Project Manager
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Aaron Watkins
Structural Project Manager
Aaron Watkins
Structural Project Manager
320-460-7105
PLANTED MARCH 2021
Amy Fandrich
Plumbing Designer
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Amy Fandrich
Plumbing Designer
Amy Fandrich
Plumbing Designer
320-460-7108
PLANTED JULY 2006
Amy is a talented plumbing designer with 18 years of experience and enjoys the challenges of coordinating with all disciplines. She does the plumbing design for our Casey’s Stores jobs, tackles the majority of our AutoCAD plumbing projects at Design Tree and is a skilled Revit user. Outside of work she’s happiest spending time with her family and friends and with the choice to be anyplace else at this moment, it would be somewhere warm. Amy cares about the environment and supports the National Alopecia Areata Foundation.
Chad Buseman
Electrical Project Manager
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Chad Buseman
Electrical Project Manager
Chad Buseman
Electrical Project Manager
320-460-7106
PLANTED APRIL 2008
Chad has been in the industry for 12 years. He plays a dual role as designer and project manager on many of our electrical projects. If he weren’t spending his days with us, he’d love to be a hunting and fishing guide/outfitter. He’s a member of MDHA, NRA, Pheasants Forever and other outdoor clubs and thinks getting kids involved in the outdoors and off electronics is important. Someday he’s going to spend a summer in Alaska, go on a fly-in fishing adventure and skydive, perhaps all in the same trip because that’s the kind of go-getter he is.
Dan Folsom
Ownership Team - Operations
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Dan Folsom
Ownership Team - Operations
Dan Folsom
Ownership Team - Operations
320-227-0202
PLANTED AUGUST 2008
Dan is our President; he spends more time doing business development and leading the Operations Team now, but he spent a good deal of time as a Civil Engineer and keeps up on project work regularly. He’s a PE and has been in the industry for 30 years. His main focus is the well being of Design Tree and the good people that make it work. Outside of work, his greatest accomplishment is raising two wonderful children and he’s happiest while spending time with family, golfing, hunting and fishing.
Gary Peterson
Mechanical Designer
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Gary Peterson
Mechanical Designer
Gary Peterson
Mechanical Designer
320-227-0208
PLANTED JUNE 2012
Gary is an integral part of our daily IT operations and member of our Mechanical Team. He’s been in the industry for 25 years. A chat about hockey, hunting, fishing, standards or internet speeds will keep you occupied for quite a while. Gary is passionate about what he does in and out of work. Specifically helping his wife raise their daughter for who she is today. One day he hopes to tour Alaska in an RV, go extreme river rafting and hang gliding.
Grant Trokey
Mechanical Designer
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Grant Trokey
Mechanical Designer
Grant Trokey
Mechanical Designer
763-270-6315
PLANTED MAY 2015
Grant is a member of our Mechanical Team, working towards his PE. He graduated from St. Cloud State University and interned with us before joining our team full time after graduation. He said his dream occupation would be to own a zoo, and is a supporter of the notion to Adopt, Don’t Shop for pets. He has two dogs, Ella and Kona, and someday hopes to go on an African Safari. When he’s not working he enjoys woodworking and relaxing at the cabin.
Jeremy Anderson
Ownership Team - Civil
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Jeremy Anderson
Ownership Team - Civil
Jeremy Anderson
Ownership Team - Civil
320-460-7104
PLANTED AUGUST 2008
Jeremy is one of four owners at Design Tree and a PE with 20 years of experience. He leads our Civil & Structural Teams and tends to monthly project billing. Outside of the office, he’s a proud farmer who loves to spend time with his family, hunt, fish and golf. He’d love to be a professional hunter, and someday hopes to hunt in Africa, golf St. Andrews and travel the world with his family, starting with Hawaii and Alaska. A simple Newcastle Brown Ale is his drink of choice at Happy Hour.
Joe Klinkhammer
Leadership Team - Mechanical
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Joe Klinkhammer
Leadership Team - Mechanical
Joe Klinkhammer
Leadership Team - Mechanical
763-270-6305
PLANTED JUNE 2018
Joe is a PE with 8 years of experience in the industry. He has accelerated a number of our internal development goals such as Revit standardization, incorporating energy modeling, and continuing the education of our mechanical department. Joe’s competitive spirit shines through in the board games and sports he enjoys but mellows with a good bourbon or when talking politics with friends between hands of sheep-head. He has checked off six of the 50 items on his bucket list; snowboarding in the Rockies, meeting someone famous randomly, surfing and cliff diving in Hawaii, riding the skycoaster at Royal Gorge bridge, and making the hike to camp at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. However he says the best and most enjoyable bucket list item that he has checked off is becoming a dad.
Joe Nicholson
Structural Engineer
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Joe Nicholson
Structural Engineer
Joe Nicholson
Structural Engineer
320-460-7107
PLANTED NOVEMBER 2014
Joe is licensed as a PE and Structural Engineer with 23 years in the industry. He is a member of our Structural Team and spends a lot of his time on our Casey’s Stores projects. If he weren’t an engineer, he would have wanted to be an Elementary school teacher. He supports Youth Education and activities and the Red Cross. His team placed second in his local curling league, he said he’s not quite sure how. He spends a lot of his time staying active; walking his two dogs, playing with his kids, boating, fishing and jumping on the trampoline. Someday he hopes to go to the World Series and the Super Bowl.
Jon Schuette
Ownership Team – Land Survey
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Jon Schuette
Ownership Team – Land Survey
Jon Schuette
Ownership Team – Land Survey
320-460-7110
PLANTED AUGUST 2008
Jon is one of four owners at Design Tree, he’s a Registered Land Surveyor with 17 years of experience and leads our Land Survey Team. When he’s not working, he’s happiest while outdoors. He enjoys camping, hunting and fishing and would be a Guide if he had the chance. He supports the protection of our natural resources and takes pride in his children and loves to share his passions with them. One day he hopes to go to Alaska to hung big game but would be hanging on the beach in warmer weather right now if he had the chance.
Melissa Folsom
Financial & Administration
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Melissa Folsom
Financial & Administration
Melissa Folsom
Financial & Administration
320-460-7103
PLANTED JANUARY 2011
Melissa is the source for much of the energy that keeps Design Tree details running smoothly day to day. She worked at three large firms in the Twin Cities area before leaving the industry to raise her kids and run her own retail business. Including her time spent with us, she has 21 years under her belt doing everything from HR, to billing and administration. Her greatest accomplishment is raising good, kind, thoughtful kids with her husband Dan. When she’s not working or on Mom duty, she loves to read, walk the dogs, workout and meet her friends for Happy Hour where you’ll find dry rub chicken wings and a whiskey/seven up in front of her.
Michael Gerber
Civil Engineer
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Michael Gerber
Civil Engineer
Michael Gerber
Civil Engineer
320-227-0203
PLANTED JULY 2017
Mike is a Civil Engineer with his PE license; he’s been in the industry for 6 years. He likes to watch motorsports & racing to unwind and thinks about retirement but also still orders chicken fingers at Happy Hour, so we think he’s still got a few good years left in him. Mike has a passion for 4H, likes to spend time at home and values a good listener.
Nick Webb
Mechanical Designer
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Nick Webb
Mechanical Designer
Nick Webb
Mechanical Designer
320-227-0206
PLANTED AUGUST 2012
Nick is part of our Mechanical Team and designs the HVAC systems for our Casey’s General Stores work and has been in the industry for 7 years. If he could be anywhere right now, he’d be somewhere in the woods. He loves to spend time with his family, go hunting and fishing and visit the shooting range. His kids are one of his greatest accomplishments in life. One day he’ll take a trip to Europe, but for right now a Coors at Happy Hour will do the trick.
Paul Quirin
Senior Project Manager
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Paul Quirin
Senior Project Manager
Paul Quirin
Senior Project Manager
763-270-6304
PLANTED SEPTEMBER 2019
Paul is a licensed PE, LEED AP and a certified energy manager (CEM). He’s been in the industry for 25 years. He’s a big Minnesota Wild fan and would love to see them win the Stanley Cup, although he thinks World Peace might happen before then. Outside of work he likes to travel and explore on family vacations, read, watch his boys play baseball, football, and basketball. He participated in the first China Vasaloppet in 2003, and someday hopes to take a Mediterranean cruise and go on safari in Africa.
Phil Haight
Electrical Engineer
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Phil Haight
Electrical Engineer
Phil Haight
Electrical Engineer
763-270-6302
PLANTED OCTOBER 2021
Rick Brander
Electrical Designer
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Rick Brander
Electrical Designer
Rick Brander
Electrical Designer
763-270-6312
PLANTED APRIL 2013
Rick has 30 years of experience as an Electrical Designer and touches nearly every Electrical project that comes through our office. He used to be a pretty good drummer and was in a few pretty good bands. He says if it weren’t for his love of electrical engineering, he’d have pursued being a musician and songwriter, making millions. But in this lifetime, he likes to fish and he’d escape to someplace warm if he had the chance. He unwinds by watching a good movie and his big goal in life is to just catch that trophy fish.
Riley Kephart
Civil Designer
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Riley Kephart
Civil Designer
Riley Kephart
Civil Designer
320-460-7113
PLANTED MAY 2009
Riley is a part of our Civil Team and has been the master behind many of our 3D renderings for over 11 years. Riley loves to travel solo and has made many excursions both nationally and internationally with only his dog riding alongside him. Last year he went over 22,000 miles around the entire perimeter of the US, seeing every inch of coastline and staying in over 100 different campgrounds. He’s visited every state and now he wants to visit as many small islands as he can. He does spend a lot of time here at home though and when he’s home, he loves cooking and being outdoors. With all his travel experience, he’d love to sit down and buy you a drink to discuss where you might want to adventure next.
Robert Schuster
Leadership Team - Mechanical
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Robert Schuster
Leadership Team - Mechanical
Robert Schuster
Leadership Team - Mechanical
763-270-6316
PLANTED APRIL 2017
Robert is part of our Leadership Team at Design Tree and is a licensed mechanical engineer with 10 years of experience designing commercial HVAC and plumbing systems. He is a key project manager and a member of both ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Engineers) and ASPE (American Society of Plumbing Engineers). Robert has a thorough knowledge of mechanical, plumbing, and energy codes and can recall sections like they’re jersey numbers of his favorite athletes. That explains a lot considering he could see himself being a sports statistician if he weren’t an engineer. Outside of the office, Robert enjoys spending time with family and friends, cheering on our hometown sports teams, playing chess, going fishing and volunteering at his church. And one day, he’s going to visit Alaska and Hawaii.
Ryan Williams
Mechanical Designer
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Ryan Williams
Mechanical Designer
Ryan Williams
Mechanical Designer
320-227-0205
PLANTED MARCH 2021
Ryan is part of our Mechanical Team and has been in the industry for 15 years as a HVAC and Plumbing designer. He was a HVAC fabricator prior to graduating from Dunwoody College of Technology in 2008. Ryan offers a wide range of project experience such as Multi-Family, Student Housing, Wastewater Treatment Facilities, Government, Historic Renovation and Retail. In Ryan's spare time, he enjoys fishing, grilling, cheering on his favorite sports teams, gaming, and spending time with family. One day, he plans on visiting Bora Bora.
Tom Bernstein
Electrical Designer
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Tom Bernstein
Electrical Designer
Tom Bernstein
Electrical Designer
763-270-6303
PLANTED JULY 2019
Tom is working towards becoming an Electrical Engineer while at Design Tree. He currently has his EIT and has been in the industry for 4 years. The sound of styrofoam makes him cringe, he enjoys “speedrunning” a couple of token video games, including Toy Story where he strives to get a top 5 finish on the World leaderboard, and he’ll talk to you about preventing Global Warming or the reduction of carbon emissions over a Hamms’ at happy hour.