While mechanical engineering may not have made Salary.com's "Sexiest Jobs" list, the designer of a building's "guts" is a veritable rock star in the world of real estate development. Ask many in the business to point to the industry's rising star and you'll hear that the man who designs with the most vision, passion, and creativity is David Glickman. At 40 years old, Glickman, president of Glickman Engineering Associates PLLC (GEA), has gotten his hands dirty designing the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing framework for buildings on virtually every avenue in New York City. Current projects include the 2 million s/f Bronx Terminal Market, 800,000 s/f Gateway Center in Brooklyn, Marriott Hotels on 34th St. in Manhattan and on 40th Rd. in Long Island City, Neiman Marcus stores in Sarasota, Fla. and Princeton, N.J., and numerous high rise residential, hotel and retail facilities throughout the country. GEA has been ranked one of the top MEP firms in the state.
Glickman has always been on the cutting edge of technology and is a leader in energy-efficient design. While most engineers control energy costs by providing just enough heating and air conditioning to fulfill an architect's design, Glickman works with both owner and architect to ensure that less heating and air conditioning is required in the first place. Glickman's utilization of innovative window technology also improves upon the country's efforts to lower energy costs. Glickman prides himself on this economical attitude, which has saved building owners and developers countless dollars and has changed the standard in energy efficiency in New York City. His various co-generation projects-which use the simultaneous production of electric power and heat-have dramatically reduced the costs of generating electricity and are seen as setting the new standards in energy-efficient design. GEA has recently designed the mechanical system for Astor Chocolate factory, one of the first tri-generation facilities in the state of N.J.; the cogeneration system for Astor Wines and Spirits, one of the first approved uses of Capstone Microturbines in New York City and is proposing the use of a 1.3 MW Capstone Microturbine facility at a 1.4 million s/f condominium project in Long Island City, Queens, N.Y.
The long list of firsts accompanying the technical prowess that GEA has acquired doesn't come without its difficulties. Like anyone else, Glickman struggles to juggle the various aspects of his life. This does not refer to family, friends, social appointments or personal duties. Rather it refers to his unique responsibilities as the managing partner of his firm. In this respect Glickman balances his administrative duties with his technical and managerial responsibilities. As a relatively young manager, one with a strong entrepreneurial spirit who feels it was only yesterday he was working out of his attic, Glickman has discovered that delegating administrative tasks is a slow and involved process. After all, don't entrepreneurs do everything themselves? It's the old chief cook and bottle washer mentality that he has had to overcome. Thankfully, Glickman has a lot of help that he can rely upon. The office staff is wonderful and supports his activities while enhancing office morale. Glickman's partners share the psychological weight of the administrative duties although not all of the actual time spent on them. They were both administrators before they joined GEA and appreciate that they can concentrate on managing projects and garnering new business relationships.
All this is achieved with passion for and attention to the most intricate details entailed in a project's completion. Well beyond his years in both knowledge and experience, Glickman recalls his clients' reactions upon meeting him, "I have had clients with whom I have been speaking on the phone for months say to me when they finally met me in person "I thought you would be much older." Consequently, the multitude of GEA's repeat clients and loyal developers comes as no surprise. In fact, he still receives consulting work from the first two large engineering firms for whom he's worked in the past. Part of the reason for this, Glickman says, is his ability to write reports that are direct, easy to read, technically accurate and comprehensive. Glickman is highly active in his field, taking part in design meetings, inspecting job sites, talking systems and equipment, and exploring new technologies and resources such as cogeneration, daylighting, LEED and NYSERDA, photovoltaics and displacement ventilation. Additionally he has always maintained a sense of adventure and adaptability, especially on job sites. From being trapped on a 22-story building's roof, to escaping from a locked apartment building's basement, to buying bolt cutters to cut through a bolted door when a faulty key prevented the completion of an inspection, Glickman will do and has done whatever it takes to finish the job.
When his workload is overwhelming, his senior staff is charged with researching and mentoring other members of the firm about new innovative technologies. They then go out on sales calls and design kickoff meetings expounding recent developments and acquiring new and dedicated clients. This is one of the secrets to the firm's success and hopefully bright future.
GEA began this road to success not as a series of mergers and inherited acquisitions but as the brainchild of Glickman himself. He never bore the burden of seeking out his calling, rather it was a logical decision supported by a penchant for math and science, abetted by an undying curiosity to pull, rip, twist and tear things apart. As a student he consistently demonstrated a thirst for practical, technical knowledge inadvertently (or maybe purposefully) breaking some rules in the process. One spring break he was kicked out of his Miami hotel for taking apart the air conditioner in his room. He cites this incident as a desire to "destroy things and then build them again," improving upon old models and integrating new ones. Born at North Shore University Hospital (in which he has since replaced all the lights and mechanical systems) in 1967 and raised in Queens, Glickman is a native to the city he serves. This first generation American received his secondary education in Manhattan before attending Columbia Engineering and graduating in 1990 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering.
After college he worked at two large engineering firms, each for three years, and received his professional engineering license in 1996. He was then recruited to a small specialty firm studying energy analysis. It was after this firm asked him to relocate to Boston that he broke off on his own and began taking on clients while working for a firm on the side. Glickman struck out independently in 1996 working out of his attic and using moonlighters for production. While building up his core business during the first couple years he performed over a thousand home inspections. Two years later Glickman Engineering expanded to a small office in Long Island and after a year Glickman and his only employee moved to the 19th floor of his current Eighth Ave. building. Four years ago the company, by now steadily expanding, moved to the 11th floor in anticipation of many more employees. By now Glickman's transition from engineer to executive managing engineer was solidified and he was already making a name for himself as someone who had a personal stake in the client's satisfaction. GEA currently houses 35 staff members. In recent years it has merged with several firms greatly diversifying the type of work they do. In the process they have gained two additional principals who allocate work to an extremely capable and diverse staff.
Glickman is a man of strident conviction, unrelenting loyalty, and reliability. He applies these qualities to his home life as much as he uses them to succeed in the engineering world. He has been happily married to his wife for 16 years. Eden Glickman Esq. acts as the benefits administrator for Glickman Engineering as well as the tax liaison with the accountant. Together they are parents to six girls with whom Glickman spends as much time as he can, enjoying amusement parks, museums and trips to the zoo. A fan of physical as well as mental exercise he spins at his local gym four times a week and enjoys playing golf. Glickman is also a member of the Board of Governors of ACEC New York and is active in various charitable organizations. Tags: