Proudly Celebrating 80 Years
of Excellence in the Built Industry
The Entrepreneurial Spirit Builds Legacies
Charles W. Lerch founded Lerch Bates in 1947 as the first independent elevator consultant in Chicago. In the 80 years since our founding, LB has grown to be a global team of nearly 500 employee-owners delivering integrated solutions to some of the world’s most iconic projects, from 2,717 ft.-high towers to airports, stadiums and beyond.
Studio NYL was founded in 2004 as a small engineering firm in Boulder, CO by Chris O’Hara and Julian Lineham. The company has grown to 18 employees across four locations and won many prestigious awards for their projects including the AIA COTE Top 10 Award for their work with Payette at Amherst’s New Science Building.
"We're built upon a rich legacy of integrity and technical leadership."
For 80 years, a culture of partnership, technical expertise and responsive service has defined our firm. We are proud of the way that our founders’ integrity and optimism shapes who we are today.
Eric Rupe, CEO
We are Always
Making History
Charles W. Lerch starts an elevator maintenance and repair business in Chicago, C.W. Lerch Co. He adds elevator consulting in response to client requests, establishing the first-ever elevator consultancy in the U.S.
V. Quentin Bates joins C. W. Lerch Co. and both men commit to full time elevator consulting. They move the new firm to Denver.
Lerch Bates provided Vertical Transportation services for the iconic, 853-ft. TransAmerica Tower in San Francisco.
Lerch Bates acquires Citadel and adds facade access to its technical offerings, and acquires a hospital specialization group to support its Building Logistics practice.
Lerch Bates officially becomes 100% employee-owned via its ESOP.
First opening in 1995, Lerch Bates has provided multidisciplinary consulting services on many projects and expansions at Denver International Airport throughout the decades.
Chris O'Hara and Julian Lineham start Studio NYL as a small, boutique engineering firm in Boulder, CO.
Lerch Bates provided both Vertical Transportation and Facade Access consulting services for the Taipei 101, a 101-story supertall skyscraper in Taiwan.
Standing as the world's tallest structure, Lerch Bates provided Vertical Transportation and Facade Access consulting services for the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.
Lerch Bates acquires a testing and inspections firm in NYC to meet the specialized needs of clients within the NYC jurisdiction and Dewar Partnership in the U.K., further expanding its international operations.
Lerch Bates provided Vertical Transportation consulting services for this 26,319-seat multi-use stadium that is home to the Dynamo Moscow teams in Russia.
Lerch Bates celebrates 75 years of technical excellence and launches new multidisciplinary focus to clients.
Lerch Bates adds new services for pedestrian circulation, allowing clients to see the flow of people through their building from sidewalk to seat.
Lerch Bates Acquires Studio NYL, strengthening its ability to deliver Total Building Performance™ solutions by offering expanded service options for complex facades and structural systems.
Lerch Bates launches studio|LB as the architecture community's resource for enabled aspiration design and rigorous technical performance, together.
Lerch Bates will continue its dedication to its clients with trusted technical expertise and an ownership mindset delivered by 450+ employee-owners around the world.