2025 marks LAN’s 60th year of providing architecture and engineering services that shape communities. To mark this milestone, we are reflecting on our journey through LAN’s 60th Anniversary Webpage, which highlights the people who have driven the company forward as well as the major projects and milestones that have defined our growth and continue to inspire our future.
2025 marks LAN’s 60th year of providing architecture and engineering services that shape communities. To mark this milestone, we are reflecting on our journey through LAN’s 60th Anniversary Hub. It highlights the people who have driven the company forward as well as the major projects and milestones that have defined our growth.
Join us as we celebrate and highlight our history, honoring the people, projects, and milestones that have shaped the company over the past 60 years and continue to inspire our future.
Celebrate LAN Associates’ legacy of design and innovation with a look at our Projects Through the Decades. This showcases landmark projects that reflect our growth, expertise, and lasting impact on the communities we serve. Explore how our work has evolved over the years, shaping the built environment with creativity, collaboration, and vision.
Celebrate LAN Associates’ legacy of design and innovation with a look at our Projects Through the Decades. This showcases landmark projects that reflect our growth, expertise, and lasting impact on the communities we serve. Explore how our work has evolved over the years, shaping the built environment with creativity, collaboration, and vision.
From our earliest beginnings to the milestones that shaped us, our story has always been one of steady growth, dedication, and resilience. Each chapter represents not just what we accomplished, but also how we adapted, evolved, and stayed true to our values. This timeline captures the key moments that built the foundation of who we are today.
John Lacz founds LAN Associates, a small engineering and planning firm, located in Paterson, NJ. Specializing in mechanical engineering, the firm had a staff of three: Mr. Lacz, a part-time draftsperson, and a secretary.
As LAN begins to establish a reputation and gain success, Mr. Lacz seizes the opportunity and sets his sights on growth. LAN experiences its first major staff expansion and relocates its office to Hawthorne, NJ.
In 1978, Ken Karle joins LAN. As both a registered architect and engineer, Ken is part of a select group of only 1% of industry professionals with both qualifications. His background played a major role in LAN expanding the services it offered to include architecture.
This 1983 project marks a turning point that set LAN down the path for educational facility design work. In partnership with Mamaroneck Union Free School District in New York, this $3.3 million school bond referendum focuses on emergency repairs. Since then, with over $1 billion in school bond referenda completed, LAN has solidified its reputation as the go-to firm for educational projects.
LAN’s current CEO, Ronald Panicucci, and Senior Vice President and Company Secretary, Stephen Secora, join the firm. Their contributions would be a defining factor in LAN’s growth over the next 40 years.
When LAN opened its doors, constraints of the technology limited the speed of communication with clients and contractors. Waiting for the mail to be delivered could dictate project progress and client communication. Not everything can be done over the phone, and project timelines had to account for slower exchanges of information, requiring more advanced planning, greater attention to detail in each correspondence, and patience awaiting client feedback before moving forward.
Today, LAN communicates digitally with clients, making the process faster and more efficient. Everything from project renderings to schematic plans can be easily updated and shared almost instantaneously. With the widespread use of email and cell phones, clients and colleagues are now just a message or call away, removing the delays that once slowed progress. The rise of digital information avenues and social media has transformed LAN’s ability to showcase its work and reach out to potential clients.
When LAN opened its doors, constraints of the technology limited the speed of communication with clients and contractors. Waiting for the mail to be delivered could dictate project progress and client communication. Not everything can be done over the phone, and project timelines had to account for slower exchanges of information, requiring more advanced planning, greater attention to detail in each correspondence, and patience awaiting client feedback before moving forward.
Today, LAN communicates digitally with clients, making the process faster and more efficient. Everything from project renderings to schematic plans can be easily updated and shared almost instantaneously. With the widespread use of email and cell phones, clients and colleagues are now just a message or call away, removing the delays that once slowed progress. The rise of digital information avenues and social media has transformed LAN’s ability to showcase its work and reach out to potential clients.
To meet the needs of a growing client base and a diversifying project portfolio, LAN formally establishes its architecture department. Beginning with a handful of staff, including LAN’s now Senior Vice President, Ken Karle, the department has expanded exponentially to have over 50 members.
One of LAN’s earliest and most influential leaders, Ken Karle, is named LAN’s second President. Both a Registered Architect and Engineer, Mr. Karle, would oversee major expansions at the company.
Led by Senior Vice President, Michael McGovern, a small group of New York natives who had been commuting to LAN’s headquarters in NJ, take a chance on opening a new office in Goshen, New York. The move proved a success, and today that office employs more than 30 people.
In its early years, LAN’s drafting process was entirely manual. Architects and engineers relied on pencils, vellum, and Mylar to create drawings by hand. Every detail had to be precise since revisions meant reworking large portions of the design, and preserving the integrity of archival plans required meticulous care.
Today, LAN utilizes advanced Computer-Aided Design (CAD) software and Building Information Modeling (BIM) to create accurate, detailed, and dynamic project drawings. These tools not only streamline the drafting process but also allow for better collaboration, quicker revisions, and more comprehensive project visualization.
In its early years, LAN’s drafting process was entirely manual. Architects and engineers relied on pencils, vellum, and Mylar to create drawings by hand. Every detail had to be precise since revisions meant reworking large portions of the design, and preserving the integrity of archival plans required meticulous care.
Today, LAN utilizes advanced Computer-Aided Design (CAD) software and Building Information Modeling (BIM) to create accurate, detailed, and dynamic project drawings. These tools not only streamline the drafting process but also allow for better collaboration, quicker revisions, and more comprehensive project visualization.
Another significant staff expansion in New Jersey prompts LAN to move its headquarters to Midland Park, NJ. Originally a historic silk mill, the building with its exposed brick and industrial character became a symbol of the region’s past. Today, that same location is home to more than 70 employees.
LAN wins the Harold R. Hawkey Employer of Choice Award from the Employers Association of NJ. This honor highlights LAN’s commitment to a strong workplace culture and employee satisfaction.
For the first time, LAN is named a Top Design Firm by Engineering News-Record (ENR), a proud moment that reflected the dedication and talent of its people. This honor demonstrates the years of progress and inspires the team to continue reaching new heights. LAN has continued to earn a place on this prestigious list year after year, a testament to the firm’s enduring commitment to excellence.
After years of natural expansion into various architecture and engineering disciplines, LAN formalizes departments for Civil Engineering, Environmental Services, Land Use, Environmental Health & Safety, Surveying, and Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing Engineering.
LAN is recognized by the Zweig Group as one of their Hot Firms, marking another national award the firm has received. It placed LAN among the fastest-growing firms in the architecture, engineering, and construction industry, showcasing the company’s expanding impact and reputation on a national stage.
LAN launches its first-ever Marketing Department to strengthen brand presence, enhance communications, and support strategic growth initiatives. Dedicated resources strengthened LAN’s brand, communications, and growth strategy, laying the groundwork for its future industry presence.
LAN returned to its roots where it was founded in Paterson, NJ to celebrate its 50th anniversary at The Art Factory. The event brought together several generations of LAN’s leadership alongside staff, clients, media, and guests. The event was more than just a celebration of half a century of architectural and engineering work; it honored the people and partnerships that shaped LAN’s journey.
LAN opens its Philadelphia office in Center City to expand its services into Pennsylvania and South Jersey. The office was first launched with a team of two architects.
LAN is named a Top Workplace based on an employee survey facilitated by North Jersey Media Group. The award came shortly after LAN’s corporate culture department was founded.
The Philadelphia office moves and expands into two new locations: Voorhees, NJ, and a satellite office in Bethlehem, PA. This strategic move not only reflects LAN’s growth but also strengthens its ability to build lasting relationships and deliver projects across a broader footprint in the region.
LAN has opened a new office in Vernon, New Jersey, dedicated exclusively to providing professional surveying services. This expansion supports growing client demand and enhances the firm's regional presence.
LAN is again recognized by Zweig Group, highlighting its continued growth and industry recognition. The Hot Firm award marks another milestone in LAN’s evolution into a respected leader committed to excellence and long-term impact.
Tom Wighard, a Registered Architect and Engineer, becomes the third President of LAN Associates. Starting as an intern, he rose through the ranks, gaining a deep understanding of what drives the company’s success.
LAN’s Goshen, NY office celebrates 25 years of service, marking a milestone in growth and community impact. Through decades of innovative projects, lasting client relationships, and meaningful contributions to the region’s development, the Goshen office has made significant strides in the past quarter-century and looks forward to continued success moving forward.
In 2025, LAN Associates celebrates 60 years of service, highlighting the firm’s growth, innovation, and commitment to its clients. Over the past decades, LAN has embraced innovation, expanded its expertise, and stayed true to its mission of delivering solutions that shape communities and improve lives.
