Todd Springer and Joe Zbick never envisioned themselves working in the forensic engineering field or that they’d become owners of Augspurger Komm Engineering (AKE). But their love for new experiences and willingness to apply the lessons learned from every project, big or small, prepared them for yet another challenge — leading AKE into a new era.
AZRE magazine sat down with Springer and Zbick to learn more about the field of forensic engineering, their leadership styles and how they plan to honor the legacy of AKE. The following responses have been edited for clarity and length.
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AZRE: For readers who may be unaware, what problems are forensic engineers trying to solve?
Todd Springer: It starts with failure analysis. Something failed, broke or went wrong, resulting in property damage or injury. My job is to explain the technical aspects behind what happened and why.
It’s on our shoulders to teach clients the big picture, the end goal and the route to get there. We need to make sure that what we do makes sense, it’s defensible, scientific and follows all the engineering principles we learned in school.
AZRE: What do you think the best part of working at AKE is?
Joe Zbick: Honestly, all of it. The people are great — and that’s not by accident. Everyone here loves to learn. They’re not only interested in what they’re tasked with but also what their colleagues are doing. That’s the key to this company.
AZRE: How does having two leaders with different experiences contribute to the next chapter of AKE’s growth?
JZ: When I first was going to take this leadership role with Todd, I mentioned to a friend that I’d have a partner. He asked me, “How often do you guys agree on things?” and I said, “Almost never,” — and he told me, “That’s perfect.”
We come at things from different backgrounds. I think it would be boring the other way around, and I don’t think we’d be as successful if it were. It’s not easy, but it’s fun, and I’m really looking forward to what comes next.
TS: Two heads are better than one, and it’s good to have another perspective. Joe will see things I don’t and vice versa, so we can take that into consideration when making decisions. It works out well. Like any relationship, there’s give and take.
AZRE: 2025 was a big year for AKE. Not only did the last remaining founder retire, but the firm’s celebrated its 50th anniversary. As the new leaders, what does the company mean to you personally?
TS: One of the most important things to me is that it’s an American company. We’re a small business and have remained one. Over the last five decades, AKE has and continues to prioritize three things: being yourself, having fun and enjoying work. We also have a strong reputation in the community for providing personalized care. We really want to understand where you’re coming from, what’s going on and what you need to know.
JZ: The first word that comes to mind is rigor. We don’t stop when something is good enough, whether it’s providing a design or writing a case report. We do exhaustive research to ensure the quality of the product we deliver. Another big one for me is being honest and truthful. We’re known for telling our clients what they need to hear, not what they want to hear.
AZRE: How do you plan to carry forward the legacy of AKE?
JZ: Focus is a big thing, but David Komm often said, “We work to live, not the other way around.” A tremendous amount of trust and appreciation is placed with the staff. Clients come and go, but we make sure our people are taken care of here.
AZRE: Anything else that you want to add?
JZ: One thing I want to carry forward is something David Komm and Quent Augspurger did: neither of them stopped working. They were in the trenches with the rest of the staff, handling cases. I want to keep that alive because it not only keeps me sharp but also builds camaraderie. I think it shows the success of a company when leaders do the same work as everyone else.
