From a one-person office in 1995 to a thriving team of 200+ in 2025, every client, project, and employee-owner has played a pivotal role in shaping Alliant’s success.
To celebrate this journey, we’re taking a closer look at several milestone projects that have shaped our growth. Join us for our blog series, “The First Thirty Years: Clients, Projects, Employee-Owners,” where we highlight signature accomplishments and the people who made them possible.
Spring Creek Development
A conversation with Dennis Olmstead (retired Vice President), Mark Rausch (Principal), and Clark Wicklund (Vice President).
The Opportunity
Spring Creek is an 88-acre, 131-lot single-family housing development in the City of Carver, Minnesota. In 2004, Alliant was approached to provide civil engineering and water resources services on a very tight deadline. At the time, Alliant was only 18 people, but when asked if we could meet the schedule and navigate the approvals process, our answer was simple: “Yes.”
This project proved that Alliant could deliver on complex, large-scale designs and helped establish key client relationships that remain strong today.
The Story
Dennis: I was leading the Land Survey Group at the time, maybe a year into my role. I think I was employee number 12. My existing relationships opened the door for the first conversations on this project.
Clark: We were given a timeline to complete the project, and it was two months shorter than what another firm had suggested. We were so new then that when an opportunity came along, we just said, “Yes, we can do it.”
Mark: It was a unique project—street profiling, drainage, grading—plus some challenging features like bluffs and sensitive terrain. But the most complex part was reopening the creek.
Clark: That’s right. The creek had been flowing underground through pipes and subsurface channels. We daylit it, brought it back to the surface, and designed a naturalized stream. We lined the channel to direct flow to the northwest corner pond, which runs year-round with crystal-clear water. Not long after, staff even spotted an otter there.
Dennis: That was a happy client!
Mark: The site was far from utilities, so they needed a lift station. The city’s consultant designed it, but we coordinated closely. We also installed about a mile of 12-inch HDPE water main via directional bore to connect to city water to the east. In addition, we constructed turn lanes on the county road at both access points—new territory for us at the time. Drainage was tricky, too, but we expanded an existing pond off-site to make it work.
Clark: This was also our first project for a national homebuilder in this market, which set the stage for a lasting relationship. It showed we could do the work and do it well.
Dennis: It really put our survey group on the map. Before this, we mostly handled smaller commercial projects. One fun thing about this project—and, based on today’s technology, it might sound a little silly—is that we brought out the 4-wheeler to improve efficiency. We mounted a prism rod on it and drove it around to topo the open area, which turned out to be very successful for us and became a model for our work before GPS took over everything. Once the roads were in, we handled building permits and lot certifications, which opened new service opportunities for us.
Clark: My favorite part was designing the creek restoration—combining technical design with environmental benefits—and building the relationships that came out of it.
Mark: Same here. That’s what made this project special.
Dennis: And the lots themselves were beautiful. With cul-de-sacs backing onto the creek and views from the bluffs toward the Minnesota River, it became a truly desirable neighborhood. It sold out quickly—and I think our design work played a big role in that.
We’ve come a long way, and the stories keep getting better. Up next: how Alliant navigated the 2008 recession.