Master Planning
Develop long-range facility plans that align operations, growth goals, infrastructure needs, and capital priorities into a clear roadmap for future development.
Hixson helps organizations evaluate sites, define long-term facility strategies, and align planning decisions with operational goals. Backed by 75+ years of architecture and engineering experience, our integrated team delivers practical master planning guidance, site selection insight, and technical coordination that reduce risk and support smarter capital planning across North America.

Integrated planning and evaluation services that help organizations make informed facility, site, and growth decisions.
Develop long-range facility plans that align operations, growth goals, infrastructure needs, and capital priorities into a clear roadmap for future development.
Evaluate potential locations based on operational fit, expansion potential, infrastructure access, and project requirements to support confident site decisions.
Assess current facilities, future needs, and business objectives to shape practical planning strategies that improve efficiency and reduce project risk.
Master planning and site assessment give your organization a clearer path from early vision to executable project strategy. Hixson combines architecture, engineering, and operational insight to evaluate constraints, identify opportunities, and prioritize investments before major decisions are made. With 20 in-house technical disciplines and experience across North America, we help clients create plans that are realistic, scalable, and aligned with long-term business goals.

See how strategic planning and integrated expertise support successful facility decisions and long-term project outcomes.
Clients rely on Hixson for planning insight grounded in technical depth and long-term project experience.
More than 75 years of planning and design experience support confident early-stage decisions.
Twenty in-house disciplines streamline coordination between planning, architecture, engineering, and implementation teams.
Proven project management methods help identify constraints early and reduce downstream project risk.
Hixson works as an extension of client teams to align planning with operational realities.
Experienced planners, architects, and engineers working together.

Manager, Plumbing Systems & Fire Protection Engineering
John oversees the department responsible for the design and engineering of plumbing systems and fire protection engineering for a variety of project types, including new construction, building utility upgrades, utility capacity analyses, and process line additions. John and his team work with a range of systems, including domestic water, process water, hot water production, direct contact water heaters, high pressure/rinse water, compressed air, natural gas, sanitary drainage, process drainage, central sanitation systems, fire pumps, and fire sprinkler systems.

Manager, Controls & Automation Engineering
As the Manager of Hixson's Controls & Automation department, Craig guides the team responsible for designing, implementing, and commissioning advanced control systems and automation solutions. His responsibilities include overseeing the development of automation strategies that streamline manufacturing processes, enhance operational efficiency, and ensure seamless integration of new and existing systems.

Manager, Process Engineering
Warren leads the team providing processing design services, process optimization studies, and process commissioning and FAT, SAT, and IQ activities. He advises on waste, energy, and GHG emissions reductions, and conducts safety and dust evaluations, including PSM/HAZOP. His expertise spans all food and beverage sectors including fluid, dried and cultured dairy products, processed meat, flavors, and prepared foods. Warren is also on the IDFA Food Safety Committee and actively participates in the 3A, SSI steering committee, and work groups.

Manager, Civil Engineering
In his role as Manager of Civil Engineering, Steve leads the team responsible for the planning, design, and engineering of roads, stormwater hydraulics and modeling, and onsite utilities. On project work, Steve is responsible for civil site project design, specifications, technical design, and project coordination with the client, government regulatory bodies, outside consultants, and contractors. As a senior staff member with our firm, Steve also serves as a mentor to newer associates.

Vice President & Director, Project Management Services
Chris, a Hixson officer and member of the Board of Directors, oversees Hixson’s Project Management, Cost Estimating, and Construction Administration departments. Chris also serves in a project management role, leading teams consisting of representatives from the client, Hixson, contractors, and vendors to effective project completion. Chris assumes overall responsibility for development of project delivery strategies, coordination of all Hixson disciplines, and facilitating effective communication and management to focus resources on delivering high-quality projects on time and within budget.

Manager, Mechanical Engineering
Dave brings more than three decades of experience to his role as the Manager of Hixson’s Mechanical Engineering Department. His work has included the design and project management of new facilities, as well as modification of existing facilities for high technology and food processing industries. At a corporate level, Dave is a member of Hixson’s Dairy and Beverage Industry team, which works to continuously improve the value Hixson offers to the dairy industry through development of our knowledge base, services and capabilities.

Manager, Electrical Engineering
Kyle serves as the Manager of Hixson’s Electrical Engineering department. In this role, he oversees the team responsible for the creation and delivery of electrical designs. This includes the design of high, medium, and low voltage power distribution, lighting, telecommunications, and fire alarm systems. Kyle brings more than 15 years of experience in electrical consulting and design to his role. Areas in which Kyle specializes include electrically hazardous area classification, high- and medium-voltage power distribution, protective relaying, arc flash studies, harmonics analysis, cogeneration design, emergency systems design, and complex laboratory designs.

Senior Vice President, and Director, Mechanical & Electrical Engineering
Scott, an officer of the firm, leads the teams responsible for mechanical and electrical project tasks and design, specifications, technical content, consultation during equipment selection and installation and systems start-up assistance. In addition, Scott also serves as the Quality Assurance Manager, overseeing the firm’s commitment to quality. Over Scott’s more than three decades of experience, he has worked on greenfield, brownfield, and renovation projects for food & beverage plants in all sectors, labs, pharma & biotech facilities, and workplace projects.

Manager, Manufacturing Engineering
In his role as Manager of Hixson’s Manufacturing Engineering department, Scott leads the team responsible for project consulting and coordination between client, vendor, and internal disciplines within Hixson for overall manufacturing processes, functionality, equipment, and layouts. These team members develop process flow diagrams, equipment lists, and preliminary utility requirements, as well as develop equipment layouts that range from high level master planning to detailed construction documents. In addition to this role, Scott is a member of Hixson’s Meat Industry advisory team, focusing on technologies related to the meat and plant protein industry.

Director of Architecture
Derek is the Director of Hixson’s Architecture department. In this role, Derek leads the teams who design projects for our Food & Beverage, Pharma & Biotech, Laboratory, and Workplace clients. Previously, Derek served as the Manager of Hixson’s Process Layout department, where he directed the team that plays a critical coordination role in the overall development of process models and the 3D equipment model management process. Prior to these management roles, Derek, who began his career with Hixson in 2008, served as a Project Architect.
A site plan focuses on the physical layout of a specific property, such as building placement, circulation, utilities, parking, and access. A master plan is broader and more strategic, outlining long-term development goals, phased growth, operational relationships, infrastructure needs, and future expansion. In practice, the master plan guides decision-making over time, while the site plan documents how a particular phase or parcel will be arranged.
Connect with our team for guidance on your next facility decision.
Certified workplace culture and team excellence.
Ranked No. 178 by Interior Design.
Recognized by leading industry publications.
Share your goals, site questions, or facility challenges, and our team will help you explore the right next steps.
For immediate assistance, feel free to give us a direct call at +1 513-241-1230. You can also send us a quick email at info@hixson-inc.com.
For immediate assistance, feel free to give us a direct call at +1 513-241-1230. You can also send us a quick email at info@hixson-inc.com.