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Centennials: Moore-Twining

By Justin Willis, KSEE24 News
January 31, 2013 Updated Jan 31, 2013 at 5:50 PM PDT

This is the company responsible for the durability of structures like Fresno City Hall, and the expansion at the Fresno airport. Here, they test materials like concrete, and re-bar.

They study foundational materials for building construction. They also do water testing, and studies for haz-mat contamination, and environmental impacts. There's also soil testing, which completes this company's bread and butter: diversity.

"We're not just tied to one industry, our chemistry services are not directly related to construction."

Moore-Twining Associates was founded in 1898 by this guy, Dr. Frederick Twining. His son and grandson took over in 1945, and later divided the company in two. Harry Moore began working here in 1978, and bought the company in 1992 owning the company now for about a fifth of its existence. Moore has offices here, and in Sacramento, Monterey and Corona, with 120 engineers, geologists and chemists.

2013 is Moore-Twining's 115th year of operation, a rare feat. So what's the secret? Dr. Twining had a pretty good idea.

"If you think about it, in 1930, in the midst of the great depression, he built this facility, and at the time, as we understand it, it was the largest facility of its kind in the western united states."

Back then, the company had developed the standards for testing milk. It also tested blood and, wine. But over the years environmental, and engineering services were added.

The company evolved with the needs of its clients. It was Dr. Twining's business sense that laid the foundation for this company's survival, even through the country's worst economic decline since the great depression.

"Because of our diversity, we were able to manage and wade through the last 5 difficult years."

The Moore-Twining Associates building is now a national landmark. It was placed on the federal registry in 1988, but if there's a national designation for durability, this is it.

Moore-Twining is also a part of the disabled veterans business enterprise program, which creates more opportunities businesses owned by disabled veterans.