After 50 Years, Pless of Bennett & Pless Retiring

ATLANTA, Dec. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Following a long career as co-founder and business leader, Bennett & Pless' Rex Pless, B.Sc., PE, announced his retirement from the company set for the end of the year.

Pless, who joined Moe Bennett's firm E.M. Bennett in 1967, quickly rose to co-owner and president. The two renamed the firm Bennett & Pless, a name which became synonymous in Atlanta with high-quality engineering.

"Rex not only has years of outstanding service to the Atlanta community but has provided strategic leadership through the early days of Bennett & Pless and has continued to provide valuable counsel to our clients and our staff," said Ed Gazzola, M.Eng., P.Eng., PE, CEO of Bennett & Pless.

"I want to publicly thank Rex for his service and dedication to serving our clients and growing the firm to one of the most respected structural engineering firms in the Southeast."

In addition to Pless' service to Bennett & Pless, he was instrumental to the local construction community, having served as president of ACEC and chairman of the Structural Committee of the Georgia Building Code. Additional affiliations include Consulting Engineers Council of Georgia (director and officer: eight-plus years); American Concrete Institute; American Institute of Steel Construction; and Callanwolde Foundation in DeKalb County (past board of directors and treasurer).

Pless has successfully transitioned the ownership and management of the firm, which has expanded to four offices and doubled in size over the past three years. This has allowed the firm to carry on its strong legacy and continue adding to Atlanta's skyline, having designed marquee buildings such as Colony Square, Monarch Office Towers in Buckhead, Atlanta Financial Center, Wildwood Office Complex, the Westin & Marriott Hotels in Buckhead, Embassy Suites at Centennial Park and Cobb Galleria, as well as numerous national and international projects.

The lifelong resident of Atlanta was educated at the University of Tennessee and Georgia Institute of Technology. "Those of us that know Rex personally admire him not only for his technical know-how and business acumen but also for his personal lifetime values as a devoted husband and father," Gazzola said. "We wish Rex many more years of good health and happiness and look forward to him still being involved as a consultant to the firm on specialty projects on occasion, while also enjoying golf and traveling."

About Bennett & Pless: Founded in Atlanta, Georgia, Bennett & Pless is an award-winning, consulting structural engineering firm focused on the industrial, building construction, and wireless industries, with a particular emphasis on existing structures. For over 50 years, Bennett & Pless has been recognized for its high level of structural engineering expertise provided from its office locations in Atlanta, Boca Raton, Charlotte and Chattanooga.

For additional information, visit www.bennett-pless.com.

SOURCE Bennett & Pless