WD’s 55th Anniversary

Celebrating 55 years of WD Partners!

 Gabriella Brackbill

Estimated Read Time: 3 Minutes

As we mark our 55th anniversary, it's a time for reflection and celebration, a moment to look back at our incredible journey and the milestones that have shaped us into the dynamic company we are today. Our story begins with Wolfgang Doerschlag, born in 1940 in Southern Romania, amidst the historical German Colony of Siebenbürgen, known as the "Seven Hills."

Fleeing political changes during World War II, the Doerschlag's resettled in Austria just south of Salburg, where along with countless others, they faced the daunting task of rebuilding after losing everything built over four generations.

With a bold spirit, Wolfgang's father decided to seize the opportunity for a new beginning in the U.S. In 1955 they settled on the south side of Columbus Ohio, and in 1959, Wolfgang graduated from South High School. Fueled by a passion for architecture, he pursued it as a major at The Ohio State University, putting himself through school with jobs in construction. In five years, he earned his degree and embarked on a remarkable career working with Tibbals, Crumley and Musson firm. In 1968, Wolfgang went on to found Wolfgang Doerschlag Architects, marking the beginning of his legacy.

The company expanded its services and client base over the years, evolving to WD Partners in 1979. The '90s saw the integration of the next generation, with Wolfgang's sons, Chris and Martin, joining the family business. In the mid -'90s, Chris assumed the role of CEO, steering the company through significant growth. By 2006, he became the sole owner, shaping WD Partners into the innovative and nationally recognized company it is today.

Throughout our history, WD's business model has evolved to meet the needs of our clients, with our problem-solving philosophy developing from an emphasis on understanding our clients' problems and creating unique solutions for each one. Rooted in delivering business-right solutions, we've leveraged technology as an accelerator and our subject matter experts as assets to our operations, becoming a nationally licensed and integrated company offering Strategy, Design, Operations, Architecture, Engineering, and more. From the beginning, we've never stood still. We're constantly evolving and expanding our service offerings to meet the needs of our clients, adding value to the company and our clients at every step of the way.

It's in our DNA to solve problems with a consultative approach to our work. We believe we will be successful if our clients are successful, and from the start, we've known that delivering innovative solutions to our clients requires the best people. We emphasize the importance of investing in our culture and forming initiatives that focus on growing, retaining, and training our associates. Our values, built on the principles of courageous collaboration, doing it for the people, and innovative excellence, make up what we call our WDNA. It's who we are, how we work and what we have to offer.

As we celebrate our 55th anniversary, we are immensely proud of our achievements, the supportive environment we've fostered, and the mutual success we've shared with our associates and clients. The journey is ongoing, and the evolution of WD Partners continues as we look toward a future filled with innovation, growth, and collaboration. Here's to the next chapter of our story!