About Hixson

Established in 1948 as a structural engineering firm, today Hixson is a full-service architecture and engineering firm offering 20 integrated design and technical disciplines in-house. Consistently recognized as a top design firm in the United States, Hixson has established long-standing relationships with many of the world’s most well-recognized brands. We specialize in the design of complex food and beverage, workplace, pharmaceutical and biotechnology, and laboratory projects.

At Hixson, we are a Management by Values firm. This means that every decision we make is guided by our strategic vision of being a great place to work. To achieve this, we focus on three core values: to be an employer of choice, to achieve impenetrable client loyalty, and to contribute creatively to our community.

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What does it take to become one of the nation’s leading architecture and engineering firms? Amazing people, deep insight, unwavering advocacy and intelligent project execution. That’s precisely what we deliver at Hixson. In 1948, Hixson was built on a foundation of technical expertise with a focus on customer service.

Since then, we’ve sharpened our skills, enhanced our capabilities and broadened our geographic reach. Today we are a full service firm specializing in food and beverage manufacturing, science and technology and workplace projects throughout North America. With 20 integrated in-house technical disciplines we provide comprehensive collaborative solutions for our clients, which include many of the world’s most well-known and respected companies.

At Hixson our number one priority is to be a great place to work. We consistently deliver exceptional service because we employ exceptional people. Our associates bring years of experience industry knowledge, and specialized skills to the table every single day. Here we learn to lean on each other, encourage one another and celebrate our successes together which results in positive outcomes for our clients.

So what can you expect working with Hixson? A trustworthy and reliable team who get to know your business, people and culture inside and out, industry leading insight and experience, solutions that are in your best interests, a disciplined approach to project execution and exceptional customer service.

Learn More About Hixson

Leadership Values Community Involvement

20 Integrated Disciplines

Hixson has 20 architectural and engineering disciplines co-located under one roof, helping deliver comprehensive design solutions, and ultimately leading to successful business outcomes for our clients. Our in-house disciplines include:

Building & Site Design

Architecture
Interior Design
Structural Engineering
Civil Engineering

Building Systems Engineering

Electrical
Mechanical
Plumbing
Fire Protection
Refrigeration
Industrial Wastewater
Environmental, Health & Safety

Project Control

Project Management
Cost Estimating
Construction Administration
Capital Project Management

Process Engineering

Process
Manufacturing
Automation/Controls
Process Layout
Process Utilities

Geographic Reach

With professional licensure across North America, Hixson is well-positioned to meet your needs, no matter where your project is located. This allows Hixson to provide a consistent approach to projects across a broad geography.

Recent Hixson News

Hixson Welcomes Stephen Harris

Hixson is pleased to announce that Stephen Harris has joined our firm as a Senior Project Engineer in our Mechanical Engineering department! In this role, Stephen leads the design and execution of HVAC and temperature control systems, collaborating closely with Hixson’s multidisciplinary teams to deliver integrated solutions. Stephen, a resident of Lebanon, Ohio, holds a […]

A Fond Farewell to Fernando

After nearly 16 years with our firm, today we bid a fond farewell to Fernando Guzman-Garcia as he enters a well‑deserved retirement! As a Project Leader in our Architecture department, Fernando played a critical role in delivering complex GMP projects, bringing deep technical knowledge, and an unwavering commitment to quality to the projects he led. […]

Hixson Leaps In for Special Olympics Ohio!

Last Saturday, a group of 16 Hixson associates, including a few brave family members and friends, suited up once again for the Cincinnati Polar Plunge benefiting Special Olympics Ohio! Hixson was also a corporate sponsor of the event, which typically takes place in January but was postponed to March due to the extreme cold earlier […]

Heading to CheeseExpo? Let’s Talk!

CheeseExpo has long been a can’t-miss event for dairy and cheese professionals, and CheeseExpo 2026 is shaping up to be no exception. With thousands of industry leaders coming together in Milwaukee April 14-16, the show offers a valuable opportunity to exchange ideas, explore new technologies, and take a closer look at the trends shaping the […]

Hixson Promotes Tanner Conover

Hixson is pleased to announce that Tanner Conover has been promoted to Project Engineer in our Refrigeration Engineering department! In this role, Tanner designs and engineers complex industrial refrigeration and ammonia systems, including assistance with equipment selection and start-up for refrigeration systems ranging from 10 tons to 3,500 tons. Tanner, who resides in Cincinnati, Ohio, […]

John Lucchetta Added to Hixson Board

Hixson is proud to announce that John Lucchetta, Hixson Director of Technology & Facilities was named to the Hixson Board of Directors at the firm’s annual meeting of shareholders held this month. With this appointment, Lucchetta becomes a Senior Vice President of our privately held firm. In his day-to-day role as Director of Technology & […]

Hixson Earns Top Five Architecture Firm Ranking Once Again

Hixson is proud to share that we’ve once again been named one of the top five architecture firms in Greater Cincinnati by the Cincinnati Business Courier! (To see the full list, click here.*) While we’re honored by the recognition, what makes this ranking especially meaningful is what it represents: the trust and continued confidence our […]

Department Spotlight: Refrigeration Engineering

Keep it cold, keep it dry: These are key sanitary design principles that we here at Hixson adhere to in our work for food and beverage manufacturing facilities. “Keeping it cold” falls into the capable hands of the members of Hixson’s Refrigeration Engineering department. Led by Keith Nienhaus, this group is responsible for the design […]

Save the Date: CheeseExpo 2026!

Mark your calendar for April 14–16, 2026, and get ready for CheeseExpo 2026, the premier event for cheese industry professionals. Sponsored by the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) and the Center for Dairy Research (CDR), CheeseExpo brings together more than 4,000 industry leaders for three days of learning, networking, and innovation. Registration is now open, […]

Hixson Volunteers Help Students Envision the Future Through JA

This year, Hixson team members once again stepped into classrooms at Hixson’s Partner in Education school, St. Francis de Sales, to teach Junior Achievement (JA). Drawing from their own backgrounds, the volunteers shared real‑world experience and professional perspectives to help students think about money, work, and their futures. For Senior Project Manager Martin Hardrick, teaching […]

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