Mechanical
Mechanical
Systems That Perform.
Facilities That Last.
Facilities That Last.
For decades, Cator Ruma & Associates has built a reputation for designing building systems that stand the test of time. We combine simplicity, resiliency, and maintainability with a deep understanding of how facilities truly operate. Our clients count on us for solutions that embrace the right innovations that deliver proven, efficient, and sustainable performance.
We don’t just design for today—we design for tomorrow. Our systems are crafted to evolve alongside the buildings they serve, adapting as needs change and technology advances. With a long history of trusted partnerships and successful projects, we bring confidence, clarity, and foresight to every design. The result: facilities that run smarter, last longer, and give owners peace of mind for decades to come.
Service Offerings
Proven Success of Mechanical Services
Central Utility Plants
Central utility plants serve as the core of a facility’s mechanical infrastructure, generating and distributing heating, cooling, and power to multiple buildings or zones. By consolidating equipment such as chillers, boilers, pumps, and heat exchangers into one location, these plants improve operational efficiency, simplify maintenance, and provide reliable utility service for large or complex facilities.
Lab Exhaust Systems
Often the largest energy consumer in a laboratory building, reliable lab exhaust systems are necessary for maintaining critical pressure relationships. We balance these two perspectives during design to ensure the installed systems consume as little energy as possible while maintaining a safe environment for research and experimentation.
Heat Pump Systems
Heat pumps operate on a reversible refrigeration cycle, allowing a single unit to provide both heating and cooling. By moving heat rather than generating it, heat pumps extract it from the air, ground, or water to warm buildings in winter and reverse the process to provide cooling in summer. This efficient, versatile approach supports sustainability while maintaining reliable temperature control across diverse building applications.
Energy Recovery Systems
Energy recovery systems are essential for optimizing energy performance in buildings with high ventilation loads or waste-heat sources. We evaluate a broad range of system options early in the design process to identify the technology that is appropriate for each facility.
Variable Volume and Constant Volume Air Systems
Managing air distribution within buildings to regulate temperature and comfort is integral to the design process. Constant-volume systems supply a continuous flow of air, while variable-volume systems adjust airflow to meet changing space conditions.
Humidity Control Systems
Critical environments may require humidity control within tight tolerances. Our expertise includes the design and commissioning of a variety of different humidity control systems and technologies.
Specialized Airside Systems
Specialized airside systems are designed to deliver precise control of airflow, temperature, and humidity for spaces with unique environmental requirements. These systems support critical applications in laboratories, cleanrooms, healthcare facilities, and data centers.
Decentralized Heating and Cooling Solutions
Decentralized heating and cooling solutions use localized systems to deliver temperature control for specific areas or buildings, rather than relying on a single central plant. This approach enhances flexibility and reliability across facilities, ensuring continued operation in areas where maintaining power and critical systems is essential.
Geothermal
Geothermal systems harness the earth’s stable temperature to provide efficient heating and cooling for buildings. By circulating fluid through underground loops, these systems absorb or release heat depending on seasonal needs. This process delivers consistent, energy-efficient performance year-round and reduces reliance on traditional fuel sources while supporting long-term sustainability.
6-Pipe Chillers
6-Pipe chillers provide simultaneous heating and cooling from a single, integrated unit. By combining two independent hydronic circuits and a heat-recovery loop, these systems can transfer energy between zones with different temperature requirements. This design maximizes efficiency, reduces equipment footprint, and supports flexible operation for buildings with year-round comfort requirements.
Large Chiller Plants
We have experience in designing and operating multiple configurations of large chiller plants. We have successfully guided our clients through the selection, sequencing, and redundancy requirements for systems weighing 1000s of tons. While each plant is unique, we can guide you on what matters to you and help you create a plant that meets your needs.
Dedicated Outdoor Air Systems
By managing outdoor air temperature and humidity before it enters occupied spaces, dedicated outdoor air systems (DOAS) maintain indoor air quality while reducing the load on terminal HVAC equipment. This approach enhances occupant comfort, improves energy efficiency, and supports healthier indoor environments.
Emergency and Standby Equipment Design
Emergency and standby equipment design ensures critical building systems remain operational during power outages or unexpected events. Essential mechanical systems are designed and supported to incorporate generators, transfer switches, and power distribution components. A well-integrated, coordinated design enhances reliability, safety, and resilience in facilities that require continuous operation.
Steam Boilers
By converting water into steam through controlled combustion or electric heating, steam boilers deliver consistent thermal energy to HVAC equipment, sterilization, and humidification. As it becomes more and more challenging to find experts in steam, Cator Ruma has multiple experts who have designed and operated steam plants to provide you with the trusted partner you need on a complex system.
Specialty Exhaust Systems
Specialty exhaust systems are designed to safely remove hazardous fumes, particulates, and contaminants within a building. These systems are tailored to meet the unique requirements of laboratories, commercial kitchens, garages, and industrial spaces. Proper design and coordination ensure occupant safety, maintain air quality, and support code compliance while optimizing energy performance as required.
Our Approach
Expertise Informs Our Vision
We build on lessons learned and bring them forward into each new project. By staying engaged in your vision and working collaboratively, we apply lean principles to deliver efficient solutions with speed to market.
Your Needs Are Our Basis of Design
Every project is unique, and our designs reflect that. We prioritize cost-conscious decisions, balance energy and carbon considerations, and ensure practical, real-world operational performance remains at the forefront.
We Stay Engaged
Our work doesn’t stop at project delivery. We focus on building long-term relationships, earning trust through proactive, solution-driven problem-solving. Repeat business is central to our culture, and we strive to be the team you want to work with again.
Meet the Experts
:
Mechanical Principals
Meet the principal engineers who lead our mechanical work — the same people you’ll collaborate with from day one.
Blake Winter, PE
Josh Harwood, PE
Lilly Johnson, PE
Maddie Grego, PE
Michael Wisdom, PE
Sam Meints, PE
Sean Convery, PE
