RJA Group Inc. hires new exec with goal of growth

Fire protection engineering firm RJA Group Inc. has hired Carl Baldassarra as its new executive vice president, and also has announced plans of creating an academy for its employees.

By Eli Kaberon June 10, 2009

RJA Group Inc. has hired Carl Baldassarra, the former president of Schirmer Engineering Corp. , as executive vice president. Baldassarra will be working with RJA clients on business development and financing on fire protection engineering.

 

The hiring coincides with RJA’s plan to double business over the next five years by expanding its operations overseas, especially in China. To do this, according to RJA COO George Toth, the company will have to increase interest in fire protection engineering among high school and college students.

 

"We want to be the employer of choice, and having the former president of our top competitor helps us be that employer," Toth said.

 

With Baldassarra’s help, the company hopes to create the RJA Academy, an institution that would provide educational courses for staff members. The academy would have multiple purposes, from instructing employees on how to use digital tools such as podcasts and blogs, while also tutoring college grads with various engineering degrees about fire protection.