Office Highlight: Coeur d’Alene Office

As GRI expands its reach throughout the Pacific Northwest, we’re excited to introduce the leaders helping us establish roots in new communities.

Today we’re spotlighting Nick Hatch, PE, who is heading up GRI’s newest location in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Nick brings a thoughtful, hands-on approach to geotechnical engineering and a strong commitment to building lasting client relationships as we grow in this region. He recently shared what energizes him about launching a new office, his vision for GRI’s presence in Idaho, and the journey that brought him to this next chapter.

What brought you to GRI? 

I was hired by GRI in 2012 after getting my master’s degree from the University of Idaho. At that time, the job market was still tight following the 2008 recession, and I was fortunate that GRI was one of the few firms hiring entry level engineers. My wife and I are both from rural communities in Washington and Idaho, and the largest place we had lived up until that point was Moscow, Idaho. We were both thrilled when GRI offered me a job, and we were excited to move to Portland and experience city life.

Can you tell us about your journey to establishing the Coeur d’Alene office?

After living in the Portland-metro area for about a decade and working for GRI, my wife and I had our first child and decided we needed to be closer to family. We relocated to CDA right before the onset of the pandemic, and I worked remotely for GRI trying to establish the workload needed to justify opening a physical office.  Over the last two years, we’ve been able to develop relationships in the CDA area and win more work to the exciting point that a physical office became a reality. We officially opened the CDA office in June 2025, and I’m excited for the next phase of the journey!

What is your number one goal for the Coeur d’Alene office location? How do you see this office fitting into the broader goals of the company?

As a native Idahoan and an Idaho graduate, I love northern Idaho and eastern Washington. My goal is to continue developing relationships in the region and growing the CDA office. Having a physical office and personnel in CDA allows GRI to service our clients and market sectors in the Northwest more efficiently.

How do you plan to grow the team here over the next few years?

This industry is built on relationships and providing quality deliverables on time and within budget. I plan on growing the CDA office and team by developing relationships in the industry and executing projects when given the opportunity. Growth is also dependent on the quality of your team and mentoring younger engineers to help them realize their potential. I know how important mentorship was in my career and look forward to mentoring GRI’s team in CDA as we grow the office.

What are the unique opportunities or challenges you see in this region?

Northern Idaho and Eastern Washington are dominated by geologic processes that include continental tectonics, volcanism, alluvial/fluvial/aeolian deposition and erosion, and small- to large-scale slope processes, such as rock falls, landslides, and debris flows. The geologic processes have shaped the region’s topography and resulted in significant geotechnical challenges associated with highly variable subsurface conditions and a variety of geologic hazards. The geotechnical challenges associated with working in this region provide an opportunity for GRI to utilize our diverse skillset and experience to deliver cost-effective solutions for our clients.

What has been your main focus at GRI (either market sector or service)? What is so important about that to you and why does it matter?

Throughout my career, I’ve worked in almost every market sector, from private development, K-12 educational institutions, industrial facilities, energy transmission, and small- to large-scale public infrastructure projects (including water and wastewater, roads, bridges). Recently, my focus is public infrastructure projects, which serve communities and increase quality of life for the public. Working on projects that increase the quality of life for everyday people is rewarding and impactful to the community, and one of the reasons I chose geotechnical engineering for my career.

Can you tell me about your background and how you got into engineering?

My family works in the construction industry, and I grew up building everything from tree houses to fences, shops, and residential structures. As a kid, I was always good at math and knew I wanted to utilize my skills by working in a construction-related field. In college, I chose to major in Civil Engineering due to its close ties with the construction industry and good job opportunities following college. After obtaining my bachelor’s degree, I worked for a geotechnical engineering firm right out of school and loved being outside completing subsurface explorations and performing construction-phase services on large projects. It wasn’t long before I knew that I wanted to specialize in geotechnical engineering and decided to obtain a master’s degree in geotechnical engineering to help my career growth in that field.

What excites you most about building something new in this office?

I’m excited to expand GRI’s services to a new market and be located in an area where I want to permanently reside. Opening and managing a new office also provides me with an opportunity for career growth, which is exciting.