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ITHACA -- It's practically a cliche to say that education is big business in Ithaca. After all, Ithaca College is the largest private residential college in the state, and Cornell University is by far the largest employer and landholder in Tompkins County. But the business of education has another dimension in Ithaca, something other than its educational accomplishments. Tucked away on North Triphammer Road, a couple of miles past the Pyramid Mall, Fred H. Thomas Associates PC has entered the educational field in a big way -- by designing and building public schools, community colleges, and research facilities at universities. Indeed, over the past twenty-five years, Fred H. Thomas has provided professional services to more than 190 school districts in the northeastern section of the United States, thus acquiring a respected reputation in the specialized field of design and educational planning.
A long-time Ithaca resident and Cornell architecture graduate, Thomas began work with the local architecture firm of Tallman and Tallman in 1957. In 1964 the name of the company was changed to Tallman and Thomas to reflect the new partnership. Then, in 1971, Thomas formed his own company that became a professional corporation in 1974. Employing approximately 108 people and with annual billings of about $6 million, Fred H. Thomas Associates PC is now one of the largest architectural engineering firms in the Southern Tier and in central New York. The staff includes 28 registered architects and engineers, as well as educational planners, landscape architects, site planners, interior designers, and construction administrators. Thomas serves as president of the company and works closely with five vice presidents and four associates. In addition to its headquarters in Ithaca, there is an active design office in Garden City, Long Island.
According to Trudy Wythe, the company's marketing and media coordinator, Thomas and two of his associates, Peter Brellochs and Robert Mueller, began their design partnership with Ithaca College. During the...