Reimagining a 50-year-old Company: Troyer Group’s Values-Driven Future
Troyer Group was founded in 1971 by LeRoy Troyer, a visionary architect who believed in the power of design to shape lives and serve the public good. From the start, the firm embraced a community-centered philosophy, delivering thoughtful, human-scaled solutions that balanced creativity with responsibility. That legacy was built through decades of meaningful work, including landmark projects like the Centier Bank Headquarters, the design of multiple public libraries, dozens of initiatives at the University of Notre Dame, and the globally recognized Ark Encounter in Kentucky. These efforts, grounded in both technical excellence and values-driven collaboration, earned Troyer Group a reputation for doing work that matters. One of the most celebrated examples of that impact came through the firm’s restoration work at Indiana Dunes State Park, which earned the Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence for improving flood protection, habitat, and water quality while reconnecting people with the natural landscape.
“Design links our past, present, and future strengthening the gathered community on a human scale. It offers a place for interaction, aiding in development for service to the global community.” – LeRoy Troyer, FAIA
As the firm’s reputation grew, so did the scale and ambition of its work. Troyer Group began to take on larger, more complex projects focused on enhancing public life and connectivity, particularly across the Midwest. From the Riverside Trail in South Bend to the Plymouth Greenways and transformative downtown streetscape projects in Elkhart and LaPorte, the firm played an integral role in helping communities reimagine what their public realm could be. These neighborhood-defining projects were not just infrastructure improvements; they became catalysts for renewed civic pride, economic revitalization, and more vibrant community identity. In each case, Troyer Group’s team brought together broad engagement, imaginative design, and deep technical coordination to ensure the outcomes served both present needs and long-term aspirations.
To support these growing demands and better serve public clients, the firm expanded its services to include civil and transportation engineering, engaging more directly with municipalities, utilities, and infrastructure agencies. While this expansion enabled Troyer Group to offer more comprehensive solutions, it also introduced a shift in the market dynamic. Working with public sector clients often meant engaging in a system defined by specifications, speed, and cost-efficiency—one that could sometimes feel at odds with the firm’s founding ethos of designing with purpose and community in mind.
Following the retirement and subsequent passing of founder LeRoy Troyer, the firm entered a period of transition. Recognizing the need to realign with its core values, leadership made the deliberate decision to step away from building architecture, the service that had once defined the firm. This marked a critical turning point—a chance to refocus on what made Troyer Group distinct in the first place: meaningful, people-centered work that creates lasting value for the communities it serves.
That identity was reasserted and reenergized through the rise of the Landscape Architecture and Planning team, which quickly became one of the firm’s most visible and impactful groups. No longer a support function, the team emerged as a mature profit center and a driver of brand renewal, taking the lead on transformational projects such as River Park Square in Plymouth, the award-winning Pulaski Park renovation in South Bend, and the City of Fort Wayne and Allen County’s Outstanding Comprehensive Plan, developed in collaboration with HLA. These high-profile, public-facing projects reflect Troyer Group’s full-circle return to its values: design grounded in listening, partnerships rooted in trust, and solutions shaped by both creative vision and practical understanding.
The firm’s unique position became increasingly clear through this evolution. Troyer Group is not just a consultant or a contractor, it is a partner. The team collaborates closely with clients to navigate regulations, manage risk, and uncover opportunity, helping them build infrastructure that delivers lasting, community-centered impact. Whether designing broadband systems, greenways, civic spaces, or multimodal corridors, Troyer Group shows up as a team of trusted experts who treat each project like their own. The firm’s ability to blend imagination with execution, and innovation with accountability, removes uncertainty for clients and helps them lead with confidence.
In 2018, Troyer Group entered a new chapter as it became part of the newly formed Network Management Group, a parent company also comprising Direct Line and Pemberton Davis Electric. This strategic acquisition introduced new capabilities in network infrastructure, broadband, and fiber engineering, allowing Troyer Group to further its impact in underserved communities and meet the evolving demands of digital connectivity. Rather than disrupting the firm’s mission, this move extended its reach, positioning Troyer Group to deliver more integrated infrastructure that supports not just movement, recreation, and access – but equity, opportunity, and information.
Today, Troyer Group continues to evolve while remaining grounded in its founding principles. It serves as a trusted design partner, helping cities, towns, and agencies deliver thoughtful community infrastructure with a long-term view. Across every discipline – landscape architecture, planning, engineering, and broadband design – the firm leads with responsiveness, collaboration, and purpose. Every project is an opportunity to serve, to innovate, and to create enduring value.
Because at Troyer Group, we don’t just design places, we help communities thrive.