Needham DBS Achieves WBENC Certification

Lenexa, Kan. – Needham DBS, an award-winning structural engineering and design-build firm, has been certified as a Women’s Business Enterprise by WBDC-Midwest, a regional certifying partner of the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC). WBENC Certification is the gold standard for women-owned business certification in the United States.

This certification is the result of extensive effort and sustained leadership by Karen Hand, P.E., President and CEO, and Susan Fox Sherry, CPA, CGMA, CFO, whose dedication, technical accountability, and disciplined stewardship of Needham DBS were critical to achieving this milestone. The WBENC certification process requires rigorous documentation and verification of ownership, governance, financial control, and operational decision-making – standards that reflect how Needham DBS has long been managed.

“For more than thirty years, Needham DBS has been built on sound engineering judgment, clear leadership, and professional integrity,” notes Karen Hand. “Over the past decade, we’ve intentionally transitioned ownership through a structured succession plan – ensuring continuity of values while strengthening governance and leadership for the next generation of leaders. WBENC certification formally recognizes the structure and leadership in place today.”

The WBENC Certification process implemented by WBDC-Midwest includes an in-depth business review and site inspection and is designed to confirm that the business is at least 51% owned, operated, and controlled by a woman or women. The certification process also verifies that the business has an appropriate structure, and that strategic business planning and implementation are in place.

WBENC certification, combined with professional development and engagement in the WBENC network, provides unsurpassed opportunities for women-owned businesses to grow, expand, and innovate.

About Needham DBS

Needham DBS is a structural engineering firm specializing in constructability-first and integrated design-build steel solutions. Founded in 1989, Needham DBS provides structural engineering services for industrial, commercial, and institutional buildings throughout North America, bringing decades of experience delivering complex structures. With offices in Lenexa, Kansas, and Fort Wayne, Indiana, the firm is trusted by owners, developers, contractors, and architects on projects where schedule certainty, structural efficiency, risk management, and constructability matter. What sets Needham DBS apart is not just what we design – but how we deliver it. Needham DBS is best known for its engineer-led design-build steel approach. Our teams integrate structural engineering, detailing, and fabrication knowledge early in the project lifecycle to eliminate downstream conflicts, reduce revisions, and support predictable construction outcomes. Learn more at www.needham-dbs.com.

About WBENC

Founded in 1997, WBENC is the nation’s leader in women’s business development and entrepreneurship.
It is the leading third-party certifier of businesses owned and operated by women, with more than 18,000 certified Women’s Business Enterprises, 14 national Regional Partner Organizations, and more than 500 Corporate Members, most of which are Fortune 500. Thousands of corporations representing America’s most prestigious brands look for and accept WBENC Certification. For more information, visit www.wbenc.org and www.buywomenowned.com.