About-Us

It’s a sweltering late-afternoon in the Valley of the Sun. To the West, silhouetted against the setting sun, a small dust-devil is meandering down the dirt road flanked by tumbleweeds.The heat is still radiating off the talcum-dry surface of the only route through town… an oven-backed dust-bowl someone long ago called “Easy Street”.  It was a name coined in jest, but now — with mocking cruelty — has become a beacon of enticement for the unsuspecting.Yes, it is Easy Street where hordes of men, mighty and strong, have fallen victim to over-confidence and under-preparation. So many brilliant minds with can-do spirits have tried to tame Easy Street, leaving only the evidence of their doomed attempts by the countless pairs of serpentine furrows that part the dust, scoured by lifeless boot-heals as they are dragged to the bone-yard.Here, in a place that knows only three seasons (last Summer, this Summer, and next Summer), survival is met by little more than the occasional stirrings of lizards, snakes, and wily coyotes that brave the challenges of such an inhospitable place… except for one man… one man who can take the heat.The creak of a rusty hinge precedes boot steps as he emerges from the saloon. Steely eyes glance first East, then slowly pan West as the glare reduces his gaze to a mere squint. Experience has long since taught him that implied simplicity can be dangerously alluring. Like all engineering projects before, on Easy Street, the brochure does not match reality. The marketing department had assured all candidates that this place would be a cake-walk; the project on Easy Street was little more than a matter of getting from point A to point B, with a little “magic” in-between.In the crowd were heard the usual echoes of “trivial”, “no problem”, “I’ll be done tomorrow”. But the souls who uttered those words were also heard to groan their last breath face down in the dust.There’s a point in every engineering project that feels like you’re standing in the middle of the street under the heat of the sun, staring straight into double-barrels of doubt. All tasks, major and minor, must be brought in on time, on budget, and on target. Most engineers quickly find themselves in trouble when facing this kind of heat, especially if they bought into the Easy Street sales pitch of the marketing brochure. But not all…Meet Steve Hontz, engineer extraordinaire.In over two decades of knowing each other, Bill has never seen Steve shy away from — or fail — an attempt to tame a wild project, big or small. Understanding the process of turning a complex task into a series of simple and methodical steps, Steve possesses a rare gift of planning, preparation, self-discipline and self-control matched by dang few in the engineering world.Steve is an instrumental component to Applied Health’s team, sought out for his wisdom and guidance on all things technical. Whether the project calls for taming the dark and dusty corners of Easy Street, or the rough and tumble outlaws on the super-highway, Steve is our guy.The poetic ‘ching’ of his spurs follow his stride to the edge of town. Pausing, he glances back with that knowing look in his eye… There’s a new sheriff in town.