Two Colorado engineers founded a new electrical engineering and lighting design firm specializing in sustainable and energy-efficient building design.

Tim Flanagan, a licensed electrical engineer in Colorado, and Melissa Friedland, an architectural engineer specializing in lighting design, launched GreenLight Engineering late last year. The firm’s mission is to provide exceptional electrical engineering and lighting design services that are environmentally responsible.

GreenLight’s initial projects were providing electrical engineering design for a LEED-Gold office building in Colorado Springs as well as a lighting upgrade at the Colorado State Capitol.

The firm also offers educational seminars for architects and members of the construction industry about lighting design and sustainable engineering.

As part of the launch, the GreenLight Engineering unveiled its Website at www.greenlighting.com.

Howard Ecker + Co., a national commercial tenant representation firm, opened an office in Denver and appointed Solveig Tschudi Lawrence as the tenant representative and regional manager.

The new office is located downtown in the Dominion Towers at 600 17th St.

Howard Ecker + Co. offers green consulting services in high demand for tenants in the region. In the last year alone, requests have increased for the development of environmentally friendly buildings in the Denver metro area, with many LEED-certified projects currently in the pipeline.

Westfield Insurance expanded its commercial operations into Colorado this year.

As part of the expansion, a new service office has opened in Denver. The existing local surety office has been consolidated with the new service office.

Middle Market Field Managers Dan Sierra and Shawn Leonard and Claims Manager Don Rivkin led preparations for the firm to start writing business in Colorado.

Westfield has appointed five agencies and plans to appoint more.

Rio Grande Co., a 100-year-old construction materials supply firm based in Denver, opened a new distribution facility in the Vail Valley, north of Interstate 70 in Wolcott.

Rio Grande Co. handles masonry supplies, rebar, concrete reinforcing, cement, Laticrete tile-setting products, glass block, stucco, sand and stone. The new Wolcott location is equipped with truck-mounted forklifts for materials delivery.

Hunter Richards will serve as the location manager.

The new office phone number is 970-222-9185.