People, Purpose and History

Founded in 1996, Riddle & Goodnight is a Dallas-Fort Worth consulting firm specializing in the preparation of Construction Cost Estimates and Construction Specifications for Architectural, Engineering, Educational, Religious and Corporate Clients. 

 

Rick received his degree in Architecture in 1976 from the University of Texas at Arlington, and was licensed to practice architecture in the State of Texas in 1982. His early career was invested in employment with architectural firms in Fort Worth. While working for Albert Komatsu he was given the privilege of designing Nedderman Hall on the campus of his alma mater.

 

Rick ultimately progressed from his design and project management experience to co-found his own architectural practice in Fort Worth, Texas. That firm would grow to include Jack Schutts and be re-named Schutts Magee and Riddle Architects in the mid 1980's.

 

Rick helped found Riddle & Goodnight in 1996, changing his focus from the practice of architecture to construction cost consultant and construction specification writer. For the many years since, he has been providing consultant services as the co-founder of Riddle & Goodnight, satisfying a specific passion for cost estimating that he developed early in his professional career. 

 

In his spare time Rick participates in Masters Track & Field, sprinting worldwide on indoor and outdoor tracks. He has been a member of three World Record setting relay teams, and was also a member of a World Champion relay team, representing the USA, in Budapest, Hungary.

 

 

Mark graduated Texas A&M in 1978 with a B.S. in Building Construction.

Upon graduation, he joined the Heavy Civil Division of Brown and Root, where he learned about spud barges, causeways, bridges and waterways.  Projects he worked on included the Bahrain Causeway, the Tennessee Tombigbee Waterway, and the Fort McHenry Tunnel under Baltimore Harbor. 

 

After leaving Brown and Root, Mark worked as an estimator for several industrial and energy related contractors in Texas, until he was asked to come to then-General Dynamics to oversee the negotiation of change orders at the plant’s new GD West (where the new A12 and F22 projects would be designed). He met weekly with the Contractor and Architect to negotiate pricing and smooth over work that was accomplished on the Fast-Tracked project.  After completion, Mark spent the next 5 years working as specification writer and estimator for projects within the plant, including installation of many of the machines and equipment that would be used to build the next generation of composite aircraft

 

Leaving Lockheed in the mid-nineties, Mark took a position with an east Texas company desiring to build a waste fuel and oil recycling plant.  He was put in charge of designing, building, and start-up of a plant in Baytown to clean oily water and waste fuels for recycling.  Much was learned about the chemical and physical processes of separating oil and water.  (Yes, they WILL mix).  The company desired to be able to discharge the waste water into the public sewer system in Baytown, which meant the effluent had to basically have no traces of oil or fuel before discharge.  Quite the challenge.

 

Upon startup, Mark turned the plant over to the operational manager and returned to north Texas, deciding to go into independent practice, using his estimating and specification skills to serve architectural and engineering clients in the north Texas area.  He teamed with Rick Riddle to create Riddle and Goodnight in 1996, where he remains today.

 

Always fascinated by computers and programming, Mark also enjoys woodworking, golf when he can, and all aspects of firearms, particularly reloading his own cartridges and minor gunsmithing, which he is graciously allowed to do by his loving and understanding wife of 13 years, Joni.