Meet Our Principals
James H. Krech, PE
Structural Engineer
Jim graduated from the University of Minnesota with distinction in 1972. He has enjoyed practicing structural engineering for the last 38 years. Prior to being a founding partner of Krech, O’Brien, Mueller & Associates, Inc. in 1985 he was manager of the A/E Department at Cenex. In his early career years he was mentored at Horty, Elving & Associates and Meyer, Borgman & Johnson.
Currently he is registered in 31 states. He is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), the local chamber of commerce, and is active in several Christian ministries. When he is not golfing; you can find him making hardwood lumber on his sawmill. Recently he rebuilt a 1973 Allis Chalmers 540 4WD Articulating Wheel Loader. Jim enjoys the challenge of solving a problem.
Daniel J. O’Brien, AIA, CID
Architecture
Dan graduated from the University of Minnesota with distinction in 1977 with a professional degree in architecture. He is a licensed architect and certified interior designer in Minnesota, and a licensed architect in Virginia. Dan has practiced in Minnesota since 1980. Dan is a member of the American Institute of Architects. He is LEED trained and currently pursuing accreditation.
In 1985 Dan founded Krech, O’Brien, Mueller & Associates, Inc. along with two business partners and currently serves as principal and vice president. He is also a partner in Knollwood IGH Partners, a real estate development company. Dan’s practice areas include commercial and industrial projects, with a specialty in veterinary medical facilities.
Dan has always been active in community organizations. He is a founding member of Progress Plus, a public/private non-profit economic development agency and has continuously served as board member since 1989, including two terms as chairman. He is active with the Boy Scouts of America and is a Den Leader with his grandson’s pack. He has served on the Dakota County Restorative Justice program, and was a member of the Board of Directors for the Dakota Center for the Arts. Dan enjoys furniture making, pottery, canoeing, and golfing.
Dan’s experience at the university during the energy crisis of the 70’s taught him the concepts of sustainable design. He has designed and built super-insulated passive solar homes, passive mechanical systems, and low-tech machines for human-powered construction activities including; construction cranes, wall lifting equipment, material transport equipment, sawmills, and charcoal fired water-heating devices. Dan enjoys exploring sustainable innovations on a personal scale and continues to develop new sustainable designs, equipment and tools for small-scale construction projects.
Brady R. Mueller, AIA
Architecture
Brady graduated cum laude from St. Olaf College in 1969 with a degree in art and with distinction from the University of Minnesota in 1977 with a degree in architecture. Since becoming a partner in the firm in 1987, he is now NCARB-certified and a licensed professional in 28 states and the province of Ontario, Canada.
His practice areas include the commercial, industrial, retail, educational and religious sectors, and he is also charged with overall business development for the company. Recently, he has also been involved in several expert witness cases in the Twin Cities area.
Brady is active in the Lakeville Chamber of Commerce, as well as several Christian ministries and Bible studies. Away from the daily routine of the architectural profession, Brady, who by the way has an identical twin brother, enjoys spending time with his family, playing golf, reading, biking, and developing his photographic skills alongside his son, Andy.