Nathaniel C. Norton has joined Westfield-based architecture and engineering firm Tighe & Bond as geographic information system (GIS) director, adding 14 years of the mapping software expertise to the firm.

His experience includes leading and managing the integrated use of GIS technology for transportation, environmental and land development projects.

Norton is proficient with industry standard mapping and GIS software products and provides technical direction in the use of GIS to manage, analyze, report and map data used for a variety of simple and complex engineering tasks, the firm said in a statement.

Norton is an active member of the American Society of Civil Engineers and the Intelligent Transportation Society of America.

The firm was also recently ranked among the top 500 design firms in the nation, according to Engineering News-Record (ENR). The company ranked 335, up from 392 in 2008.

Companies were ranked based on gross revenue reported in 2008 for providing design services and products to domestic and international markets.

"It was a tough year for many firms in our industry," said David E. Pinsky, president of Tighe & Bond. "We worked hard to exceed the needs of our clients and that has proven to be successful for us. Tighe & Bond was able to do more than just keep pace."

The firm’s annual gross revenue in 2008 was $37 million.