From 1964 through 1981, Richard Chaix managed the Fountain Division of the engineering firm Beamer Wilkinson followed by the formation of his own consulting firm. During that time, Dick established himself as the expert fountain consultant to many of the world’s most prominent architectural designers such as Lawrence Halprin, Philip Johnson, Isamu Noguchi, and I.M. Pei.

In order to broaden the design, technical, and production capabilities, CMS Collaborative was formed in 1981 by Richard Chaix, Tom Mallonee, Richard Schuder, and Diane Schuder. The current principals are Tom Mallonee, Roy Kaplan and Nadine Nemec, whom have been integral parts of CMS for over twenty years.