Tennessee, “the Volunteer State,” is known by many for its country and blues music, barbecue, and hot chicken. But it is also a hub for the nation’s healthcare and automotive industries, home to multiple Fortune 100 company headquarters, and a major tourist destination in the United States.
With these benefits in mind, STV opened a new office in Tennessee this past spring, establishing itself just south of Nashville in Franklin, TN. The Franklin office is part of a larger strategy to grow the firm’s presence in key geographic markets in the southern United States.
“Tennessee is an important place to be for several reasons,” said Jerry Stump, P.E., STV senior vice president and Eastern region manager. “It is centrally located; 50 percent of the country is within driving distance. That generates a great deal of tourism and business activity. Accompanied by an explosive growth in population, there is an increased demand for transportation and infrastructure services throughout the state.”
According to 2020 census data, Tennessee’s population has grown 8.9 percent since 2010, outpacing the national average growth rate and making it the 16th most populous state.
STV has supported the design and construction of several projects throughout Tennessee over the years, but the establishment of the Franklin office represents an even deeper investment in the area.
“We’re not a firm coming in that doesn’t know the people and the needs of state,” said Brad S. Winkler, P.E., vice president and regional manager in Tennessee. “Clients already know our key personnel’s commitment to the state, and they are now getting to know the STV brand even better.”
As regional manager, Winkler focuses on STV’s growth in Tennessee and in other parts of the country. His career encompasses 25 years of progressive project delivery, operational leadership, and business development achievements throughout Tennessee and neighboring states. Most recently, Winkler managed the design team for the I-440 Reconstruction design-build initiative, the largest project in TDOT history.
Joining Winkler as a leader in the Franklin office is Brad Thompson, AICP, vice president and operations manager. Thompson is responsible for STV’s Tennessee office operations and the firm’s transportation and infrastructure-focused planning and engineering design presence in the region. A trained urban and regional planner with more than 20 years of experience, Thompson was born and raised in Tennessee and is especially energized to see the evolution of his home state.
“The number of people moving to Nashville is astounding,” Thompson said. “With my background as a planner, I’m really intrigued by the rate of growth that’s occurring here. I am happy to bring my expertise to help the state prepare for future growth.”
The Franklin office provides STV’s full complement of services to its clients, including conceptual development of projects, planning, environmental engineering, design, construction engineering, inspection, construction and program management services, and more.
“Tennessee is a great state to live in; that’s obvious by the number of people choosing to move here,” said Thompson. “STV’s depth of resources based throughout the United States and Canada will help the state meet the challenges associated with population growth so that the region can continue to flourish in the future.”
