During that time, leaders of the construction services and the aerospace and defense units decided to retire. All of those positions were also filled internally, with Doug Geiger in construction services and Wayne Finger in aerospace and defense. John Bottaro remains in his corporate program manager position.

Reed says the executive transition represented the ideal mix of internal promotions to retain the firm's culture and vision while moving some candidates into new positions where they can offer a fresh perspective.

"That's the reason we're having such success," Reed says. "Four new business unit leaders are coming in with fresh ideas, new processes and adjustments to their businesses. They drive our success right now. The person who replaced me [William Sandifer] in aviation is making changes I wouldn't have made because he sees things that I didn't. He's instituting beneficial changes, and I'm staying out of his way."

The chief marketing officer position also adds a new means for pursuing projects. Debs says that in his role he aims to enhance the ability for business unit leaders to hit their growth targets. "Their ability to reach their potential is greatly enhanced by having an overarching, enterprise-level approach to brand recognition and how we approach client relationships," he adds.

Among his primary initiatives is to develop a "large projects pursuits" process, aimed at landing more $100-million-plus projects.

Future Growth

Reed says aviation is an area where the firm expects to see solid growth in the coming years. The firm has been involved in numerous airport-related projects in the Southeast in recent years, including serving as a consultant on the $750-million South Runway project at Fort Lauderdale Airport. The elevated, sloping runway will extend across U.S. 1 and freight rail lines.

Reed says the firm is also eyeing significant international aviation work, including several PPP opportunities in Central and South America. Although the work will be executed abroad, he expects U.S.-based offices to contribute significantly to the effort, including the firm's Southeast branches.

The company's aerospace and defense businesses continue to land significant work, thanks in large part to its ongoing design efforts for NASA's launch facilities.

In 2012, the firm began modification to the Atlas V-SLC-41 Pad and SLS Mobile launcher at Kennedy Space Center (KSC). Reed says that although NASA's program has been trimmed, those launch facilities are now being used by private firms—a trend he sees continuing in the coming years.

RS&H also recently helped establish a mandated sustainability plan for KSC.

From his perspective as chairman, Leerie Jenkins sees significant potential in the new executive team's future vision. Jenkins says the firm is looking to pull back from declining markets and push into new ones—both in terms of market sectors and geography. In addition to a big international push, Jenkins says the firm will look to expand domestically. In Texas, for instance, he says the company is considering transmission line work, while in other parts of the country it may pursue water and wastewater.