Steven Garbe, Tampa Office Manager, Alliant Engineering

July 2026 — Invest: spoke with Steven Garbe, Tampa office manager of Alliant Engineering, about the firm’s expansion in Tampa Bay, the growing strain on transportation systems, and the need for resilient infrastructure in a fast-growing market. “The focus on roadway safety, traffic flow, and system performance has become even more important as the region grows,” Garbe said.

What external changes over the past year have most impacted your organization, and in what ways?

At a high level, one of the biggest changes has been our growth in Tampa. We started the office in May 2024, and by 2025 we were really able to hit the ground running. Since then, we have added staff in several key areas, including surveying, land development, traffic, intelligent transportation systems, and transportation engineering.

That growth has allowed us to build a stronger local presence and respond to opportunities in the market much more effectively. We are still a relatively new office, but we have been able to establish momentum quickly and create a solid foundation for future expansion.

The broader Tampa Bay market is changing rapidly. Population growth in the region has been significant, and that is putting increased pressure on transportation infrastructure. As more people move into the market, demand on roadways continues to rise, and public agencies are under more pressure to improve safety and operations.

A big part of our work has been supporting clients such as Hillsborough County as they respond to those mobility demands. The focus on roadway safety, traffic flow, and system performance has become even more important as the region grows.

What impact are these changes having on clients and the broader community?

The most direct impact is that public agencies are being stretched. Hillsborough County, for example, does a very good job maintaining its roadway system and traffic signals, but the growth in daily traffic volumes has increased delays at many intersections and along major corridors.

That creates more demand for operational improvements, more requests from the public, and more pressure on agency staff. Clients are being asked to do more with the same or, in some cases, fewer resources. That affects how quickly projects can move forward and how priorities are set.

For the broader community, the impact is visible in everyday mobility. People experience longer delays, more congestion, and growing pressure on the transportation network. That is why improving roadway operations is so important. Small improvements in timing, intersection performance, and corridor management can make a meaningful difference in daily travel and overall safety.

How is Alliant Engineering approaching talent attraction and retention in a competitive market like Tampa Bay?

Talent is one of the biggest priorities for us. We work hard at recruitment, and we are fortunate to have a strong HR and recruiting team that is active across the country. In Tampa, we are focused on building relationships with universities and professional organizations so that we can connect with the next generation of engineers, surveyors, and planners.

We have been active at the University of South Florida, attending college and engineering events and recruiting students there. We have also sent some of our younger staff back to their alma maters, such as the University of Florida, to help recruit future talent. That peer-to-peer connection is valuable because students can hear directly from professionals who were recently in their position.

Retention is just as important as recruitment. In a smaller and growing office, younger professionals often have opportunities to take on responsibilities earlier in their careers and get involved in industry organizations, mentorship, and project work in a meaningful way.

One example is Blake Bevacqua-Bailey, who joined as one of the early employees in our Tampa office. He has been very active in the Greater Tampa section of the Institute of Transportation Engineers and was recently named Young Professional of the Year. That kind of involvement helps people grow professionally and strengthens our connection to the region.

We also benefit from our Florida platform more broadly. Our Jacksonville office has been established since 2015, and that connection has been valuable as we continue growing in Tampa. 

What key trends are you seeing in the engineering and infrastructure sector?

A major trend in transportation is the use of real-time information to improve both safety and operations. Agencies and consultants are increasingly asking how data can be used in a more immediate, actionable way.

How can we leverage technology to make our roadways safer and more efficient? That question is central to much of what we are seeing in the market.

For example, there are opportunities to use signal timing more strategically to reduce red-light running, improve traffic flow, or address speeding on major roadways. There is also a growing emphasis on improving outcomes for all road users, not just drivers. That includes pedestrians, cyclists, and emergency responders.

On the development side, Florida’s growth is continuing to drive demand for multifamily and single-family housing, which means more need for surveying, land development, and supporting infrastructure services. The engineering sector is having to respond not only to current growth, but also to the long-term implications of that growth.

What are some of the primary challenges facing your business and the sector more broadly?

One of the biggest challenges is resilience. Tampa was impacted by two hurricanes in 2024, and those events reinforced the need to think carefully about how infrastructure performs during and after major disruptions. It is not only about building systems that function well in normal conditions, but also about building systems that can recover quickly after a storm.

We are looking at different ways to help clients improve that resilience, including cloud-based solutions that can add another layer of redundancy and support faster recovery. Those kinds of tools can play an important role as agencies modernize their systems.

Another challenge is cost. Inflation has increased the price of construction, materials, and implementation, which puts pressure on budgets. Agencies still need to deliver services and improvements, but they are doing so in a more expensive environment.

Staffing is also an ongoing issue across the sector. There is high demand for engineers, surveyors, planners, and technical professionals in both consulting and the public sector. As communities grow, the number of needs grows with them, and making sure there is enough talent to meet those demands remains a challenge.

How is Alliant Engineering engaging with the Tampa Bay community, and how do these efforts align with your broader mission?

Our mission is building better communities with excellence and passion, and that really shapes how we approach the market. Community is one of our core values, so we try to be involved in ways that go beyond project delivery.

We have been active in the Greater Tampa section of ITE, and we have also supported community organizations such as Feeding Tampa Bay. Those efforts reflect our belief that being part of a community means contributing to it in multiple ways.

We also see community impact through the projects we support. One example is our work with Hillsborough County on emergency vehicle preemption. We helped expand the county’s system from roughly 200 traffic signals to more than 600 countywide. That helps emergency responders move more safely and quickly through the roadway network, and every second matters in those situations.

In addition, we have supported Hillsborough County in pursuing grant opportunities that can bring in significant funding for transportation improvements. That kind of work aligns closely with our mission because it helps communities secure the resources they need to improve infrastructure and quality of life.

What is your outlook for Alliant Engineering, the infrastructure sector, and what key priorities will guide your strategy moving forward?

Our outlook for Tampa is very positive. We expect steady and continued growth in the market, and we are already working with strong agencies such as the City of Tampa and Hillsborough County. We want to continue building those relationships and expanding the services we provide locally.

That includes growing across multiple disciplines, whether in surveying, environmental services, land development, transportation, or maintenance of traffic. Our goal is for the Tampa office to continue maturing into a full-service operation that can support a wide range of infrastructure needs.

Another priority is increasing our brand recognition in the market. Because we are still growing our presence in Tampa, it is important that clients and partners understand the full range of expertise we bring, both locally and through the broader Alliant platform.

Ultimately, we want to continue helping the Tampa region grow in a smart and resilient way. The opportunities in this market are substantial, and we are excited to be part of that progress.