Spotlight On: Carrie Stokes, CEO & President, Barge Design Solutions
June 2025 — In an interview with Invest:, Carrie Stokes, CEO & President of Barge Design Solutions, said that strategic focus, innovation, and people-centric leadership are driving the firm’s continued growth. “We’re in a period of significant growth, and we’re continuing on that trajectory. Since stepping into this role two months ago, my focus has been on strengthening our internal systems to support that growth and address some growing pains,” she said.
How would you describe the firm’s past year?
It was a year of continued, sustained growth. Last year was another strong one for Barge. We saw record sales once again and expanded into new geographies. We were able to leverage investments in infrastructure and other local developments. It was also the first year of implementation of our five-year strategic growth plan, which includes a focus on specific markets and regions. We saw real momentum and success across those areas. As we move into year two, we’re feeling very positive about the outlook and what’s ahead.
Which markets or sectors have proven the most resilient, or where do you see the greatest opportunities, and why?
Sustained work and growth continues in Nashville, where we were founded, with further expansion across the Southeast. Last year, we acquired two firms and made a strong commitment to Florida, where there’s significant investment in transportation and water infrastructure. We also established a presence in Greenville, South Carolina, to pursue work in the automotive and electric vehicle space. From a market perspective, we’re especially excited about healthcare. We’ve been active in that space for about six years now, and continue to see incredible growth within Nashville and beyond. We’re also expanding in the data center sector, which continues to present significant opportunities.
Which asset types or service lines are seeing the most demand, and what does that suggest about the market right now?
Barge is a multidisciplinary firm with a broad range of services across multiple markets, which has really worked to our advantage. We’re currently seeing the highest demand in the data center and healthcare sectors. If you follow the news, you know there’s an explosion in demand for data centers driven by AI and the growing need for digital infrastructure. We’re heavily involved in site selection and civil site services and are actively expanding our offerings to support this growth.
In healthcare, we provide architectural services and many supporting functions. Just yesterday, we held a thought leadership session with several partners to discuss certificate of need requirements in Tennessee, how those are evolving, and how we can adapt by learning from other states. So, we’re seeing a lot of opportunities. Our strategic plan emphasized the importance of focus, and while our diversity helps us stay resilient, we’re intentionally leaning into these high-growth sectors.
What challenges are your clients facing, and how is Barge positioned to help them navigate those?
As I mentioned, our diversity helps us understand and respond to a broad range of client needs. For instance, with our federal clients, we’re keeping a close eye on what often feels like daily changes in the form of executive orders and policy shifts and figuring out how we can support them despite those uncertainties. Their needs don’t go away, so we help them plan for both short-term and long-term impacts.
Tariffs, for example, are a challenge. We’re working closely with partners to explore alternative approaches to project delivery. That might mean adjusting services or rethinking strategies. Our strength lies in understanding how our clients operate and what they value helps us pivot quickly and effectively when challenges arise. We have long-standing relationships with many of our clients, some spanning decades. That familiarity allows us to help them clarify the big picture and align their projects with their broader mission. It really enhances the value we bring to the table.
How is Barge integrating technology and innovation into project delivery, and where do you see the biggest opportunities?
Technology is such an important topic. We’re proud to be celebrating our 70th anniversary this year, and we’ve been having lots of conversations about how the ways we work today won’t take us through the next 70 years. Technology is a huge part of that. From how we collaborate internally and address production efficiency to how we deliver the best solutions for our clients, it all matters. There’s still a labor shortage in our industry, so we’re using technology to create efficiencies, not to replace people, but to amplify what our talented teams can do.
We’ve also built an innovation group to help foster a culture of creativity across the firm. We encourage everyone to bring forward their challenges so we can collectively find smarter solutions. We want to use technology to solve real problems, not just adopt tools for the sake of it. Some clients are more ready than others, so we also focus on helping them understand the value these innovations bring. It’s always about the outcome. In our industry, people are our greatest asset. That’s why we’re so intentional about how we integrate technology. It’s to create space and efficiency so our people can focus on higher-value work and more meaningful engagement.
How is Barge approaching retention, mentorship, and leadership development in today’s competitive labor market?
It’s definitely a competitive environment, and that’s why we’re doubling down on our culture, which has always been a strength. We’re investing heavily in leadership development and growing technical expertise. For example, we recently launched a program for emerging leaders. In our field, many people earn their license or registration about four years out of school, then hit this “what’s next?” moment. Not everyone is immediately ready to lead a team, so this program helps bridge that gap. We’re also putting just as much focus on retaining talent as we are on recruiting. We make significant investments in onboarding and development, and we want to keep that talent in-house. So, we’re being very intentional in how we nurture our team.
Could you share how Barge is contributing to climate-resilient infrastructure and environmentally responsible engineering?
A few years ago, sustainability might have been seen as an add-on, but now it’s embedded in everything we do, from site design to building interiors. It’s no longer something we highlight separately; it’s simply part of how we work. Our teams bring this mindset to every project and have early conversations with clients about sustainability goals. Some clients are more aggressive than others in what they want to achieve, and we tailor our approach accordingly. We’ve also always had a strong water group focused on flood mitigation and risk reduction. With climate change increasing the frequency and severity of these events, our work in protecting assets is becoming even more vital.
How do you plan to continue delivering value across such a diverse portfolio?
We’re in a period of significant growth, and we’re continuing on that trajectory. Since stepping into this role this past March, my focus has been on strengthening our internal systems to support that growth and address some growing pains. We’re also continuing to invest in our talent and in fostering innovation. That requires a mindset shift. Innovation isn’t something that just happens, it takes time and space. We want to give our teams that space to pause and think differently about the challenges they face. So, it’s about strengthening systems, deepening our investment in people and culture and nurturing innovation. Combined with our five-year strategic plan, we feel confident about the future and our continued growth.
What are you most proud of?
We’re celebrating Barge’s 70th anniversary. We’re proud of the impact we’ve had, especially here in the Nashville community with long-standing clients such as Opryland. But what we’re especially proud of is being employee-owned. Not many firms make it 70 years, and that’s something we don’t take for granted. We’re committed to our employees and to serving our clients with excellence.
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