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P R O F I L E
When he’s not building bridges for the firm, Craig Finley races a Porsche 997 GT3 Cup car.
The ‘sheep dog’ approach Known for building bridges, the founder of FINLEY Engineering sometimes has to bark and nip to get the best out of his firm.
By LIISA ANDREASSEN Correspondent
construction driven, big bridge projects all around the world. TZL: What were the key drivers for founding the firm? CF: After three years of working for a large inter- national engineering firm, it was acquired. I ran their bridge and tunnel division on a worldwide ba- sis. I was successful, but missed working with peo- ple on a more personal basis. I was focused on cor- porate management and my personal and profes- sional lives were not in balance. My kids were ac- tive in sports and I wanted to be home to watch them play. I was tired of all the traveling. I didn’t really know what I wanted to do, but I knew this was not it. That’s when I received a call from the Florida Department of Transportation. They asked me to do some consulting work on a large, segmen- tal bridge for a toll authority where an accident had occurred. I helped them and before I knew it, FIN- LEY was born. TZL: Do you have any key insights for others seeking to start a firm? CF: Know what market you will serve. Have a plan of what you will do, and get some very good See Q&A, page 4
A s fate would have it, once Craig Finley decid- ed it was time for a career move, he got a call that would set the founding of his firm in motion. That was 12 years ago. Today, FINLEY Engineer- ing Group (#4 Best Firm Civil for 2015) is a 25-per- son, specialty engineering firm recognized nation- ally and internationally for its expertise in complex bridge projects of all kinds. The firm, based in Tallahassee, Florida, has a port- folio that includes all bridge types and materials, and some of the most notable bridge projects of the last 30 years – the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, the Woodrow Wilson Bridge replacement, the Natchez Trace in Tennessee, the Tacoma Narrows Bridge re- placement, the Seabreeze Bridge, and the Sidney Lanier Bridge replacement project. A CONVERSATION WITH FINLEY. The Zweig Letter: How have you seen FINLEY evolve since its founding? Craig Finley: We’ve gone from a couple of people based in Tallahassee, Florida, to more than 25 staff members with an additional location in Prague, Czech Republic. We continue to be involved in
Craig Finley, Founder and Managing Principal, FINLEY Engineering Group
THE ZWEIG LETTER June 13, 2016, ISSUE 1156
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