There’s a reason that leading corporations (and engineering and infrastructure firms) are paying close attention to Nashville. The city, long known for its music scene and Southern charm, has quietly become one of the most dynamic and strategically important markets in the country. And Atwell is leaning in.
Over the past year, Atwell has been steadily enhancing its Nashville presence, building a team that now numbers close to a dozen professionals. That growth hasn’t happened by accident. It reflects a distinct recognition that Nashville sits at the intersection of several of the most active sectors in land development and civil engineering: mixed-use urban, healthcare infrastructure, and fast-moving private development. For a firm with national reach and local talent, the timing couldn’t be better.
Nashville’s appeal starts with its economics. The city has emerged as a major healthcare hub serving as home to HCA Healthcare, the largest for-profit hospital operator in the country, along with other significant operators, including Community Health Systems and Acadia Healthcare. These companies don’t just bring hospitals; they bring corporate operations and project pipelines that stretch across dozens of states.
For a national engineering firm with leading professionals that know and love Nashville, it creates a powerful dynamic: local relationships with decision-makers, combined with the ability to leverage experience across dozens of cities. It’s an efficient model that turns local presence into national productivity.
Beyond healthcare, Nashville’s core has experienced a sustained wave of mixed-use and multi-family development. Infill projects combining residential density with retail components have reshaped entire neighborhoods, attracting developers who value teams that can move quickly, communicate clearly, and manage multiple active projects simultaneously. This complex, fast-paced, client-service-oriented work is precisely the kind of market where Atwell’s culture and capabilities shine.
The foundation for Atwell’s Nashville operation was laid through years of relationship-building and market development, with team members already active in the region before the recent growth in staffing. That groundwork, which included establishing credibility, connecting with local developers, and building familiarity with the local landscape has positioned the office for accelerated growth.
One recent addition to the team reflects both the office’s momentum and the caliber of talent it is attracting. Matthew Hamby, a Nashville native and Tennessee Tech University graduate, joined Atwell as Senior Director with nearly a decade of experience in the AEC industry, along with additional consulting leadership experience. Hamby’s background spans some of the sectors with the greatest opportunity in the region. He has built deep client relationships across the Nashville development community and brings firsthand knowledge of the local market’s rhythms, players, and opportunities.
What drew Hamby to Atwell, he says, wasn’t just the work, but the culture. He was drawn to a privately owned company that prioritizes its people, its clients, and long-term relationship-building over short-term projects. “I’m a true believer that a rising tide raises all ships,” Hamby said. “Being part of a firm where the focus is on process improvement, training, and genuine client service is exactly where I wanted to be for the long haul.”
That entrepreneurial mindset and client-first philosophy aligns naturally with how Atwell operates, and it’s the kind of perspective the Nashville office will emphasize as it continues to grow. Hamby’s arrival adds senior-level depth to a team already gaining traction in the market and signals that the office is entering a new phase of development. The combination of a thriving healthcare economy, an active private development community, strong population growth, and an increasingly sophisticated urban core makes Tennessee one of the most compelling regions in the Southeast.
With an expanding local team, a growing project portfolio, and leadership that knows the market from the ground up, Atwell’s Nashville office is positioned to grow with the city and to help shape what it becomes.
