Founder John McAdams is retiring from McAdams, a multidisciplinary design and engineering firm that he started in 1979.
The Raleigh-based business has grown from a single office to nine locations in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida and Texas, with more than 500 employees. The N.C. offices are in Asheville, Charlotte, Durham, Raleigh and Winston-Salem.
McAdams says his vision was to deliver exceptional service and create a workplace for building fulfilling careers. “From day one, the focus was on building something sustainable that would perpetuate beyond any individual. What I am most proud of is the culture we have built — one that values mentorship, collaboration and investing in people,” he said in a release.
Notable projects include the Landfall development from 1983-1992 in Wilmington and the Streets of Southpoint regional mall in Durham in the late 90s.
“John created a welcoming, supportive, and upbeat environment that not only drives excellence in client service, but also fosters deep connections among our people,” said McAdams’ CEO Michael Munn. “Employees don’t just work here — they build meaningful careers, grow, and contribute to something bigger than themselves.”
McAdams works across multiple sectors, including parks, greenways, transportation, land development and institutional work.
McAdams has a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and an MBA, both from Duke University. He attended Broughton High School in Raleigh.
David Mildenberg is editor of Business North Carolina. Reach him at dmildenberg@businessnc.com.