This April marked the 11th anniversary of the UF Alumni Association’s Gator100, celebrating Gator business leaders who have launched and led some of the most innovative and successful companies across the nation and around the world.
Join us in congratulating the outstanding alumni from the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering for earning their place among the 2025 Gator100 — the world’s fastest-growing Gator-led businesses.
Engineering Awardees
#6 Alair Homes Sanibel
Glen Harris III
Degree: BSCE ’01, ME ’03
Job Title: Partner and CEO
Location: Fort Myers, FL
After graduating in 2003 from UF, Glen moved to Fort Myers, FL to begin his career in the Custom Residential Market. After working for a Custom Home Builder for six years, Glen opened his own company (GH3 Enterprises, LLC) in 2009 and grew that business through 2016 until the company garnered the attention of a growing North American franchise called Alair Homes (Alair). Alair was looking to expand their presence in the Florida market and eventually partnered with Harris in July 2016 to transition GH3 Enterprises into the pilot office for Alair in Southwest Florida (Alair Homes Sanibel).
One year later, Harris earned the title of Regional Partner for Alair SWFL, shifting a portion of his focus to expansion of the brand through the heartland, and the western coast of Florida. Today, Alair has offices in Naples, Bonita Springs, Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel, Sarasota, Redington Beach, and South Tampa. Harris states “Alair has given my Partners and I the opportunity to truly find success in this difficult industry. Not only success for our businesses, but for our clients and trade partners as well. Our motto is “Living Better Starts Here®”, and we couldn’t be happier to be living that out every day.”
#10 Veith Engineering & Business Solutions
Bryan Veith
Degree: BSCE ‘93
Job Title: CEO and Principal Consultant
Location: Sarasota, FL
Founded by UF Alumni Bryan Veith, P.E., Assoc. DBIA in 2019, Veith Engineering & Business Solutions (VEBS) is a local small business professional consulting firm that provides professional engineering, utility management, and business solutions to both public and private clients in Florida. VEBS’ core mission is to successfully deliver efficient and effective professional engineering and business consulting solutions with integrity, innovation, quality, and responsive service to our clients.
VEBS provides civil and environmental engineering focused on all aspects of water (potable, wastewater, reclaimed, groundwater, stormwater, and integrated water resources) and site-civil projects that offer a wide range of high-quality, responsive, and professional services to their clients throughout all phases of project delivery such as Design-Bid-Build, Design-Build, and Construction Manager at Risk. Their staff have over 200 combined years of engineering and consulting experience.
As CEO and Principal Consultant, Veith is a well-known industry leader and American Society of Civil Engineer (ASCE) Fellow, recognized for his passion in developing creative and effective “OneWater” alternate delivery and business solutions. He also prides himself on serving as a trusted partner with his clients, his strong commitment to supporting the local communities, and delivering sustainable engineering and business consulting solutions to protect our environment and support economic vitality.
Since VEBS’ inception, the small and nimble team has been growing and expanding services and client base at a steady pace even through the pandemic. Today, the team consists of eight well-qualified, professional employees working from three locations.
#20 Pacifica Engineering Services
Wesley Foster
Degree: BSCE ’12, ME ‘13 (Civil)
Job Title: President and Principal Engineer
Location: Delray Beach, FL
Pacifica Engineering Services, LLC, founded and led by Wesley Foster, is a Florida-based engineering firm with a strong reputation for excellence, innovation, and client satisfaction. Offering a range of services, including geotechnical engineering, environmental consulting, private provider services, threshold inspections, material testing and permit expediting, Pacifica serves clients across Florida through its offices in Delray Beach, Miami, Fort Myers, Jacksonville and Orlando.
Since its inception, Pacifica has experienced significant growth, earning a spot on the Gator100 in both 2023 and 2024, ranking #6 and #28, respectively. The firm has also been recognized on the Inc. 5000 list of America’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies in 2023 and 2024, and by the South Florida Business Journal with the prestigious 2024 Business of the Year Award.
At the core of Pacifica’s success is a commitment to innovation and sustainability, adopting cutting-edge technologies and practices to deliver high-quality results. Wesley Foster’s leadership has been instrumental in fostering a collaborative, client-focused culture that consistently meets the evolving needs of the industry. Foster’s personal accolades include the 2024 SFBJ 40 Under 40 Award and the 2023 Distinguished Service Award from the City of West Palm Beach.
Looking ahead, Pacifica remains dedicated to expanding its operations, exceeding client expectations, and maintaining its standing as a leader in engineering services, while continuing its philanthropic contributions to the community.
#30 Verdex Construction
Rex B. Kirby
Degree: BSCE ‘80
Job Title: President
Location: West Palm Beach, FL
Verdex Construction, founded with the mission of “Building Something Better,” has quickly established itself as a leader in the industry. In just ten years, Verdex has grown to achieve over $350 million in annual revenue, a reflection of their dedication to quality, innovation, and client-focused service.
Specializing in multifamily, hospitality, institutional, senior living, office, industrial and commercial projects, Verdex serves the South Florida, Tampa/Sarasota, and North Florida markets. They have built their reputation with “deep dive” preconstruction, quality construction, and an unwavering commitment to being responsive and solutions-oriented for their clients.
In 2024, Verdex was honored as South Florida’s 6th Largest General Contractor, one of the Fastest Growing Companies, and a Top 100 Privately Held Company in the region. Their numerous accolades for quality, safety, growth, and leadership are a testament to their commitment to excellence, while their values-driven culture and dedication to client service remain at the core of their success.
#32 Otter PR
Scott Bartnick
Degree: BSISE ‘15
Job Title: Co-Founder and CEO
Location: St. Petersburg, FL
After attending UF and earning his degree in Industrial & Systems Engineering, Bartnick spent several years working for Fortune 500 companies before launching his first entrepreneurial venture as an Amazon service consultant and brand marketer. He is an internationally renowned e-commerce and media expert who has been featured in Forbes, Entrepreneur, IBTimes, and more for his serial successes in founding and helping to rapidly scale ventures in e-commerce, marketing, and media strategy and outreach. One of his earliest ventures, the Five-Day Startup, has also been transcribed into a bestselling book.
During the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, Bartnick co-founded Otter Public Relations as the company’s COO alongside Jay Feldman, (BS ‘14). Bartnick’s entrepreneurial passion and drive for generating mission-driven value have helped the company grow into a multi-million-dollar media agency working with some of the world’s top thought leaders, businesses, and entrepreneurs. His insight and expertise helped them break into mainstream media and grow their brand into globally recognizable names.
Otter PR, the No. 1 PR firm on Clutch, G2, & UpCity, boasts clients like Alibaba & US Congress. Based in Florida, our award-winning team of 45+ experts guarantees media coverage monthly. With 35+ awards and features in Forbes & New York Times, we redefine PR. Our proprietary “OTR™” method emphasizes Outreach, Trends, and Relationships. Recognized by industry leaders and trusted by global brands, we ensure your narrative stands out.
#43 Admiral
Dan Rua
Degree: BS ’91
Job Title: CEO
Location: Gainesville, FL
Admiral the Visitor Relationship Management (VRM) Company, helps thousands of digital publishers worldwide grow visitor relationships and revenue. Admiral’s AI-powered SaaS platform solves several monetization challenges digital publishers face, with visitor journeys that include: registration walls, paywalls and paid subscriptions, donation management, advanced adblock analytics and revenue recovery, GDPR/GPP privacy consent, email acquisition, 1P data collection, social growth, and more. Websites growing stronger visitor relationships with Admiral’s platform include CBSSports.com, CNBC.com, NYPost.com, Weather.com, and many more.
#65 Everson Construction Group, LLC
John Everson
Degree: BSCE ‘17
Job Title: President
Location: Jacksonville, FL
Everson Construction Group, LLC is a licensed general contractor offering commercial general contracting and construction management services across the southeast, including Georgia and South Carolina. They are committed to providing value-added construction services to their customers by creating a successful partnership throughout the construction process.
At Everson Construction Group, LLC. (ECG), their pledge is to establish lasting relationships with their customers by exceeding expectations and gaining trust through exceptional performance throughout the construction process. They strive to ensure the longevity of our company through repeat and referral business achieved by customer satisfaction in all areas. They pride ourselves on their dedication to timeliness, attention to detail and service-minded attitudes.
Their actions are rooted in their core values of professionalism, integrity, honesty and fairness in their relationships with their suppliers, subcontractors, professional associates and customers. The goal of every member of their construction team is to always provide for their customers the highest level of quality construction services at fair and market competitive prices.
Everson Construction Group, LLC. (ECG) was established in 2018 by John Everson, a graduate of the University of Florida with a degree in civil engineering. He excels in securing contracts and delivering superior services, and his role as Construction Manager involves comprehensive oversight of projects, ensuring schedule adherence, budget maintenance, and quality control. With expertise in commercial construction and renovations, construction consulting, planning, safety management, and more, John drives business development and operational excellence.
#70 Planate Management Group
Christian Decker
Degree: ME ’89
Job Title: President
Location: Alexandria, Va.
Planate Management Group provides technical solutions in difficult environments. Their installation management expertise covers Planning, Architectural and Engineering (A/E) Design Services, Engineering Support Services, and Environmental Services. A Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) Founded in November of 2007 in Virginia, USA Planning, Architectural and Engineering (A/E) Design Services, Engineering Support Services, and Environmental Services Significant Federal and Department of Defense-related work Commercial and Government Client Work Worldwide. RESPECT. We respect people, value diversity, and are committed to equality. We respect beliefs, opinions, needs, wants, aspirations and actively listen, focus, reflect, and relate.
#75 Hydro-Dyne Engineering, Inc.
Jay R. Conroy
Degree: BABA ‘00, BSEN ‘00
Job Title: President
Location: Clearwater, Fl
Hydro-Dyne Engineering designs and manufactures high-quality screening and grit removal equipment for municipal and industrial water and wastewater facilities worldwide. With over 45 years of industry experience, they deliver innovative, reliable, and durable solutions tailored to the unique needs of modern treatment systems. Their advanced equipment enhances plant performance and supports long-term operational success.
At Hydro-Dyne, they prioritize quality through in-house manufacturing, owning all patents to design, fabricate, assemble, test, and service our products. This hands-on approach ensures consistent quality and fosters innovation, exemplified by their patented technologies that set industry standards. Committed to the Build America, Buy America initiative, all operations, including design and assembly, are conducted at our Clearwater, Florida headquarters, supporting the U.S. economy and workforce.
Our product range includes water and wastewater screens, screening handling equipment, and grit removal systems, all designed for superior functionality and efficiency. They serve diverse applications, including municipal water and wastewater treatment, industrial facilities, correctional institutions, septage receiving stations, and membrane bioreactors (MBR).
Hydro-Dyne’s expertise and rigorous quality standards simplify complex operations, reduce maintenance costs, and enhance downstream system efficiency. As a trusted partner in the water and wastewater sector, they remain dedicated to advancing the industry through exceptional design, manufacturing, and service, protecting critical processes and environments with custom-engineered
#79 Beach Engineering Solutions Team, Inc.
Bob Beach
Degree: BS ’85
Job Title: CEO
Location: Duluth, Ga.
Beach Engineering Solutions Team, Inc is a full service Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing Engineering firm for the built environment. The firm has performed projects across the US and Internationally. The projects have included: Hospitality, Multi-Family, Commercial, Medical/Dental Offices, K-12 Schools and high-rise buildings. Their engineers take the project from conception through final construction. They prefer to be involved in the project as early as possible to help the owner/end-user determine the best value for their project.
Mechanical systems design have included: Chill water, condenser water, dedicated outside air systems and direct expansion, single packaged units. Electrical systems design have included: high-voltage, and low-voltage, and fire alarm. Plumbing systems design have included: multiple pressure zone water distribution, waste and vent, grease waste and fire sprinkler. The word “Team” was added to their company’s name because they believe the best project results from a team approach with the architect, contractor, owner and engineer working together.
# 84 Hackenberg Engineering
James Hackenberg
Degree: BSME ’01
Job Title: Owner
Location: Winter Park, FL
Located in Central Florida, Hackenberg Engineering is a Design and Commissioning Management Services Company with LEED accredited specialists. Specializing in a lean process approach for creative and innovative design solutions that are value add and customer service focused. Project experience includes healthcare facilities design, data centers, churches, municipalities and commercial applications. Providing design, commissioning and owners representation.
This also includes over 10 years of healthcare design experience. Including the largest Healthcare providers for Central Florida, working with the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA), developing plans and specifications for full stand-up plan reviews and desk reviews.
#93 Hyatt Survey Services, Inc.
Pamela Hyatt
Russell Hyatt
Degree: BSSV ’90, BSSV ’90
Job Title: President and Vice President
Location: Bradenton, FL
Hyatt Survey is a full-service surveying and mapping firm keeping on the leading edge of technology. They provide professional surveying and mapping services throughout the state of Florida. Hyatt Survey is a leader in the hydrographic survey industry in Florida, working on large scale projects such as the Kissimmee River Restoration and beach nourishment sites. Our headquarters has been in Manatee County for the last 22 years. Both owners graduated from the University of Florida with degrees in Geomatics. Russell Hyatt serves on the UF advisory boards for SFRC and the Geomatics program.
#94 Power Production Management, Inc. (PPM Solar)
Jason Gonos
Degree: BSME ‘05
Job Title: Co-Founder and Director
Location: Gainesville, FL
Jason Gonos, a key co-founder of PPM Solar, has significantly shaped the company into a leading provider of residential and commercial solar energy installations and battery storage. Since its inception in 2009, which he spearheaded alongside Alex Khokhlov, Gonos has established PPM Solar as a prominent solar development firm in the Southeastern United States, particularly in North Central Florida.
PPM Solar, based in Gainesville, Florida, has flourished in solar photovoltaic electrical design, installation, and service under Gonos’s guidance for nearly 16 years. His connection to the community and the University of Florida influenced the company’s course, bringing him personal accolades – such as the prestigious Gator100 list, an honor he has received three times. Today, Gonos is a business leader whose passion for renewable energy illuminates hundreds of homes and businesses across Florida. Plus, he inspires entire communities to embrace a solar-powered tomorrow.
Born from a shared passion at the University of Florida, PPM Solar was kickstarted in 2009 by visionaries Jason Gonos and Alex Khokhlov. Their ambition? To provide a bold and simple solution to the rising electrical power costs. Today, PPM Solar is a credible national leader in the solar energy arena, with a consistent track record of hundreds of installations across Florida and beyond. Our ethos? We are modern, knowledgeable, and approachable. Drawing inspiration from Gainesville’s heart for higher education and cleaner future advocacy, we are deeply rooted in continuous learning and growth. We empower our diverse team with tailored training and certifications, ensuring we remain specialists in the ever-evolving solar sector.
At PPM Solar, we value trustworthiness and loyalty, virtues evident in our unique customer journey. We pride ourselves on being young at heart, green in action, and flexible in our approach. Our customer portfolio is a testament to our quality work, ranging from homes and businesses to esteemed institutions like Shands Children’s Hospital, San Felasco Tech City and Infinite Energy.
To see the full list visit www.gator100.ufl.edu.