Catherine Bragg Joins ESP as Chief Legal Officer
March 27, 2026
Combination broadens ESP’s capabilities with the addition of water/wastewater and aviation engineering services and extends reach into Central US, while expanding pavement and asset management expertise nationally.
ESP is excited to welcome McClelland Consulting Engineers, Inc. and Roadway Asset Services, LLC to the ESP Team of Companies!
McClelland Consulting Engineers (MCE) is one of the largest full-service civil engineering firms in Arkansas. With offices in five locations, including Little Rock and Fayetteville, MCE provides services for water and wastewater, aviation, transportation (roads and bridges), water resources and stormwater management, land development, landscape architecture, surveying, geotechnical engineering and testing, and construction-related markets.
With MCE joining the team, ESP broadens its diversified portfolio and expands its depth of client offerings to include water/wastewater and airport engineering services. Heading these business lines for ESP, MCE President Byron Hicks, PE leads the new Water/Wastewater Business Unit, and MCE Executive Vice President Mitch Rose runs the new Aviation Business Unit. As ESP’s new Regional Executive for US Central markets, MCE’s Daniel Barnes will focus on continued growth in Arkansas and into surrounding states.
Roadway Asset Services (RAS) brings expertise in pavement and asset management across the contiguous United States. RAS and ESP have partnered on previous projects, and ESP will continue to leverage RAS’s automated data collection, analysis, and consulting services for transportation agencies and municipalities, while RAS engages ESP’s network to reach additional municipal markets. RAS President Bart Williamson and RAS Chief Operating Officer Scot Gordon, PE, IAM will continue to lead RAS reporting to ESP Transportation Business Unit Executive John Adams, PE.
“We are thrilled to welcome MCE and RAS to our team of companies,” said ESP CEO Dave Dickey. “With the addition of these talented employees, ESP accelerates our growth, extends our offerings, and expands our national footprint.”
In addition to the new growth opportunity and being able to compete on a greater scale, MCE President Byron Hicks said the MCE board chose the partnership with ESP due in part to shared values: “MCE has always strived to provide quality design and personalized customer service that exceeds client expectations. ESP shares our values and our obsession with client outcomes. MCE is designed to serve – a natural fit with ESP’s mission to improve what people depend on.”
“With additional resources, expanded expertise, and broader reach, we are well-positioned to innovate and grow faster than before,” said RAS President Bart Williamson. “I look forward to continued growth and investment in our people, clients, and capabilities.”
Both MCE and RAS will retain their highly regarded brand names in the marketplace and will initially function as endorsed subsidiaries of ESP.
Dickey reflected, “These partnerships bring together teams with strong reputations for quality work, trusted client relationships, and a shared commitment to doing things the right way. Growth, when done with intention, creates opportunity for our employees, our clients, and our communities.”
With the addition of MCE and RAS, ESP has more than 900 team members and over 30 locations.
