Loading
The humbling story of the ADP Group, which was once one of the largest architecture and planning firms in Sarasota, has added a new chapter.
Robert Town, one of the founders of ADP and a 25-year employee of the firm, has launched his own practice. He plans to offer architecture, design and planning services for developers and builders in the health care, country club and government sectors — many of the same tasks ADP did before the recession forced it to shut down its operations last year.
Only now, of course, it will be on a much smaller scale.
“This is one of the worst economic times I've ever experienced,” Town tells Coffee Talk. “A lot of [architecture] firms are finding that it is necessary to drastically reduce overhead and compete at lower margins.”
As of now, Town will work mostly out of his home and use a bank of freelance workers when he gets a project that needs more people.
He has picked up a few clients, including an engineering firm, since launching the practice last month.
Town joins former ADP business partner Bruce Franklin in going the solo route. Franklin, who served as president of ADP, now runs Land Resource Strategies, a onetime ADP subsidiary. Like Town's firm, Franklin's company does many of the same things that ADP did, including land planning and regulatory reviews.
Your free article limit has been reached this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited digital access to our award-winning business news.
Join thousands of executives who rely on us for insights spanning Tampa Bay to Naples.
