Design firm seizes on uptick

BRADENTON — Top executives at local architecture firm Fawley Bryant sense an opening in the economy, and they intend to pounce on it though promotions, new hires and geographical expansion.

The 11-employee company, with offices in downtown Bradenton and Lakewood Ranch, is one of the largest architecture firms in the region to survive the recession. The company recently added one employee, a draftsman. It also promoted longtime manager Steve Padgett to the role of vice president, where he will oversee the firm's expansion, according to a release.

Fawley Bryant Executive Vice President Mike Bryant says more hires could be forthcoming. “We see an uptick in the economy,” Bryant told the Business Review today. “We are not going to be foolish. We will be measured in our response. We will be meticulous about our growth.”