Planning for the recovery

Even during the frothiest real estate boom times, Johnson Engineering didn't give up on public-sector work.

Unlike some competitors who tied their futures to private residential and commercial development, the Fort Myers-based civil engineering firm continued to bid for work for municipalities, utilities, universities and public hospitals.

“We maintained those relationships, and that proved so valuable during the downturn,” says Lonnie Howard, 42, the president of Johnson Engineering.