Lead Change

An ownership transition at Fawley Bryant has been in the works for years.

But proving that business succession is a work in progress that requires regular attention and care, in any industry, the transition at the Lakewood Ranch architecture firm has pockets of anxious moments. “The most difficult part,” says Steve Padgett, now principal and managing partner of the firm, “is you don't know what you don't know.”

One of the largest independently owned architecture and planning firms in the Sarasota-Bradenton region, Fawley Bryant had $6.6 million in revenue in 2017, up 46.6% from $4.5 million 2016. The 20-employee firm's clients include IMG Academy in Bradenton; country clubs and clubhouses across the region; and multiple schools and colleges.