Our People Our Future Spotlight // John Weavil, Regional Director of Operations – TN + AL
February 07, 2024
John Weavil, PE, joined S&ME in 2006 and has 15+ years of experience in construction services, geotechnical, environmental, and lab services. John serves as S&ME’s Regional Director of Operations, providing leadership in TN and AL to drive growth, client development, and strategic objectives while offering integrated services to clients. He shares a passion for mentoring coworkers with a philosophy that honesty and empathy create opportunities to achieve success.
In June 2023, John and his family relocated from Charlotte, North Carolina to Nashville, Tennessee. We spoke with John to hear more about his experience in the area and vision for S&ME in Nashville.
What has your overall experience been like in Nashville?
“The transition from Charlotte to Nashville has been enjoyable for me and family. It’s been over 6 months so far, and we’re feeling settled. There are so many fantastic, large project opportunities in middle Tennessee. The area is booming with opportunity, which makes me excited for S&ME’s future in Nashville. I’ve enjoyed becoming involved with ACEC Tennessee and want to thank our clients and partners who have been very welcoming.”
What do you enjoy most about the area?
“Much of my time outside of work is driven by activities for our kids and we’ve found that Nashville has tons to offer. We love to visit all the parks in the area, the Nashville Zoo (which is probably my favorite zoo I’ve been to!), and even Broadway to check out the music scene; which we appreciate is also kid friendly.”
How would you describe our technical expertise in Nashville?
“We have made a few recent hires that bolster our technical expertise in our local operations. Construction Services Operations Manager, Joe Simon joined us to lead the growth of our Materials Testing and Special Inspections Work. Joe has previous experience at TDOT where he led the lab, aviation, and aeronautics services and was a part of their pavement services group. Tom Buchanan also recently joined us as our Environmental Operations Manager and he has experience working with environmental regulators and consultants in TN and MS. At S&ME, Tom supports our environmental due diligence services. I’m excited to see how we continue to build upon our technical expertise in Nashville and grow as well.”
What are you tracking in terms of hot markets in Nashville?
“In Nashville, we’re focused on providing our core S&ME services, which are Geotechnical, Environmental, and Construction Materials Testing. We are experiencing lots of opportunity in hospitality, industrial, and transportation markets right now. Our S&ME environmental and construction service lines are growing rapidly to support this demand. We are also expanding our local geotechnical group if you know anyone looking to make the move to a great company.”
What are a few projects we are working on in the Nashville region?
“We are working with TDOT on several projects, to support Tennessee’s Transportation Modernization Act and TDOTs 10-year project plan. Our team is also providing construction materials testing for Metro Nashville School’s Paragon Mills Elementary School and the Hankook Tire Tennessee Plant expansion in Clarksville. Hankook’s expansion will allow the company to double its production and once operable, will be the largest private employer in Clarksville.”
What’s your vision for the future of S&ME Nashville?
“Our collective goal in Nashville is to deliver technical expertise and our core services – Geotechnical, Environmental, and Construction Materials Testing – for our clients while contributing to projects that support meaningful community improvements. I’m excited to see our continued growth in the market.”
Interested in joining our team in Nashville? We’re hiring! Check out our open roles.