Our History
— Waggoner —
Waggoner Engineering, founded in 1976, is a civil engineering firm passionate about helping communities realize their potential.
For almost 50 years, Waggoner has provided solutions through a culture of integrity, service, and creativity for the benefit of our clients.
View the timeline below to learn more about the history of Waggoner Engineering.
2023
Waggoner Acquires Manchac Consulting Group
Manchac Consulting Group was established in 2009 and offers a full range of engineering services to municipal, state, federal, and private industrial clients. Waggoner adds three offices in Louisiana, Baton Rouge, Lake Charles and Bossier City, and approximately 90 qualified employees to its existing team.
Manchac also brings to Waggoner its subsidiary, Atakapa Services, a professional engineering pipeline cleaning and CCTV inspection company with years of experience in all aspects of SSES and rehabilitation.
Waggoner Named Zweig Hot Firm
The Zweig Group Hot Firm List recognizes the 100 fastest-growing AEC firms in the United States and Canada. Zweig Group is the leading research, publishing, and advisory services resource for firms in the AEC industry.
Matthew Butler Named President of Waggoner
On January 9, 2022, Matthew Butler was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of Waggoner. A senior executive in the industry, Matthew brought to Waggoner over 30 years of experience in operations and sales as well as a vast network of professional and personal relationships, and a track record for transforming large engineering and construction firms into recognized infrastructure and environmental leaders.
2022
Holly Springs Road Construction Completed
The DeSoto County Board of Supervisors grappled
with the recurring flooding of Holly Springs Road through the Coldwater River floodplain for several decades. The construction of that 2.6-mile segment, completed in December 2022, was one of the most extensive local road developments in the history of DeSoto County, Mississippi. The project reflects a true partnership in government, with contributions at the county, federal, and state levels, for the safety and benefit of the traveling public.
Waggoner Acquires Sigma Consulting Group
Founded in 1987, Sigma Consulting Group (Sigma) has a history of delivering consulting solutions throughout the Gulf Coast. Named one of the best places to work in Baton Rouge annually since 2014, Sigma’s full-service engineering and surveying expertise spans the transportation, water resources, coastal, and program management markets. Waggoner’s diverse team expands to more than 150 employees with an additional office in Pensacola, Florida.
Waggoner Announces Strategic Growth Partnership with Trilon Group
Trilon Group (Trilon) was formed with a vision to build the next Top 20 design firm in North America by bringing together some of the nation’s best infrastructure consulting firms. Strategic partnership with Trilon provides Waggoner with accelerated growth potential, shared common culture and values, and the ability to provide services within a family of companies while retaining our unique identity.
2021
Waggoner Adds Aerial Capabilities
Waggoner added a Microdrone md1000 UAV drone equipped with state-of-the-art cameras and sensors to acquire high-resolution (1 cm pixel) orthoimagery and LiDAR-derived digital terrain models.
2020
Waggoner Acquires Applied Engineering & Science Consulting (AES)
AES provided complimentary services to what Waggoner offers, including engineering and consulting in water, wastewater, and asset management planning to a diverse client base in the utilities and industrial markets throughout the southeast. The business combination went into effect on July 1, 2020.
Lake Harbour Drive Extension
The $28 million Lake Harbour Drive Extension officially opened in Ridgeland, Mississippi, over two decades in the making. The city’s new addition will serve as a multi-lane boulevard transportation facility connecting U.S. Highway 51 to Highland Colony Parkway. Waggoner provided route location and environmental assessment services. Following the NEPA process, Waggoner’s services included conceptual design alternatives, final design phase, construction engineering, inspection services, and environmental studies.
2017
Waggoner Resilience Formed
Waggoner formed Waggoner Resilience to provide disaster recovery services to communities and regions across the southeast and the Country. Waggoner served as a partner for a grant administration team managing $6 billion in Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG) recovery funds. Waggoner assisted communities and school districts in identifying and planning long-term recovery projects, including green spaces, recreational facilities, environmental restoration, and the revitalization of blighted neighborhoods.
2014
Lake Harbour Drive
The design included widening to five lanes, two in each direction with one center turn lane. Landscaping, lighting, drainage improvements, five traffic signals,
2013
DeSoto County Regional Utility Authority
In 1998, Waggoner began working with DeSoto County to develop a strategic master plan to provide a county-wide wastewater system. Faced with a combination of environmentally impaired streams and rapid population growth throughout the county, the leadership of DeSoto County recognized the need for a plan for the future. Construction of the regional system’s critical ‘backbone’ elements was completed in 2013.
Johnson Creek WWTF
The $13.8 million Johnson Creek Wastewater Treatment Facility opened in September 2013. Designed to meet the needs of western DeSoto County for the next 20 years, this environmental infrastructure project provides for adequate treatment of increased wastewater, allowing the county to be in compliance with water quality certification.
2012
Wirtz Road Water Well
Waggoner designed a special system to meet Flowood’s complex needs – a state-of-the-art and aesthetically pleasing 1,750
2007
Dr. Robert Smith Sr. Parkway (JSU)
Waggoner was engaged in assessing the situation and presenting alternatives to address the transportation deficiencies, the decline of residential and commercial areas, and blight, and to provide an entrance and enhance visibility to the Jackson State University campus. Completed in 2007, the two-phase project included the development of a four-lane median divided parkway concept with bike and pedestrian trails, underground utilities, heavy utilization of “pocket” parks, traffic roundabouts, and vegetative plantings.
2006
Gulf Region Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Program
Waggoner led a consortium of three firms to develop the Gulf Region Water and Wastewater Plan (GRWWP) following Hurricane Katrina and subsequently managed the implementation of $641 million in capital improvements over 65 different projects in five counties.
2004
Initiated Statewide Digital Mapping Program
Waggoner was selected to manage the development and implementation of a statewide digital mapping system for the State of Mississippi – the Mississippi Digital Earth Model (MDEM) – collecting seven core data layers of the state. This program is ongoing.
2003
Mississippi Geographic Information, LLC (MGI)
Waggoner formed MGI as a joint venture with two other firms to serve the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality in implementing the Mississippi Flood Map Modernization Initiative.
2001
Nissan Vehicle Assembly Plant
Waggoner served as the overall project manager for the development of the $1.2 billion, 1,700-acre Nissan Manufacturing site located in Canton, Mississippi. Within an amazing 18-week schedule, Waggoner designed and managed the development of the 100-acre building pad, including grading design for 3.5 million yards of fill material, site drainage, clearing and demolition plans, and property acquisition for the site and improvements.
1999
Sardis Lake Master Plan
The Sardis Lake Recreation and Tourism Master Plan for recreational development within the 6,000 acres surrounding Sardis Lake was produced to organize recreational activities into a viable rural economic development resource to serve the recreational and tourism needs of a regional population.
1994
Highland Colony Parkway
Opened in April, the award-winning Highland Colony Parkway represents creative planning, design, and financing through joint participation and is recognized as one of the premier economic development corridors in the Southeast. It’s one of few transportation and economic development corridors of its kind without federal participation. Waggoner performed the initial route surveys, right-of-way acquisition surveys, design, and construction administration for the entire project.
1992
Statewide Water Management Plan
Waggoner was the prime consultant for this plan – the first of its kind in Mississippi and only a handful nationwide. The project addressed the evaluation and identification of the interdependencies and compatibilities between surface water and groundwater management, conservation, environmental protection, economic development, flood control, and the institutional management issues associated with statewide water resources management.
1976
Waggoner Engineering Incorporated
Joe A. Waggoner, P.A. was founded in Brandon, Mississippi.
We do more than plan and design infrastructure – we transform communities.