Strengthening Our Structural Practice: Welcoming Our GFY Colleagues in Birmingham
We are excited to have officially integrated the first group of our GFY colleagues into SSR, specifically into our structural practice. This team, based in Birmingham, Alabama, represents an important step forward in strengthening our structural team, expanding our geographic presence, and enhancing the services we deliver to our clients.
From day one, it has been clear that this is a highly complementary integration—one that builds on our existing strengths while adding new expertise and capacity in key markets.
A Team That Fits—Technically and Culturally
The Birmingham-based structural team brings a strong mix of experience, technical skill, and culture. Led by John Perdue, a senior engineer with deep commercial and healthcare experience, the group also includes Elizabeth “Liz” Key, a talented structural engineer with both technical depth and a collaborative mindset. We’re also welcoming Bobby Bryant, EIT, and Shyanne Culbertson, an excellent BIM modeler—both strengthening our structural production and coordination capabilities.
Just as important as their technical skills is who they are as people. This is a group that values teamwork, quality, and relationships—qualities that align closely with how our structural practice operates today.
Complementary Capabilities That Expand Our Reach
What makes this integration especially powerful is how well the Birmingham team’s experience complements our existing structural portfolio. Alongside our focus on complex and technically challenging projects, this group brings deep expertise in repeatable and prototype-driven commercial work—projects that require efficiency, consistency, and adaptability across jurisdictions.
They have extensive experience delivering buildings that are replicated across multiple locations, with thoughtful modifications to meet varying municipal, zoning, and code requirements. This type of work adds an important dimension to our structural services and allows us to support clients with both complex, one-of-a-kind projects and highly efficient, scalable programs.
In addition, the team already has a strong understanding of healthcare facilities, including established relationships and experience working with existing SSR clients. That familiarity allows them to integrate seamlessly with our existing efforts and hit the ground running.
A Growing Presence in Birmingham—and Florida
Birmingham is an exciting and growing market, and this new location gives us a strong structural foothold in the region. The team has well-established relationships with local architects, and we see tremendous opportunity to build on those partnerships by bringing the depth of our expanded structural group—and our broader firm—to the table.
At the same time, we’re continuing to strengthen our structural presence in Florida with the addition of Vic Rebernigg in the Tampa–St. Petersburg area. Vic is growing into a project management role and will be a valuable resource to our existing Florida-based team, supporting current clients while expanding our capacity in an active and fast-growing market. With ongoing work across healthcare, commercial, and industrial sectors, his presence further reinforces our commitment to serving clients throughout the Southeast.
Now, when clients and architects engage with our teams—whether in Alabama, Florida, or beyond—they gain access to a full-service organization, including structural, MEP, and civil expertise. That integrated capability allows us to better support projects from concept through completion and positions us to take on larger and more diverse work.
Looking Ahead
This integration is about more than adding people or opening offices—it’s about building a stronger, more versatile structural practice. With the addition of our GFY colleagues in Birmingham and continued growth in Florida, we are better positioned to serve our clients, support our architectural partners, and grow strategically in key markets.
I’m excited about what’s ahead and proud to welcome these talented team members into our structural group. We’re already seeing the benefits of collaboration, and this is just the beginning.