Willett Engineering Company

Willett Engineering Company is independent again, with new but familiar leadership.

As of January 1, 2024, Willett Engineering Company is an independent small business again. Brandon Hoffman, P.E., S.E. has purchased the company from Gray, Inc. and assumed the role of owner and president.

This transition has occurred with encouragement and guidance from founder J. Mac Willett, P.E., S.E., who is continuing with the company as principal engineer of the Port St. Joe office in Florida.

Brandon Hoffman has over ten years of experience with WEC, most recently serving as director of the company. His extensive engineering portfolio includes steel, masonry and concrete structures for a multitude of building sizes and complexities, ranging from retail spaces to distribution warehouses and apartment buildings, among others. He has delivered projects for some of the nation’s largest school districts, for national and international brands, and for reputable architects and contractors throughout the US.

As director, Brandon has increasingly assumed executive duties including team supervision, business development, and daily operations. He has established new best practices for project management that have improved efficiency and communication, and he has expanded the capabilities of the WEC team with a focus on fostering professional growth and talent development for engineers.

Mac Willett has mentored Brandon since the early days of his career.

“Brandon shares my values. He treats people with integrity. He’s bringing fresh ideas but he’s keeping the client at the center,” Mac said. “He’s proven his leadership on our team as director, and I’m looking forward to seeing him grow the company into the future.”

Willett Engineering Company has always operated under two core values: providing structural solutions of the highest quality, and offering the best possible service to our clients. For Brandon, those values are the heart of the company and the keys to its success.

“I want our clients to know that our priorities will never change. Our focus will always be on our clients and our work, on delivering sound structural designs that meet the client’s parameters of budget and time,” Brandon said. “Being an independent small business again only makes it easier to maintain that focus on the job at hand.”

photo-Mac-Brandon

What We Do

Ours is an award-winning team of structural engineers and designers with extensive experience and a drive for solving tough challenges. Our portfolio includes industrial projects, school campuses, offices, retail buildings, steel erection and more.

We work on projects of all sizes and building materials, including steel, masonry, concrete, timber. Our specialty services include tilt-up concrete design, erection engineering for long-span structural steel framing systems, connection design for the steel fabrication industry, and the preservation of historical structures.

With over 30 years in business, our proudest achievement is our many longstanding client relationships.

Our Services

New building design
Construction administration
Analysis of existing structures
Renovation & retrofitting of existing structures
Structural consulting
Historic preservation
Erection engineering
Connection design
Adaptive re-use assessment
Disaster assessment

Our Markets

Manufacturing
Distribution
K-12 Education
Retail & Restaurant
Multi-family Residential
Office
Healthcare
Theater & Film
Government & Civic
Prototypical Design

Our Team

The Willett team is a place where top talent intersects with congenial client relationships. We bring energy and passion to our projects, along with a friendly and positive attitude.

Collaboration, advanced technology and a sustainable approach to the way we do business creates a positive work environment for our employees and clients alike.

Our Approach

Superior structural design is about more than physics. It’s about listening to your objectives, collaborating, and keeping a real-world approach. It’s about combining our decades of experience with the creativity to imagine new possibilities. It’s about achieving your vision through innovative, cost-effective, and sound solutions.
That’s why our approach is so uniquely client-centered.

Communication is our top priority from the first conversation to the completion of a successful project.

At WEC, we still believe in returning calls and responding to emails. We are your team. Our skills – and our time – are at your service.

Our Story

Willett Engineering Company was founded in 1990 on the principles of quality engineering and respect for clients. Our commitment to personal attention and responsiveness has allowed us to cultivate many longstanding client relationships over the years.

Over the years WEC has grown into a diverse professional firm with extensive experience in a broad range of project types and the full spectrum of building materials. In addition to our main office in the metro Atlanta area, we also have a satellite office in Port St. Joe.

We are proud to say our commitment to safety, satisfaction and serviceability has never wavered. Over 95% of our business comes from repeat clients. Earning their trust is our proudest achievement.

Projects

Midtown High School Atlanta Georgia

Midtown High School

Atlanta, Georgia

  • New Building Design
  • 65,000 sf
  • Construction cost of $17 million
  • Design challenge: classroom building bridges 30 feet over underlying sewer system.

Client: Cooper Carry

Fox Factory Gainesville Georgia

Fox Factory

Gainesville, Georgia

New Building Design
WEC provided structural design for this 350,000-sf, vertically integrated manufacturing and distribution facility. The structural design includes a large office mezzanine, anodizer room, clean rooms, truck canopy, and fuel storage area.

Client: BRPH

Historic Ford Auditorium Berry College Rome Georgia

Historic Ford Auditorium

Berry College, Rome, Georgia

Structural Renovation & Historic Preservation
WEC researched this 1928 auditorium’s original blueprints and construction materials in order to create 3D models of the original roof trusses. Based on these models, WEC created a framing plan to install a new, state-of-the-art acoustic ceiling.

Winner, Architecture MasterPrize 2020, Restoration & Renovation Category

Client: CEVIAN Design Lab

Barack & Michelle Obama Academy  Atlanta Georgia

Barack & Michelle Obama Academy

Atlanta, Georgia

New Building Design & Structural Renovation

  • 10,000 sf heavy renovation
  • 3,000 sf new media addition
  • 8,050 sf new gymnasium addition
  • 400 sf new entrance addition
  • Construction cost: $11 million

Client: Cooper Carry

Lelia

Brandon Hoffman has over ten years of experience with WEC, most recently serving as director of the company. His extensive engineering portfolio includes steel, masonry and concrete structures for a multitude of building sizes and complexities, ranging from retail spaces to distribution warehouses and apartment buildings, among others. He has delivered projects for some of the nation’s largest school districts, for national and international brands, and for reputable architects and contractors throughout the US.

As director, Brandon has increasingly assumed executive duties including team supervision, business development, and daily operations. He has established new best practices for project management that have improved efficiency and communication, and he has expanded the capabilities of the WEC team with a focus on fostering professional growth and talent development for engineers.

J. Mac Willett, PE, SE

Principal, Port St. Joe, FL

Mac Willett founded Willett Engineering Company in 1990 with a single client. Today, WEC serves over 150 clients across 47 states, offering a comprehensive set of structural engineering services for a wide array of markets.

Under Mac's leadership, WEC has developed a reputation for expertise in building design, construction administration, facility expansion, feasibility studies, forensic engineering, and retrofitting of existing structures. Mac has created award-winning designs for industrial and distribution facilities and is known for his extensive portfolio of educational buildings. Erection engineering, tilt-up concrete design, connection design, and historic preservation are among his other specialties.

Mac believes what sets him apart as an engineer and business leader is his commitment to each client and project. Reliability, responsiveness, and client satisfaction are his guiding principles.

Lelia Conlin, PE, SE

Lelia has been with Willett Engineering Company since March 2011.  With more than 20 years of experience, she is responsible for the design, analysis, coordination and management of projects from start to finish and has successfully completed projects ranging from stadiums and arenas to schools and high-end homes.  

As a senior engineer on the WEC team, Lelia has a reputation for creativity and problem solving, and she is known for her extensive experience in code upgrades and retrofit renovation design. 

Laura Leah Moore, PE, SE

Laura has been with Willett Engineering Company since 1995, and she has experience in designing steel, timber, masonry, and concrete structures for a multitude of building sizes and complexities. Since 2009 she has been the lead engineer for the design and analysis of prototypes for quick-serve restaurants, and she has led the WEC team in the site-adapt design of restaurants and retail stores across the U.S.

Additionally, Laura has specialized expertise in historical preservation, having overseen numerous projects requiring the analysis of existing historic structures for renovations, additions, or repairs. She has served as project manager and structural engineer on projects ranging from historical courthouse renovations to the design of presidential libraries, schools, office buildings, recreational venues, park facilities, warehouses, and resorts.

Brandon Hoffman, PE, SE

President

Following 12 years of experience with Willett Engineering Company, Brandon Hoffman became owner and president of the company on January 1, 2024.

Brandon’s top priority is the WEC reputation for top-tier engineering solutions combined with client collaboration and dependability. To that end, Brandon is committed to developing each team member’s skills and service offerings as well as to maintaining best practices for keeping all of WEC’s projects on budget and on time. His approach is to work directly with the client through all project phases to ensure the highest caliber of structural engineering services at every step of the way.

Brandon’s extensive engineering portfolio includes steel, masonry and concrete structures for a multitude of building sizes and complexities, ranging from retail spaces to distribution warehouses and apartment buildings, among others. He has delivered projects for some of the nation’s largest school districts, for national and international brands, and for reputable architects and contractors throughout the US.