Long before Drummond Carpenter, Chad Drummond knew he wanted to work in science and engineering. His time in the U.S. Navy gave that interest a much more specific direction.
While serving in the Persian Gulf during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, Chad saw the environmental damage caused by burning oil wells and crude oil spilling into the water. That experience helped lead him to environmental engineering, while his Navy training in nuclear systems gave him a technical foundation he still draws on today.
Those connections are easy to see in Drummond Carpenter’s work nearly a decade after Chad founded the firm.
In a recent profile in The Zweig Letter, Chad talks about DC’s work with federal and municipal clients, including the firm’s specialized support for the safe storage and disposal of Manhattan Project-era materials. He also discusses one of the largest projects in DC’s history: the redesign of water, stormwater, sewer and natural gas infrastructure at a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs hospital campus in Arkansas.
The profile comes as Drummond Carpenter was named to Zweig Group’s 2025 Hot Firm list, recognizing the fastest-growing firms in the AEC industry. Chad talks about that growth, including the people who joined DC early and have since grown into leadership roles, as well as the firm’s efforts to build stronger connections with universities.
He also looks at what’s ahead, including DC’s growing use of augmented intelligence and the internal tools its team is developing to support both project work and firm operations.
The full conversation covers a lot of ground, from the experiences that first led Chad to environmental engineering to the work and ideas shaping Drummond Carpenter today.
Read the full profile in The Zweig Letter.
About Drummond Carpenter: Drummond Carpenter is an engineering and environmental consulting firm that partners with clients to solve complex infrastructure and environmental challenges. By integrating engineering, science, and data intelligence, the firm delivers practical solutions across water, environment, infrastructure, nuclear, and federal programs. Founded in 2016, Drummond Carpenter is a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business headquartered in Maitland, Florida.