The First Thirty Years: The Southeast Region

From a one-person office in 1995 to a thriving team of 200+ in 2025, every client, project, and employee-owner has played a pivotal role in shaping Alliant’s success.

To celebrate this journey, we’re taking a closer look at some of our milestone projects that brought us here. Join us for our blog series, “The First Thirty Years: Clients, Projects, Employee-Owners,” where we will highlight our biggest accomplishments and the people behind them.

The Southeast Region

A conversation with John Dillingham (Founder and CEO), Clayton Walley (Vice President), and Curt Wimpée (Vice President).

The Opportunity

In 2015, Alliant officially opened our Jacksonville office, marking the beginning of a new chapter in the Southeast. Ten years later, two offices are thriving — not just in size, but in culture, leadership, and impact. This story isn’t just about expansion. It’s about relationships, perseverance, and the kind of leadership that builds something lasting.

The Story

John: When we look back at Alliant’s growth over the past 30 years, one of the most meaningful chapters is the launch of our Southeast region. It’s been ten years since we officially opened the doors of our Jacksonville office, and today, it’s a thriving part of our company. So, who better to reflect on the journey and what makes it so special than the people who made it happen — Curt Wimpée and Clayton Walley.

Curt: Thanks, John. When I think about the journey, it really started with Clark and my relationship. I met Clark in a circuits lab in ’91 at the old Lakewood Community College in White Bear Lake, Minnesota. I charged a capacitor to full and tossed it to him, and it popped in his hand. That was my hello. He took it well, and we’ve been friends ever since.

John: Did you have the rock star hair back then?

Curt: Oh yeah, hair down to my shoulder blades. Kind of mullet-ish. I was the hippie engineer.

John: And you met Steve Weser around that time, too, right?

Curt: Yeah, we all met at Lakewood Community College. Then transferred to the University of Minnesota. He and Clark were both hilarious, and we were a natural fit.

John: So, fast forward to when I started Alliant, and when Clark came on board in ’97, he would always talk to me about Curt and how we should branch out to Florida, because Curt is originally from there and had moved back. This was around 2004. So, Clark and I flew into Orlando, drove up to Flagler Beach, where Curt was living, and discussed how we could make this work. But it was a long-term courtship.

Curt: Yeah, it took a while. I was working for another company at the time and didn’t love it. You guys came down, and it was a great chat, but the timing wasn’t right. A year later, I started my own company. Then the recession hit hard. I ended up moving around — Rochester and Duluth, in Minnesota, and even Victoria, in Canada. It was quite the North American tour.

John: We weren’t flush with cash at the time, so it wasn’t the right moment to launch Florida. But eventually, in 2015, when we were out of the recession and thriving as a company, we pulled the trigger.

Curt: I joined in May. I remember coming into the office, you were on the third floor of the Old Spaghetti Factory by then. You said, “You want to do this?” I said, “Absolutely. Get me back to the South.” And we moved down on July 2nd, 2015.

John: And we had you in Minneapolis for a few months before that, right?

Curt: Yep. I started reconnecting with people I knew in Florida while I was preparing for my move back. But nobody had heard of Alliant. That was the biggest challenge for me — convincing people I had a team ready when it was just me. We were getting survey proposals from other firms for our Land Development projects, but the services were not up to our standard. I told Clark we should start a survey department down here, and he saw the opportunity. Then a recruiter found Clayton, and it was a total godsend. Clayton has been an integral part of the Alliant story.

Clayton: Yep, a recruiter reached out about Alliant, and I met Curt. I liked what I heard, and I felt like we were cut from the same cloth. A “let’s work hard, play hard” mentality.

Curt: Clayton came in and built the survey department from scratch. First year, he was on the phone constantly, making calls, handing out business cards at red lights, making sure Alliant was being seen.

Clayton: I became a surveyor because I thought I didn’t like people. Turns out I’m pretty good at talking to them.

John: Clayton showed us that survey could be more than a support service — it could be a standalone group. That’s changed how we operate in Minnesota, too.

Curt: By 2018, land development had started picking up. Clayton came onboard in January 2019 and brought with him phenomenal people, including Dan Vanness, and Charlie West. His drive and the fantastic people he brought meant we could start bringing in work within 45 days of his starting at Alliant.

Clayton: By February, we were doing as-builts. By April, layouts for utility companies. Now we do layouts for most of the premier builders in the area. All by word of mouth, and gold star service.

Curt: And now, Alliant is a known brand in Northeast Florida. It’s always tough starting a new office, but I never felt pressure from leadership. I had the freedom to build it right.

Clayton: Absolutely agree.

John: Every office takes on the attitude of its leaders. Curt and Clayton have built something awesome that is totally supported by Minneapolis and the Board of Directors.

Curt: I sold Alliant as a company, not just an office. I wanted people to see the horsepower behind us. And Clayton had the same heart for client service. We want our clients to be raving fans of our work. Because we do fantastic work.

Clayton: And Curt pours that business development mentality into everyone here. Ask anyone in this office and they will say that client service is top priority.

Curt: We’ve won Best Places to Work in Northeast Florida a couple of times now, and that is voted on by our employee-owners. When I opened my company in 2006, it was to treat people well. That’s still my goal at Alliant. I want people to love coming to work, love the work they do, and see the impact of it — that they really are building better communities.

Clayton: Leadership sets that tone.

Curt: We love Alliant, and we have the same culture of doing excellent work and also throwing great events for our employee-owners, making sure they feel supported and that they can grow in their careers. That is the next era of Alliant as we continue to grow: support local culture while growing nationally.

John: That’s what makes us strong. Jacksonville’s success opened the door to a Tampa office. We’re only here because of what you two have built.

Clayton: Our success hinges on Curt’s decision to join Alliant. His drive and love for this company made it happen.

Curt: It’s been a lot of work and perseverance. But it’s paid off. Seeing our employee-owners thrive here and love where they work — that’s incredibly satisfying.

Clayton: Yes, and for me, watching our team grow professionally, that’s what I’m most proud of. I tell every candidate, “I’m hiring you for your potential. If you invest in yourself, I’ll help you get there.” And that’s why we have young men who started as rodmen now successfully running crews.

Curt: And now, ten years later, people know Alliant. They trust Alliant. They know we do excellent work. And that’s because of reputation and brand.

John: I’m so proud of what you’ve built! Between Jacksonville and Tampa, we are nearly 50 people. That growth has helped diversify Alliant. It’s made us stronger and more resilient. And it’s created a playbook for future offices.

We’ve come a long way, and the stories keep getting better. Up next: becoming an Employee-Owned company and the discussions that led us there.