Founded by Hibbett Neel, PE, and Gorman Schaffer in 1983, Neel-Schaffer is a multi-disciplined engineering, planning, and construction management firm that today ranks as one of the largest privately held, employee-owned engineering firms in the South.
Mr. Schaffer retired as Executive Vice President in 2012 and Mr. Neel served as the firm’s President and Chief Executive Officer until April 15, 2022. Joey Hudnall, PE, now serves as the firm’s President and Chief Executive Officer.
Headquartered in Jackson, MS, the firm operates 39 offices and has locations in nine states. Its corporate structure enables Neel-Schaffer to maintain a strong commitment to local communities while providing access to engineering expertise on multiple levels. Engineering News-Record has listed Neel-Schaffer among the Top 500 Design Firms in the United States annually since 1994, with that ranking reaching 180th in 2025.
Our core disciplines include Transportation, Water, Civil/Site, Environmental Services, and Support Services, and we offer a wide variety of engineering, planning, and management services under each of those disciplines.
Neel-Schaffer also operates in unison with two sister firms that are subsidiaries of Neel Schaffer Engineers & Planners. Maptech, Inc., provides survey and GIS services, and True North Emergency Management provides disaster monitoring and hazard mitigation services across the country.
With a bevy of highly trained and experienced professional and technical employees, Neel-Schaffer has the capacity to provide high quality services on compressed schedules, on time and within budget.
Mr. Neel and Mr. Schaffer were committed to building a successful firm with a philosophy of improving the quality of life through service to the community.
This tenet resonates today as the firm supports and promotes a culture of continuous improvement, fostered by Neel-Schaffer’s Core Values of Care, Service, and Excellence.
We Care about the well-being and safety of our employees and their families. We Serve our clients and communities with the highest level of honesty and ethics. And we achieve Excellence by enhancing public welfare through innovation and technical expertise. These values shape who we are, guiding our work, relationships, and dedication to our clients and the many communities we serve and call home.
For more information about the firm, contact Kelly Tam, PCM, CDMP, Senior Vice President, Marketing.
