Phoenix on the Rise: Building for What’s Next with Halff’s Pete Hemingway

Peter Hemingway is Halff’s Phoenix public works director, helping to expand the firm’s expertise in Arizona.

When Peter Hemingway first moved to Phoenix, the city had just one freeway running through town. Forty years later, the metro’s population has ballooned by the millions, and infrastructure needs have followed suit.

Hemingway, who has honed his engineering career around the transportation and infrastructure sectors, has played a key role in multiple projects shaping the region, including the original starter light rail segment in Phoenix, a rental car center at Sky Harbor Airport and Bullard Wash Linear Park in Goodyear.

Today, Pete is continuing his engineering impact with Halff. Since December 2025, he’s held the role of public works director for Halff’s Arizona office in Phoenix. He and Arizona Operations Manager Gary Hudder are the forces behind the firm’s burgeoning activity in the Grand Canyon State.

Below, Hemingway shares his market outlook, reasons for joining Halff and the exciting vision for our firm’s role in the region’s next chapters.

How would you describe the state of the Phoenix market? And where do you see the market going?

Having been here for 35 years, I’ve seen the Phoenix market go through quite a transformation. In the mid-90s and into 2000, Phoenix was a construction-heavy economy with a focus on residential housing. It has since been morphing into a high-tech market. TSMC, the world’s largest semiconductor chip foundry, is expanding its investments here in the metro area, and the economic domino effect means we’re seeing suppliers build facilities as far as 35 to 45 miles away. The aerospace, cybersecurity, manufacturing, finance and healthcare industries are adding fuel to the region’s economic growth engine.

From those factors, there’s a clear line to infrastructure needs: employers need homes and grocery stores equipped with water and energy for their people. Surrounding communities like Peoria, Surprise and Glendale are working to build roadways, put in utilities and develop treatment plants. Phoenix has been leaning in with significant investment in its transportation infrastructure through a 2050 strategic plan.

This region is just getting started. The Phoenix MSA’s population is expected to hit 5.8 million in 2030 and 7.2 million in 2050. That equates to a tremendous positive economic impact — and infrastructure need — in the region.

What prompted you to join Halff?

While with my previous firm, I spent two years pursuing the Austin Transit Partnership on a light rail project in Texas. A lot of the people on that project were individuals who had worked on the initial light rail segment here in Phoenix. I heard about Halff while traveling back and forth.

I’ve worked for both large firms and small firms, but Halff was really appealing to me because of the company culture and the fact that it has an Employee Stock Ownership Program (ESOP). The firm has a great reputation for being a high-quality organization.

Phoenix’s burgeoning growth translates to significant economic impact — and infrastructure needs — within the region.

Halff planted its flag in Phoenix in 2025. What is this office’s vision for impacting the region?

Phoenix is a booming market. There’s a wealth of opportunities, and clients are looking at how to create more capacity in the marketplace. Those organizations need a firm that provides a full slate of services, along with highly engaged management, deep client understanding and swift responsiveness. That’s what Halff’s reputation is built upon across multiple states, and it’s what Phoenix needs now.

We are laser-focused on bringing the best of what Halff is known for into the Southwest region. That involves extending Halff’s internal culture to our Phoenix office. We are creating a dynamic, exciting environment built on positive momentum and the common goal of bringing excellence to the communities we serve.

From the perspective of a 35-year resident of the region, what makes Halff right for Phoenix?

Halff brings a fresh approach with its one-profit center system. It is really unique to have that kind of culture across the firm. That means the Phoenix market has immediate access to all of Halff’s expertise and capabilities across services. All of our engineers are eager to jump in and support Arizona projects as part of our common goal: to improve lives and communities by turning ideas into reality.

About the firm

Halff is an award-winning, employee-owned full-service infrastructure consulting firm with more than 75 years of expertise. Established in 1950 by Dr. Albert H. Halff, the firm continues to advance his vision of creating resilient communities through thoughtful design and technical excellence.

Today, Halff operates from more than 30 offices across Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas. Our firm works together to provide comprehensive services from our Mobility, Places and Communities, and Water and Environment solutions. Our more than 1,300 professionals remain committed to delivering smart solutions that improve lives and communities by turning ideas into reality.

Since 2021, the firm has earned more than 100 project awards and continues to rank as an Engineering News-Record Top 100 Design Firm and a USA Today National Top Workplace. Halff supports communities across its footprint through the Halff Community Initiative (HCI), having contributed more than $1 million to nonprofits and thousands of employee volunteer hours since its inception in 2017.