Forty Under 40: Matt Crafton

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Most people cringe when they recognize the bright orange signs forewarning road construction. Matt Crafton cracks a grin. Serving as senior vice president of highway design for the family co-owned Crafton, Tull & Associates, Crafton, 32, relishes the engineering of major roadways.

Interstate projects in Arkansas, Missouri and Oklahoma keep Crafton’s plate brimming, but new projects linger on the horizon. Crafton said he wants to help create the design team for Interstate 49, plotted to stretch from the Louisiana northern border to Missouri.

Between huge planning projects, Crafton, Tull & Associates helps maintain Interstate 540.

Crafton, Tull & Associates’ 135 employees currently work out of eight offices in Oklahoma and Arkansas. Crafton said he wants to add several offices in Missouri within the next five years.

Originally from Rogers, Crafton left Northwest Arkansas to earn a bachelor’s degree from the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., and a master’s degree from the University of Texas. Crafton continued his civil engineering education by serving eight years in the Air Force before returning to Rogers.