Forty Under 40: Brandon Pinkerton, 32

Brandon Pinkerton enjoyed taking apart VCRs and TVs at a young age, so he knew he’d end up working with electrical apparatuses one day.
Pinkerton, who grew up in Muldrow, Okla., interned at General Motors during the summer months while he was pursuing a degree in electrical engineering from the University of Arkansas. The internship led to a job in Detroit when he graduated in 2000. Hunters and contractors alike can thank Pinkerton for his work on the electrical systems of many GM trucks and the Hummer 3. When he left GM in 2003, he’d been working on electrical systems for the 2008-09 truck programs, so his influence is just now waning.
He came back to Arkansas and joined the Benchmark Group of Rogers for about two years, then another firm for two years and co-founded HP Engineering in 2007. Now Pinkerton designs electrical systems for commercial buildings. The work mostly entails power and lighting distribution.
The company increased its second-year revenue 20 percent over the first year, and its 2010 projection is for 40 percent growth over 2009.
“We started the firm and found that even in a down time, if you work hard and treat people right, then you can be successful,” he said.
HP has worked on projects in Puerto Rico and recently in El Salvador for a textile manufacturer.