Former Charlotte mayoral candidate starts new firm

Former Charlotte mayoral candidate Scott Stone has started a new engineering firm.

Stone is managing principal at American Engineering, a firm that will do civil engineering, land planning, landscape architecture, environmental engineering and project and construction management.

The firm, which is operating temporarily out of an office at Ballantyne Corporate Park, is looking for a more permanent home for its five employees. Stone, who started the firm with Barry Fay, said he anticipates the firm could have 10 employees by the middle of next year.

Stone was defeated by Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx in the 2011 elections.  Stone has worked for engineering firm Merrick & Co. and Arcadis.

He acknowledged that commercial real estate market remains soft.

"I think everyone is hoping that January or February is when deals start kicking around and come to life again," he said.


Stone said he has never launched a separate firm before, and that the new venture "is going to be exciting."

"Sometimes people think there's safety in bigger firms," he said. "In today's business, I'd rather be in charge of my own destiny."