Their engineering firm built a legacy in KC; why these KC Chamber winners are rebranding
June 17, 2025 | Startland News Staff
A streamlined brand identity for one of the Midwest’s most influential engineering firms positions “T&B” as one of the secret weapons behind the evolution of Kansas City, the company announced, just moments after earning a top small business award from the KC Chamber.
Taliaferro & Browne — the first minority-owned engineering firm to receive a prime contract on a $1 billion construction project in Kansas City — will now be known simply as T&B.
The company was named winner of the Legacy of Kansas City Award Tuesday at the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business Celebration Awards Luncheon at the Sheraton Kansas City Hotel at Crown Center.
“This rebrand is more than a logo — it’s a legacy, reimagined,” said Hagos Andebrhan, CEO and co-owner, of Taliaferro & Browne. “We’ve been a quiet force behind some of Kansas City’s most transformative projects. We’re not changing who we are — we’re elevating how we show up and making sure our name reflects the caliber of the work we do.”
Founded in 1968 by the late Will Taliaferro and Bruce Browne, the firm was acquired in 1992 by long-time friends and engineers Andebrhan and Leonard J. Graham, both graduates of the University of Missouri. Under their leadership, Taliaferro & Browne restored financial stability, expanded its staff, and grew into a powerhouse behind some of Kansas City’s most iconic infrastructure and community development projects.
Leonard Graham, president of Taliaferro & Browne, right, speaks about businesses helping fellow businesses during an entrepreneur panel for the 2025 Top 10 Small Business of the Year finalists hosted by the KC Chamber; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News
T&B was named a KC Chamber Top 10 Small Business in 2024 and 2025, as well as previously winning the chamber’s Small Business Equity Award.
“It takes vision, grit and purpose to build something that lasts,” said Peter Flynn, director of investor relations for Evergy, who presented the Legacy award at Tuesday’s luncheon. “This year’s recipient has been serving Kansas City for decades as one of the region’s largest minority-owned, multidisciplinary firms offering expertise in civil and structural engineering, landscape architecture and construction inspection.”
The firm’s updated identity reflects its long-standing commitment to equity-driven infrastructure, landmark design, and transformative impact in the built environment, Andebrhan and Brown said.
T&B made history by leading all of the landside civil engineering responsibilities with eight minority- and women-owned companies working under their guidance for the new terminal at Kansas City International Airport, the largest infrastructure investment in the city’s history.
Hagos Andebrhan and Leonard Graham, T&B, Taliaferro & Browne; courtesy photo
The firm also serves as the civil engineer of record for 98 percent of the development along Berkley Riverfront, including the KC Current Soccer Stadium, the world’s first purpose-built stadium exclusively for women’s professional soccer.
Recently, T&B was announced as the civil engineer of record for the Nelson-Atkins Museum, marking the firm as the only local company beating out more than 200 competitors.
Additional landmark projects include the Power & Light District, Kauffman Performing Arts Center, Beacon Hill Urban Renewal District, One Light, Two Light, and Three Light, and the $400 million Revive the Vine initiative, to name just a few, the firm said.
From the archives: Global talent builds success for Taliaferro & Browne
“For decades, we’ve been a steady, humble force behind Kansas City’s transformation,” said Graham, president and co-owner at T&B. “We’ve always let the quality of our work speak for itself—and that won’t change. But as we evolve, we’re stepping forward with purpose, clarity, and a renewed commitment to empowering our team to carry this legacy of excellence forward. This is what it means to work with Taliaferro & Browne — or simply, T&B.”
Click here to read more about the Small Business of the Year winner and other Small Business Celebration awards.
Featured Business
2025 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Site confirmed for ASTRA innovation district; Why the project ‘sends a signal to startups’ and beyond
Startland News’ Startup Road Trip series explores innovative and uncommon ideas finding success in rural America and Midwestern startup hubs outside the Kansas City metro. This series is possible thanks to the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, which leads a collaborative, nationwide effort to identify and remove large and small barriers to new business creation. One…
Techstars arrival: Find that ‘ride or die’ investor who answers your 3 am calls, founder says
Even in a startup’s early stages, founders need both a roadmap and destination, said Zerryn Gines. “You don’t need to know exactly what you’re doing every step of the way, but if you know where you want to go — then you can connect to the right people and ask the right questions,” explained Gines,…
New in KC: How two OU alumni secured over $1M from NASA, US Air Force for 3D printing startup
Editor’s note: New in KC is an ongoing profile series that highlights newly relocated members of the Kansas City startup community, their reasons for a change of scenery, and what they’ve found so far in KC. This series is sponsored by C2FO, a Leawood-based, global financial services company. Click here to read more New in KC profiles. Replicating the founding…
Flyover Capital closes its Tech Fund II over $60M, targeting new seed, post-seed startups
Tech startups raising seed and post-seed funding will benefit most from the close of Flyover Capital Fund II, the venture capital firm said, announcing Thursday its oversubscribed close. “The oversubscribed fund brings Flyover Capital’s total assets under management to approximately $110 million,” the Overland Park-based venture capital firm said in a release, outlining plans for…