Our Story: 3 Decades of Zannino Engineering
Zannino Engineering was founded in 1991, when a small team of engineers and technicians made the bold decision to start fresh after their district corporate office closed. Based in Henrico County from the start, what began with determination and a handful of contracts has grown into a trusted geotechnical and construction materials testing partner serving clients across Virginia for more than three decades.
One of our first goals was to continue the Richmond Floodwall Project, which required a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers–certified laboratory. With determination and resourcefulness, our team secured that certification and quickly began supporting additional projects of regional importance. Soon after, we were providing geotechnical engineering and construction materials testing for major developments including the $104M Sussex I and II Prisons, the $38M Fluvanna Women’s Prison, and Colonial Downs Racetrack.
Over time, our work has extended to many of Central Virginia’s most recognizable sites and facilities. We’ve supported projects such as Midtown Green (formerly the Washington Commanders Training Camp), Virginia Commonwealth University’s Medical Center, renovations for the historic Hanover Tavern, and numerous retail and hotel buildings, infrastructure projects, municipal buildings, and residential building. These projects, along with countless roadways, utilities, and private developments, represent the growth of both our region and our firm.
We are especially grateful for our very first clients who helped us get started in 1991, including Ford Pile Foundations, Dwight Snead Construction Company, Inc., Evans Construction, and Southwood Builders. We continue to work with several of them today.
In our early years, we also began building relationships with clients such as the Virginia Department of Corrections, EDC, Silvercore, Godsey and Son, W.E. Bowman, Shamin Hotels, Engineering Design Associates, Sekiv Solutions, FasTrac General Contractor, The Site Design Company, LLC, Liesfeld Contractor, Centennial Contractors, and many more; partnerships that have continued for decades and helped shape our growth. Their trust and collaboration helped lay the foundation we continue to build on today, and these relationships remain strong alongside the new partnerships we’ve formed in recent years.
Throughout our history, we’ve taken pride not only in the accuracy of our work but also in finding practical, creative solutions that help clients avoid delays, reduce costs, and achieve their project goals efficiently. That spirit of problem-solving continues to define how we approach every project today.
Through 3 decades of change and growth, our mission has remained steady: to deliver accurate, timely, and reliable results so that every project begins with confidence in the ground below. Our team combines technical expertise with professionalism, dependability, and a commitment to relationships that stand the test of time.
As we look to the future, we remain proud of our history, grateful for our clients, and committed to being Virginia’s most trusted geotechnical partner.
