Building for What’s Next: Growth and Opportunity at Maybridge Development

When Latisha Perkins moved from Georgia to Fayetteville, North Carolina, she arrived without an established business network or extensive experience running a company. What she did have was a determination to build something of her own.

“I just knew I needed a new environment where I could grow myself and build a sustainable company,” said Perkins, president of Maybridge Development.

Maybridge began as a one-person operation, with Perkins landing her first client through Facebook and learning many aspects of business ownership as she went. Today, the company has grown to include a project manager supporting its Fayetteville operations and four remote team members, with plans for significant additional hiring.

That growth has been accompanied by increasingly ambitious projects. Over the past three years, Maybridge has worked with federal agencies including the Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of the Interior and USDA, as well as local municipalities. The company has also secured approximately $300,000 in capital expenditure grants to support its continued expansion. Along the way, Perkins was selected for and graduated from Goldman Sachs’ small business program as part of its first North Carolina cohort.

As Maybridge has grown, Perkins has worked with the North Carolina Small Business and Technology Development Center (SBTDC) to navigate the opportunities and decisions that come with building a larger company.

“SBTDC has been a really valuable part of my journey because they’ve helped me look at the business from a different perspective,” Perkins said. “Their counselors have challenged me, encouraged me, and helped me make more intentional decisions as I’ve grown.”

Her work with SBTDC Business Counselor Lettie Gardner has extended beyond addressing individual business challenges. Gardner has connected Perkins with events, resources and opportunities aligned with her goals while serving as a sounding board as she considers where to take the company next.

For Perkins, that support has been especially valuable as a first-generation business owner.

“It hasn’t just been about growing a business,” she said. “It’s been about learning how to become the kind of person who can lead one.”

Maybridge’s recent work reflects just how far the company has come. It was selected by the City of Fayetteville to build affordable homes in revitalization areas and as a contractor for North Carolina’s Energy Saver program. Its projects have stretched from Oklahoma to Ocracoke Island, where the company rebuilt a hay barn used for the island’s wild horses.

Most recently, Maybridge was awarded an approximately $2 million annual program management contract with the USDA Forest Service to support restoration of Western North Carolina forests following Hurricane Helene. The contract provides an opportunity to support the program through 2031, and Maybridge plans to add 15 W-2 employees to help deliver the work.

With that new scale comes a new set of decisions. Perkins is focused on stabilizing the company, strengthening its foundation and being selective about projects and partnerships that align with Maybridge’s purpose. She also plans to continue building the company’s leadership structure, including preparing to add an operations manager in 2027.

As Maybridge enters its next chapter, Perkins is focused on building the leadership structure and relationships that will allow the company to take on new opportunities with greater intention.

“As we grow, I want to make sure we’re growing in a way that is sustainable,” she said.

With support from the SBTDC, Perkins is continuing to strengthen the foundation she has built while preparing Maybridge for the opportunities ahead.