Our History

ABES Engineering, Inc., was founded in 2015 by Emmanuel Tuombe, a Professional Engineer (PE) licensed in 10 states — Tennessee, Georgia, Mississippi, Texas, California, Missouri, Washington, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Florida.

Emmanuel’s Story

I grew up in Rwanda following the 1994 genocide. I saw firsthand the crumbling infrastructure and lack of basic supplies that my home country faced as peace was being restored. It became clear to me that infrastructure can literally mean the difference between life and death, and the experience inspired me to become an engineer.

I earned a master’s degree in civil and environmental engineering from South Dakota Mines in 2007. After graduation, I worked as a professional engineer at Bechtel – one of the largest engineering, procurement, and construction companies in the world.

In 2015, I launched ABES Engineering, a Minority Business Enterprise (MBE). I’m committed to growing ABES into the best civil engineering firm in Memphis.

In everything I do, I strive to use my skills and experience to make the world a better place, especially impacting underserved communities locally and around the world. I was the founder of Engineers Without Borders (EWB) Rwanda, EWB Gabon, and served on the board of Engineers Without Borders International. In Memphis, I assist other minority-owned companies in growing their businesses and obtaining needed licenses in order to thrive in the marketplace. I truly believe that ABES is an engineering and construction company with soul.

Emmanuel and Brad’s Story