From Jobsite to Strategy
Our story starts beside a master carpenter (Al's grandfather) where a young Al, broom in hand, learned how real work gets done, the value of every employee, and the pride earned in a job well done. That early construction experience still shapes how we value employees, their training, and future growth expectations.
Engineering Meets Finance
The values learned restoring Charleston's antebellum homes fueled a desire to learn more about construction and design. A Mechanical Engineering degree followed by an MBA focused on Accounting and Finance, led him to Arthur Andersen and ultimately led to Bechtel ... the world's largest commercial construction company. Where his field sense and employee value led to project successes, quick promotions and the trust of those around him to guide projects toward smarter financial decisions. But it also led him further away from the boy with a broom.
Guiding Owners Forward
Over the last thirty years, we have owned, grown and sold many companies, we now work beside business owners and their teams to help them where they are ... from struggling to make payroll to merging with another company to reap available economies of scale. Together we focus on a clear path forward that focuses on success and growth ... not worry.
Alfred Hughes, Founder and CFO
Alfred Hughes leads Centric Funding and CFO Advisory Services as a seasoned operator who has sat in nearly every seat his clients occupy. He built and ran a highly successful residential design and build construction company and served on the board of a thriving commercial construction firm. That experience is backed by a Mechanical Engineering degree, an MBA with an Accounting and Finance emphasis, and former CPA status, which keeps the numbers side as strong as the field sense.
Alfred has advised restaurants, home service firms, and other businesses, and he has negotiated and sold more than 300 home service companies. Clients work directly with him for straight talk, clear strategy, and future-focused financial direction, but Al can't do it alone.
Operations and Growth
After finishing at Penn State, Tricia (Al's wife) joined NBC. Facing the glass ceiling, she left to start her career's upward climb, ending as the COO for three different communications companies.
That background in fast-moving, service-driven environments keeps our work practical, organized, and focused on real client outcomes. She makes sure plans on paper turn into consistent execution in the business.
From coordinating lending workflows to shaping client communication and follow up, her role is to keep engagements smooth and responsive. Clients feel the benefit through clear expectations, timely answers, and action items that do not get lost.
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