The Zweig Letter

By Kyle Ahern | When I think about the people our society considers stars, I think of actors and athletes, not architects and engineers. That needs to change.

President and CEO of Chen Moore & Associates (Best Firm Multidiscipline #26 and Hot Firm #88 for 2018), a 70-person firm based in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. By Liisa Andreassen Correspondent “Even more important than a...

By Edward Friedrichs | Of all the things I can think of to recommend to fellow professionals, the top one is this: Never stop learning.

AEC firms must be diligent during design and construction to avoid becoming ‘responsible’ for worksite injuries or death. Although site safety generally is the responsibility of construction contractors and subcontractors, when injuries or deaths occur...

Marketers for professional services firms should expect, and be prepared for, inevitable setbacks in the submittal process. I play bass in a classic rock band. We were doing a sound check at a recent gig...

We just finished our 19th annual Hot Firm + A/E Industry Awards Conference. It was in Dallas this year, and based on what we heard from attendees, was one of our best ever! We had...

  The AEC industry is known for its inward-looking professionals. When it comes to marketing your firm to the outside world, that’s not a good thing. I’m sure everyone has heard the old joke: How...

I have said it before. I am worn out from all the talk about leadership versus management, Level 5 leadership, servant-leader leadership, and the rest of it. The “L” word – leadership – sure is...

Firms are super busy, but that doesn’t mean all is well. How are profit margins, recruiting, and employee training holding up? The AEC industry is busier right now than it has been in a long...

Statics, dynamics, and mechanics of materials are essential, but for long-term success, you need to educate yourself outside, and after, the curriculum.

CEO of Huckabee (Hot Firm #7 and Best Firm Architecture #3 for 2018), a 300-person architecture firm based in Fort Worth, Texas. By Liisa Andreassen Correspondent “For us, diversifying is a bad thing,” Huckabee says....

West Palm Beach, FL – David Wantman, PE proudly announces that he will be sharing the leadership of WGI with newly hired president, Gregory Sauter, PE and that he will step fully into the role...

If you want your closing to go smoothly – before, during, and after the deal – make sure you take these six critical steps. There is a lot of acquisition activity in the AEC industry...

Picking the ideal business partner or partners is an inexact science, but a critical one nevertheless. The subject of how people find business partners in the AEC industry is one that is rarely discussed. Usually,...

Designing for the future will require intense research, following tech trends, and thinking beyond conventional boundaries. When we moved into the 21st century just a short 18 years ago, surveyors were using the same techniques...

Do you have a gazillion underused software programs languishing on computers across your firm? If you do, you’re certainly not alone. Shelfware, or unused software, is said to cost companies roughly $30 billion per year...

President and CEO of Larson Design Group (Best Firm #5 Geotechnical and Best Firm # 29 Multi-discipline for 2017), a 300-person firm based in Williamsport, PA. By Liisa Andreassen Correspondent “One person alone can’t make...

Zweig Group opens office in Dallas DALLAS – Doubling down on its commitment to client service and opportunity for its staff, full-service AEC consulting firm Zweig Group has opened an office in downtown Dallas. Set...

President and CEO of Tectonic Engineering & Surveying Consultants P.C. (Hot Firm #89 for 2018), a 500-person multifaceted engineering firm based in Mountainville, NY. By Liisa Andreassen Correspondent “Years ago we tried the sales force...

If your firm makes a sincere effort to learn, teach, develop, innovate, and improve, old and new hires alike will notice. As president of a 400-person design firm, one of my favorite activities is one-on-one...

After being a part of the AEC industry for more than 38 years now, I have witnessed a problem too many times – one that hurts both the company and the people working in it....

When creating your strategic plan, don’t forget that transformative ideas might be buried deep within your organization, so be inclusive with your staff. I recently overheard a CEO of a large AEC firm say, “We...

The new generation brings a lot to the table, much of it good, so lighten up, be honest, and enjoy yourself as you roll up your sleeves and work. By 2020, nearly half (46 percent)...

Texas-based Atlas Technical Consultants acquires Piedmont Geotechnical of Atlanta Atlas Technical Consultants recently picked a peach when it acquired Atlanta-based Piedmont Geotechnical Consultants, a move that continues Atlas’ expansion into infrastructure engineering, program management, and...