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New award program recognizes CFOs and financial leaders driving growth in the AEC industry.

Building Enduring AEC Firms: VHB’s Approach to Ownership, Balance, and Strategic Renewal     “An infinite arc of success requires stewardship, purpose, and a relentless focus on people.” Mike Carragher, CEO of VHB What does...

Master Builders Reimagined: KP Reddy Explores AI, Integration, and Future Design Leadership     “We keep iterating on an old construct—let’s stop and start over. How do we want to do things differently? Let’s get...

“I hope you continue to be extremely intentional in choosing to be exactly where your feet are every moment that you are.” Lynn Wong Episode Summary: In this keynote episode from Zweig Group's ElevateAEC2025 Conference,...

By Mailena Urso | This year’s winners prove marketing done right delivers higher margins and stronger growth.

By Chad Clinehens | Record-breaking performance, bold innovation, and a new generation of leaders are redefining what’s possible in AEC.

By Will Swearingen | Environmental M&A is where sustainability and strategy meet, driving growth across the AEC industry.

By Shirley Che | From fees to client care, lessons learned from a season of conferences highlight growth, adaptability, and connection.

By Tom Godin | Innovation in AEC must create measurable value for owners through smarter, more sustainable solutions.

By Kyle Ahern | The 2025 Mid-Year Compensation Update highlights key salary shifts and industry trends shaping AEC firm strategy.

By Ezequiel Tovar | Ownership transition is all about trust, so develop leaders early and communicate clearly to ensure lasting success.

By Brandon Pinkerton | People-first leadership demands balance and recognition that caring for individuals shouldn’t come at the cost of organizational purpose.

By Stuart McLendon | This strategy is becoming an essential tool for growth, innovation, and resilience, especially in AEC.

By Dathan Gaskill | Fractional CFOs offer flexible, expert financial guidance to help AEC firms grow, reduce risk, and improve efficiency.

By Will Swearingen | Firms that are truly boosting profitability aren’t just raising rates; they’re reengineering how they charge.

Zweig Group, the leading provider of management consulting, research, and education for the architecture, engineering, and construction industry, is thrilled to announce the 2025 ElevateAEC Conference & Awards Gala, taking place September 9-11 at the...

By Chad Clinehens | Honoring the firms building the future of AEC through culture, creativity, innovation, and smart growth.

Zweig Group, the leading provider of management consulting, research, and education for the architecture, engineering, and construction industry, is proud to announce the winners of the 2025 Marketing Excellence Awards. This program honors outstanding and...

“Proximity is a place of power. If you are a design firm leader, design firm owner, and you’re trying to take your firm to the next level, sometimes it means you need to get around...

By Chad Clinehens | ElevateAEC celebrates high-performance AEC firms moving fast and intentionally in a changing industry.

By Chris Catton | Recruiting is tough, but AEC firms that master the basics gain a serious competitive advantage.

Zweig Group, the leading provider of management consulting, research, and education for the architecture, engineering, and construction industry, has introduced a new milestone in its 2025 Best Firms To Work For rankings: the Legacy Award....

Entries are now open for Zweig Group’s 2026 awards program. For more than 25 years, these awards have recognized the firms, teams, and individuals raising the bar in the AEC industry. Think your firm has...

Entries are now open for Zweig Group’s 2026 awards program. For more than 25 years, these awards have recognized the firms, teams, and individuals raising the bar in the AEC industry. Think your firm has...

By Ezequiel Tovar | You won’t live forever – but with intentional ownership transition, your firm could be immortal.

Zweig Group is proud to announce the winners of the 2025 Rising Stars in the AEC Industry Award, recognizing 25 emerging leaders who are making an early and lasting impact on the built environment. 

The 2025 AEC Innovator Award, presented in partnership with KP Reddy Co., is the first and only innovation assessment and award for AEC companies.

Zweig Group and Stambaugh Ness are delighted to announce plans for a joint conference focused exclusively on M&A in the AEC industry this fall. The M&A Next Symposium will be held in San Antonio, Texas,...

“I think the employee experience—and we've seen over the last five years how important the employee experience has been with how tight the labor market has been and how everybody is competing for the same...

"Mistakes are not fatal, but don't keep them to yourself.” Mike Makris About our Guests: Originally from Washington, Duncan Robertson has spent the past six years honing his marketing and public relations expertise and now...

By Michael Makris | Early to mid-career professionals can overcome burnout and imposter syndrome with support from leadership, mentorship, and proactive career engagement.

The 2025 calendar highlights essential deadlines for award submissions, research survey participation, and must-attend learning and networking events.

The conversation dives into the importance of maintaining a vibrant company culture in the face of evolving work environments. They highlight how, despite the chaos that keeps everyone up at night, there are strategies to...

This episode of the Zweig Letter Podcast dives into the journey of founding the John R. McAdams Company in 1979 by John R. McAdams himself. He discusses the company's initial funding, the deliberate planning, and...

Join us as Justin Smith moderates a panel of esteemed experts, including Aaron Lauinger, Tiara Marcus, and Brian Sielaff, representing firms excelling in client engagement, project leadership, and culture protection.

Kristin Kautz delves into the evolving landscape of AI, emphasizing its transformative potential in business and daily activities. Highlighting tools such as ChatGPT, Microsoft's Copilot, and Unanet's CRM integration, she illustrates how AI can enhance...

By Mark Zweig | The ElevateAEC Conference in Tampa energized attendees, fostered invaluable connections, and showcased industry potential and success.

By Chad Coldiron | Takeaways from Zweig Group’s 2024 ElevateAEC Conference & Awards Gala.

By Travis White | The rise of nearshoring can reduce costs, address talent shortages, and enhance growth opportunities for AEC firms.

By Mailena Urso | Zweig Group’s Marketing Excellence Awards showcase top creative campaigns that elevate AEC industry branding.

By Ezequiel Tovar | Firm owners need to first be intentional, vulnerable, and transparent in order to make their transition a success.

By Mailena Urso | Zweig Group experts will present on mergers and acquisitions, AI, compensation, and recruiting and retention at key AEC industry conferences this fall.

By Mailena Urso | Business awards are an excellent way to gain recognition and highlight areas of excellence.

By Jeremy Clarke | Spot these devastating hires before they sabotage your team.

By Ezequiel Tovar | These are vital instruments for AEC companies to ensure smooth transitions and business continuity.

By Chad Clinehens | These events offer firm leaders an opportunity to connect, learn, and celebrate  – this year with a focus on ROI.

By Ying Liu | Five essential practices you can use to actively engage board members and forge invaluable business partners.

By Stuart McLendon | The professional labor gap is an opportunity to rethink, reshape, and revitalize how we work.

Zweig Group is excited to announce the winners of its 2024 Marketing Excellence Awards, which recognize outstanding and effective marketing in the AEC industry based upon overall creativity, messaging, results achieved by the campaign, and level of...

Zweig Group is proud to announce the winners of the 2024 Best Firms To Work For Award, which honors outstanding workplaces at AEC industry firms.

"The dynamic shift since post-COVID has started an all-out war on talent. Smaller firms like ours... we're getting marginalized trying to acquire that talent and to hold on to it." Scott Erricson About the Show...

By Luke Carothers | Zweig Group experts share their insights on the unique challenges and opportunities faced by small, entrepreneurial AEC firms.

New focuses align with evolving AEC needs, including AI, tech, and small business growth.

By Sara Karstetter | AI is a hot topic with numerous applications in AEC, though navigating the options can be overwhelming.

Elevate AEC Keynote - Empowering AEC Professionals: Trends and Strategies for Success with Chad Clinehens and Bill McConnell "People want to work for firms that have a great vision and a mission. How are we...

Zweig Group advisors reflect on key insights from this year’s entrepreneurial event.

By Miyamoto International | Miyamoto Global Disaster Relief bridges support gaps for vulnerable communities in disaster and conflict zones, focusing on rebuilding schools and homes.

Zweig Group announces applications have opened for the 2024 ElevateHER® cohort and has announced the 2024 ElevateHER® Symposium will take place March 6, 2024 in Irving, Texas.

By Liisa Andreassen | Past president of CMTA (Prospect, KY), a national leader for delivering high performance, sustainable projects.

Kristin Kautz, an artificial intelligence consultant, discusses the impact of AI on the design industry and how essential it is to get into this technology race.

By Travis White | If you want your firm to be an early adopter, you must be aware of this new technology and be willing to adapt.

Zweig Group’s 2023 Best Firms To Work For Award winners share how they’re leading the charge in setting new standards for employee experience.

In this enlightening episode of the TZL podcast, Melvalean MacLemore and Zhetique Gunn, dedicated committee members of the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) and key players in the HBCU Professional Development Program (PDP), sit...

By Shirley Che | ElevateHER® is identifying sustainable workforce solutions to address our industry’s recruiting and retention challenges.

By Chad Clinehens | This year’s ElevateAEC Conference is an opportunity for you to drive personal and professional growth.

By Kyle Ahern | A look at some of the trends from this year’s Best Firms To Work For award program.

Bill Mandara of Mancini Duffy, Benjamin Alper of Severud Associates, and Joe Levi of Pavarini McGovern discuss the importance of collaboration in managing large-scale projects and the inherent challenges that come along with tackling a complex...

By Joseph Losaria | A happy team is more productive and engaged, so make sure happiness isn’t just a personal goal but a business goal, as well.

Chad Clinehens, Zweig Group CEO, discusses how attending the ElevateAEC Conference & Awards Gala can help you make meaningful connections, acquire valuable knowledge, and celebrate the accomplishments of the industry. 

Zweig Group announces the winners of its 2023 Marketing Excellence Awards, which recognize outstanding and effective marketing in the AEC industry based upon overall creativity, messaging, results achieved by the campaign, and level of design.

Zweig Group has announced the 2023 Hot Firm List, which honors the fastest growing AEC firms.

Chad Clinehens, president and CEO of Zweig Group, dispels three myths and shares the truth about what it takes to create the ultimate leadership team.

Zweig Group is proud to announce it has won six Hermes Creative Awards for its Civil + Structural Engineer magazine and for a video collection that was created for the 2022 ElevateAEC Conference & Awards Gala.

    In this podcast episode, Randy Wilburn sits down with Roger Krulak, CEO of Full Stack Modular.    Roger Krulak, considered the “OG” of Modular Building, has been in the construction and development industry...

Mike Woeber, CEO and co-founder of Corporate Tax Advisors (CTA), discusses how design firms can qualify for R&D tax credits and maximize their business growth to unlock potential savings. 

By Mark Zweig | You won’t get decent fees from your clients until you start making these changes within your firm.

Mark Hodges, chief growth officer of Edafio, discusses how design firms can better protect their data from cybercriminals.

James Garrett Jr., an award-winning architect from St. Paul, Minnesota, has been pushing the needle forward in the design industry for more than two decades. In this episode, he discusses the benefits of having a business...

In this bonus episode of The Zweig Letter Podcast, we hear from Michael Renshaw from Trilon Group and Larry Smith, CEO of DRMP, about how AEC firms can find a partner in an increasingly crowded...

By Jamie Claire Kiser | Key points from this year’s ElevateHER Symposium and ElevateAEC Conference & Awards Gala.

By Will Swearingen | If there are people with dominating or otherwise off-set personalities on your leadership team, it could be time for a change.

By Mark Hodges | If you’re not taking a proactive approach to your firm’s cybersecurity, this could be the year you decide to go out of business without realizing it.

By Luke Carothers | It’s fitting that we seek out this highly engineered desert oasis as a place of celebration.

By Alexis Eades | You can work to improve retention by promoting a positive culture, giving employees autonomy and empowerment, and actively showing appreciation.

By Justin Smith | Explore uncharted territory for the opportunity to access a more resilient future.

By Phil Keil | Strategic planning is an incredibly deep and nuanced practice that every firm needs to consider.

By Mark Zweig | A few of the reasons a great, successful firm can falter and experience a fall from grace.

Chad Clinehens, president and CEO of Zweig Group, discusses Zweig Group’s ElevateAEC Conference & Awards Gala. Attendees will experience three days of celebration, learning, and networking that will allow them the chance not only to let loose, but...

By Tom Godin | People don’t leave companies, they leave managers – so make sure your managers have the skills they need to succeed.

Zweig Group is proud to announce the winners of the 2022 Excellence in Client Experience Awards. Zweig Group and Client Savvy partnered to create this award, which recognizes firms that solicit real client feedback from...

By Chad Clinehens | At this year’s ElevateAEC Conference, we’ll celebrate and show the world what a successful career in AEC looks like.

By Christina Zweig Niehues | Zweig Group’s 2022 Marketing Excellence Award Winners have created some outstanding marketing campaigns, displaying incredible imagination and creativity.

By Sara Parkman | This year’s cohort has picked up where previous groups left off – taking on creative ideas to solve both historic and emerging challenges.

By Kyle Ahern | Best Firms To Work For and Hot Firms continue to distinguish themselves in a highly competitive industry.

By Pete Hinojosa | Professional employer organizations provide a comprehensive range of HR solutions and technology to help businesses gain a competitive advantage.

By Joseph Lauk | Firms often have the same “ingredients” for creating great places to work. Your success really boils down to how you choose and blend these elements together.

By Frank McIllwain | Companies that place a high value on listening to and investing in their employees have been more effective at attracting and retaining top talent.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (June 29, 2022) –Zweig Group is proud to announce the winners of the 2022 Marketing Excellence Awards. These awards recognize outstanding, results-driven marketing in the AEC industry in fifteen different categories. Award entries...

By Liisa Andreassen | Zweig Group’s 2021 Jerry Allen Courage in Leadership Award winner on being nominated and what it meant to win the prestigious award.

By Chad Clinehens | The roundtable, although now almost a thousand years old, is providing tremendous value to AEC firm leaders.

By Ryan Suydam & Blake Godwin | This new award is the strongest way to differentiate your firm from the competition.

By Jane Lawler Smith | When it comes to our clients, employees, and brand, are we competing like AEC professionals or acting like Family Feud contestants, simply guessing at answers?

By Chad Clinehens | Optimism among AEC firms is high as we look ahead to 2022 and beyond.

By Kyle Ahern | Each firm needs to find its own balance of open, consistent communication without being bothersome to employees.

Fayetteville, Arkansas (November 1, 2021) - Zweig Group’s ElevateHER™ program has opened applications for the class of 2022, a group that will work on initiatives to combat recruitment and retention issues while ensuring equal opportunities...

By Phil Keil | There is a bridge to opportunity that can lead us to a landscape where the change we seek is possible.

By Tom Godin | These fundamentals are an important part of your firm’s healthy diet.

By Chad Clinehens | Use this data to inform your firm’s strategy and keep employee sentiment high.

By Will Swearingen | A clear understanding of how your firm will be managed after a large shareholder’s exit can greatly increase success going forward.

Leanne Baribeau – an architect with Modus Studio in Fayetteville, AR – discusses her career, her love of architecture, and why diversity is essential for the design industry. 

By Stephanie Warino | Our industry can’t afford to meet the complex challenges we face today with a one-perspective approach.

By Mark Zweig | You may be an architect or engineer and think you aren’t really motivated by money. But money is a scorecard in the game of business, and ‘winning’ is fun!

Lucas Hayden is product marketing director with Unanet, a leading provider of ERP and CRM solutions purpose-built for government contractors, AEC firms, and professional service firms. Unanet is also a presenter at Zweig Group’s 2021...

The Virtual ElevateAEC Conference & ElevateHER Symposium kicks off next week on September 13, 2021. This four-week long event brings over 40 speakers, and 30+ sessions for individuals in all roles in the AEC industry,...

By Chad Clinehens | With both a virtual and an in-person conference this year, ElevateAEC has something for everyone.

By Christina Zweig Niehues | This year’s Hot Firms achieved incredible success at a time of great change and uncertainty.

By Kyle Ahern | This year’s Best Firms To Work For employee survey provided 1.8 million data points, providing insight into industry trends.

By Christina Zweig Niehues | This year’s cohort has picked up where last year’s group left off – taking on creative ideas to solve both historic and emerging challenges.

By Stephanie Warino | External members on boards of directors increase innovation and spur growth.

Chad Clinehens, president and CEO of Zweig Group, discusses the upcoming 2021 Virtual and In-Person ElevateAEC Conferences. There's something for everyone.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (July 6, 2021) – Zweig Group is proud to announce the winners of the 2021 Marketing Excellence Awards. These awards recognize outstanding, results-driven marketing in the AEC industry. Award entries were judged by...

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (June 8, 2021) – Zweig Group announced today that the annual in-person ElevateAEC Awards Gala will return in 2021. Due to recent guidance from the CDC as well as loosening guidelines from the...

Zweig Group’s annual conference, Elevate AEC and the ElevateHER symposium, has gone virtual for the second year in a row, and will kick off on September 13, 2021 with new offerings, registration options, and expanded...