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By Elizabeth Nilsen | Successful AEC firms treat succession planning as a strategic priority from the beginning, not a last-minute retirement decision.

Zweig Group consultants and leaders regularly speak, teach, and participate in major industry events across the AEC community.

By Daryl Simons Jr. | If your retention strategy relies on appreciation events instead of competitive pay, you are already losing talent.

By Mark Zweig | For AEC firm owners and top managers who say they care about value but keep acting like they don’t.

By Will Swearingen | A new era of AEC growth is emerging, driven by value creation and strategic expansion.

The leading source of business management insights, research, and strategies tailored specifically for leaders of AEC firms.

By Brad Wilson | ESOP success in AEC firms depends on financial discipline, clear governance, and treating employee ownership as a lasting cultural investment.

By Mark Zweig | There are nine reasons why selling your firm to the right buyer can strengthen opportunities, stability, and growth for your people.

By CJ LaPorta | Retirement plans play a critical role in M&A and should not be overlooked during planning or integration.

By Sara Parkman | Zweig Group’s 2025 Rising Stars share what inspires purpose, loyalty, and change in the AEC workplace.

By Karen Poist & Brad Wilson | Proactively address this blind spot early in the process to ensure your firm remains fully compliant, operational, and set for long-term success.

By Mailena Urso | The Zweig Group team is hitting the road to share fresh insights on how AEC firms can stay ahead.

By Shelby Harvey | Ignoring the elephant in the room won’t make it go away, but it might be what pushes your top talent to leave.

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...

  "25 years ago when I graduated the term design build, it wasn't unheard of, but it certainly wasn't something that we talked about." Dan Crist About the Guest: Dan Crist is the president of...

By Dan Houf | If AEC firms cannot have certainty in how they operate and grow, it will be difficult to stay competitive.

By Liisa Andreassen | President of WithersRavenel (Cary, NC), a multidisciplinary consulting firm serving both the private and public sectors.

Zweig Group, announces its annual survey on firm value, the 2024 Valuation Survey of AEC Firms, is open for participation. This survey collects information on architecture, engineering, planning, environmental, construction, and related industry firms that have...

By David Keith | Prioritizing diversity, evolving leadership structures, nurturing emerging leaders, and fostering a sense of ownership drives innovation and collaboration.

Zweig Group announces Brian Bowers of Bowers + Kubota Consulting as the recipient of the 2023 Jerry Allen Courage in Leadership Award, which recognizes outstanding accomplishments through leadership in the AEC industry.

Zweig Group announces its client ISG has acquired Unit Architecture, expanding ISG's footprint into Arkansas.

By Julia DeFrances | Professional associations offer a lot of benefits to the firms that support them, and for most firms are well worth the price of a membership.

Zweig Group is the leading AEC Industry, advisory service provider. We blend industry and sector knowledge with experience across the M&A lifecycle to help you capture value for shareholders. Reach our Mergers & Acquisitions Advisory team here.   Domestic...

Zweig Group is the leading AEC Industry, advisory service provider. We blend industry and sector knowledge with experience across the M&A lifecycle to help you capture value for shareholders. Reach our Mergers & Acquisitions Advisory team here.   Domestic...

David Bolt, president of GMB, discusses his extraordinary design career journey and creating a collaborative environment that fosters growth and embraces change.

By Eric Wilson | With the right set of values and organizational alignment, you may find yourself in a positive feedback loop where shared principles guide you toward collective goals.

By Liisa Andreassen | Design principal and CEO at Hanbury, a firm that is a global resource for its clients that specializes in higher education, civic, and commercial environments.

By Julia DeFrances | Creating an engaging culture across multiple offices is a challenge that requires constant diligence.

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 Tim Spence | With a clear purpose, empowered professionals, and a drive for ongoing development, design firms can motivate all of their employees to row together.

Zweig Group, a full-service AEC management advisory firm, announced its client W.E. O’Neil Construction Co. has acquired DCA Construction, a prominent general contracting firm based in Austin, Texas. The acquisition marks an exciting opportunity for W.E....

By Mark Zweig | Just like any professional sports team, your firm is made or broken based on how effective you are at recruiting talent.

Zweig Group, announces its annual survey on firm value, the 2022 Valuation Survey of AEC Firms, is open for participation. This survey collects information on architecture, engineering, planning, environmental, construction, and related industry firms that...

Domestic Transactions: ESOP engineering, consulting and construction firm, KCI (Sparks, MD) has announced the acquisition of Civil Engineering Consultants (CEC) (San Antnio, TX). CEC is a wide-ranging civil engineering, construction management and surveying firm, whose capabilities will complement KCI's...

By Eduardo Smith | With more work than we can handle and the current recruiting challenges we face, we need to be sure that our organizations have the foundations for sustained growth.

Brian King – CEO and founder of A M King, an integrated design-build firm in Charlotte, North Carolina – talks about how he started his business in 2004, his journey creating an ESOP, and why...

By Liisa Andreassen | Chairman and CEO of Landry/French (Scarborough, ME), a 100 percent employee-owned commercial construction company.

By Julia DeFrances | It’s natural to want to go back to normal – but remember that employees are your firm’s most important asset, and their needs are critical to your continued success.

By Liisa Andreassen | President and CEO of Haley Ward (Bangor, ME), a 100 percent employee-owned technical consulting firm, offering a range of engineering, environmental, and surveying services.

By Liisa Andreassen | Co-owner of UMA Geotechnical Construction (Colfax, NC), an experienced design-build, geotechnical contractor with a proven record of performance in diverse soil conditions.

By Mark Zweig | There are many variables to consider when planning for an ownership transition in an AEC firm.

By Jon Parrish | Getting everyone to think and act like an owner will result in more of your people making day-to-day decisions with the best interest of the company in mind.

Will Swearingen, an ownership transition advisor at Zweig Group, discusses how leadership in firms big and small are planning out their next steps in the face of continued uncertainty, and how company owners can take...

By Liisa Andreassen | President of Prein&Newhof (Grand Rapids, MI), a 100 percent employee-owned firm that is dedicated to thinking ahead, building lasting relationships, and crafting long-term solutions.

CEO and president of SEH (St. Paul, MN), a firm that’s simplifying the world’s complex challenges by designing better places, engineering clean water, and renewing infrastructure.

By Kevin Token | A singular leader, in place for all time, might not be the best model for your firm. Consider a different way, one that plans for transitions and accommodates change.

Chairman and CEO of Salas O’Brien, an employee-owned firm with no corporate headquarters that provides building and facility solutions to clients across the United States.

CEO of Olsson (Lincoln, NE), an employee owned 1,300-person firm that is working to leave the world better than they found it.

President and CEO of Primera (Chicago, IL), a mid-size, full-service, woman-owned engineering design and consulting firm.

If your firm has the following characteristics, the more likely an ESOP is a good and viable option for your firm.

Chad Surprenant, chief strategy officer and board chairman of ISG, shares his journey from being one of the company's primary shareholders to creating an ESOP and enlarging the ownership of ISG to everyone at the...

We recently sat down with former CEO and Chairman of Burns & McDonnell, Greg Graves. Greg engaged us with a far-reaching conversation about what life is like as a retired Design Industry Executive - although...

Leaders of employee-friendly firms talk about recruiting, culture, and the importance of employee feedback.

President and CEO of RJN Group (Wheaton, IL), a firm that is passionate about the environment, committed to community, and devoted to the welfare of its employees.

President and CEO Ulteig (Fargo, ND), an employee-owned engineering consulting firm with locations in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Colorado, Montana, and Iowa.

By giving employees the opportunity to own company stock, you can develop a culture in which employees have a greater stake in the company and more opportunities to reap the rewards of capital ownership. 

President and CEO of the North American operations of Mott MacDonald (Iselin, NJ), a $2 billion global management, engineering, and development firm.

By Will Swearingen | When considering a deferred compensation strategy for your ownership transition, keep these pros and cons in mind.

RESPEC (Rapid City, SD), a consulting company that specializes in mining, energy, water, environment, and technology, announced the acquisition of PDC Engineers (Fairbanks, AK). The combined entities will operate from 25 offices in 14 states...

President and CEO of Ramey Kemp & Assoc. (Raleigh, NC), a transportation engineering, planning, and design firm founded in 1992.

ESOPs are becoming an increasingly common tool for succession planning among AEC firms.

Leaders of employee-owned firms must focus on people, transparency, and vision to achieve long-term success.

CEO of ISG (Mankato, MN), a multi-disciplinary design and engineering firm that has growth in its DNA.

It’s important to understand your business model and the various outside factors that can affect the execution of an ESOP transaction.

President and CEO of Parametrix, a 100 percent employee-owned engineering, planning, and environmental sciences firm based in Seattle, Washington.

President and principal-in-charge at Taylor Design, an architecture and interior design firm headquartered in Irvine, California.

The effort to chart a new path should begin long before firm founders retire, and should be exhaustive.

Surrounding oneself with the appropriate professionals, and planning accordingly, will position your company for a successful transition to ESOP ownership.

Branding and growing a diverse firm while staying true to your roots is possible, but you have to know why you’re in business.

President of CEI, a 20-year-old minority-owned engineering and contracting firm based in Miami Lakes, Florida.

President of PDC Engineers (Best Firm Multidiscipline #45 for 2018), a 100-person firm headquartered in Fairbanks, Alaska.

President of JCJ Architecture, a local, national, and global architecture, planning, and interior design firm based in Hartford, Connecticut.

As a 100 percent ESOP, 50-year-old Pennoni has the culture, history, and staying power to improve the lives of its employees and the community it serves.

For S-corps and C-corps, ESOPs offer different, but significant, tax benefits to both the selling shareholder and the surviving company.

By Will Swearingen | The words ‘difficult’ and ‘uncomfortable’ are synonymous with ownership transition. If you try to execute one on your own, it might come out half-baked.

Having the ability to offer candidates participation in the ESOP may provide your company a benefit your competition cannot offer.

President of Gale Associates Inc. (Best Firm #18 Multi-discipline for 2018), a 115-person consulting firm based in Weymouth, Massachusetts. By Liisa Andreassen Correspondent “Gale has been involved with a number of design-build procurements, primarily for...

President and CEO of Morrison-Maierle (Best Firm #27 Multi-discipline for 2017), a 280-person firm based in Helena, Montana. By Liisa Andreassen Correspondent “It’s vital to our success,” Murphy says, referring to entrepreneurship in the firm....

With the unequivocal success of this year’s Hot Firm & A/E Industry Awards Conference in Dallas, all eyes now turn to Las Vegas in 2019. By Richard Massey Editor Chad Clinehens, Zweig Group’s president and...

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....

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...

Employee stock ownership plans are rewarding for your staff, allow for continuity, and can enhance a firm’s culture and legacy. Editor’s note: Wintrust Commercial Banking is a sponsor of the 2018 Hot Firm + A/E...

Each week, The Zweig Letter features commentary from top-flight leaders of AEC firms. Here is a compilation of their thoughts on maintaining the leadership pipeline. By The Zweig Letter Staff Nic Andreani, president with W&M...

Co-founder and president of BHC Rhodes (Hot Firm # 15 for 2017), a 130-person civil engineering firm based in Overland Park, Kansas. By Liisa Andreassen Correspondent “Profit centers go against the dynamic of a team...

Jamie Claire, Zweig Group's director of consulting looks at valuation from a merger & acquisition perspective: EBITDA is the most common valuation metric in M&A, but I agree with Warren Buffett - “When CEOs tout...

Editor's Note: This article was written by Mergermarket, the leading provider of forward-looking M&A intelligence and data to M&A professionals and corporates around the world. by Deborah Balshem in Fort Lauderdale JLG Architects, an employee-owned...

A Note from Jamie Claire Kiser Director of Consulting Highlights from 2017 In 2017, we helped clients across the country close deals, taking our mergers & acquisitions team everywhere from Texas to Michigan, Minnesota to...

President and CEO of Pennoni (Hot Firm #48 for 2016), a 1,250-person engineering firm based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. By Liisa Andreassen Correspondent “One recommendation for leadership in a firm is a better working knowledge in...

CEO and chairman of Mead & Hunt (#82 Hot Firm for 2017), a 592-person national firm offering services in planning, design, architecture, and engineering. By Liisa Andreassen Correspondent “There is something to be said for...

President and CEO of Milhouse Engineering & Construction (Hot Firm #50 for 2017), a 180-person firm based in Chicago. By Liisa Andreassen Correspondent “Engineers aren’t usually braggadocios,” Milhouse says. “We’re just not good at it....

President and CEO of Hargrove Engineers + Constructors, a Mobile, Alabama-based company with 1,200-teammates in 11 states. By Liisa Andreassen Correspondent For Hargrove, success starts with company culture. In fact, he says, culture to a...

President of LJA Engineering (Hot Firm #2 for 2016), the largest employee-owned civil engineering firm in Houston (600-plus employees). By Liisa Andreassen Correspondent Ladner has more than 35 years’ experience in civil engineering serving both...

In this episode of The Zweig Letter podcast, Randy talks to Tracey Eaves, Zweig Group’s valuation expert. Tracey introduces herself by talking about her background, her valuation experience, and why it’s important to hire a...

HELIX CEO Michael Schwerin headed into the New Year with double-digit profits and a strong book-to-bill ratio. By Liisa Andreassen Correspondent In 2001, Michael Schwerin started as an assistant environmental planning group manager with HELIX...

President and CEO of ISG (Hot Firm #58 for 2016) a 200-person architecture, engineering, and environmental planning firm based in Mankato, Minnesota. By Liisa Andreassen Correspondent With the recent acquisition of Green Bay-based Raasch Associates,...

An internal market for the company’s stock, and a company culture of ‘just get it done’ are two key drivers of the firm’s success. By Dale D. Conger CobbFendley (Hot Firm #21 for 2016) was...

Zweig Group Releases 2016 Valuation Survey for the A/E/P Industry FAYETTEVILLE, AR (February 1, 2016) – Zweig Group, a management consulting and publishing firm that produces comprehensive surveys for the A/E/P and environmental consulting industries,...

Annual Publication Includes Case Studies of A/E/P, Environmental Firms FAYETTEVILLE, AR – January 14, 2016 — Do you know how much your architectural, engineering, planning or environmental consulting firm is worth? If you're the leader...

Do you know how much your architectural, engineering, planning or environmental consulting firm is worth? If you're the leader of an A/E/P or environmental consulting firm, you can't risk not knowing the value of your...

If you’re an owner of an A/E/P or environmental consulting firm, you can’t risk not knowing the value of your business. Whether it’s for external purposes, such as a firm sale or merge, or internal...

Harris & Associates (Concord, CA), a 200-person engineering and construction management firm, is the fourth place winner in the Internal Marketing category of Zweig Group’s 2015 Marketing Excellence Awards for its ownership campaign and the...

Mark Zweig lists some things he has learned about the A/E/P and environmental business over three decades. The end of August marked 34 full years working in the A/E/P and environmental consulting business. I have...

Press Release: November 8, 2011 FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (November 8, 2011) – Take cue Apple. Holding on to too much cash can be perilous for business enterprises, not the least design firms. An article in the...

Press Release: July 22, 2011 FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (July 22, 2011) –ZweigWhite has consolidated and branded its internal consulting team which manages mergers, acquisitions, valuations, and ownership transition under the new moniker, MAVALOT. Right now these...

1. Buy-Side Representation ZWEIGWHITE has been focused on business management services, research and information for architecture, engineering and environmental consulting firms since 1988. As such, we are uniquely qualified to find the right business(es) to...

Press Release: February 5, 2011 How firms value their enterprises has far-reaching implications that impact both the firms and their shareholders on a financial, organizational and cultural level and is, according to ZweigWhite Valuation Consultant...

Regardless of how you feel about the results, the national, state, and local elections are now over. Yea! We can move on with our lives and get back to business. Lord knows many A/E/P and...

I just got another of the many announcements that come through the ZweigWhite e-mail system today— one of our clients just bought/merged with/sold to another firm. We see so much of this that I barely...

Fred White, Claire Keerl, and I just got back from the 21st annual Inc 500 Conference at the Westin Rancho Mirage Resort in beautiful Palm Springs, California, held March 27th-29th. It has been a few...

Say “strategy” to an architect, engineer, planner, or scientist and you are bound to get a negative reaction. These folks have been through all of the strategic planning meetings conducted by the management consultant of...

It has been said that the only thing an A/E/P or environmental firm can do in a presentation is “not lose the job”— meaning that the selection decisions are made before presentation time, and can...

I hear from a lot of disgruntled people working in support roles in A/E and environmental consulting firms— (“support” meaning anyone whose primary job function does not create revenue for the firm). I know how...

We work for a lot of different firms in the A/E and environmental consulting industry. We talk to a lot of different professionals out there. What’s in and what’s out these days? Here’s our view:...

Road Warriors Square Off— One Monday a couple of weeks ago, I got up at 3:45 a.m. to catch a 6:00 flight from Boston’s Logan Airport, the start of a long week to come. After...