1116

w w w . t h e z w e i g l e t t e r . c o m

2015

Keeping spirits bright Leadership, accounting, rewards, and more contribute to an organizational culture of positivity and high morale.

A u g u s t 1 7, 2 0 1 5 , I s s u e 111 6

T R E N D L I N E S

Electronic data losses

70%

G reat projects happen, and success- ful firms become even more so, when morale is high inside the firm. It’s one thing to say that you have good morale and your people, for the most part, enjoy their jobs. It’s another thing altogether when the people of the firm are on a sort of collective “high.” That is when everyone stops thinking selfishly and cooperates with each other, supports one another, and is willing to work hard to make the organization successful. I’ve witnessed this condition in a few firms – not many – over my 35 year career in this industry. These companies seem to be doing a number of things significantly different from the mass of other A/E/P and environmental firms. Here are some of them: 1)They have unselfish leaders who un- derstand that a strong company comes first, before their own needs . Ever heard this one before? It is a defining characteristic of the best leaders in any business. Unfortunately, many profession- als and small business people forget this and instead are driven by their own egos and personal financial needs. This always results in alienation and demotivation of the people who are necessary to achieve the success required to meet those per- sonal needs! 2)They have complete transparency in

“It’s one thing to say that you have good morale and your people, for the most part, enjoy their jobs. It’s another thing altogether when the people of the firm are on a sort of collective ‘high.’”

60%

50%

40%

Mark Zweig

30%

20%

10%

Zweig Group’s 2015 Information Technology Survey of A/E/P and Environmental Consulting Firms finds that 87 percent of firms surveyed have suffered at least one electronic data loss. Accident by Employee and Hardware Malfunction/Failure were the most common causes, both at 62 percent, followed by Computer Virus Infection at 53 percent. Nine percent of respondents cited Malicious Damage by an Employee or Former Employee , 6 percent cited Unauthorized Access by an Outsider or Hacker, and 1 percent cited Other causes. Percentages total more than 100 because selections were not mutually exclusive. — Vivian Cummings, research analyst assistant. F I R M I N D E X Albertsson Hansen ............................................................... 10 Albert, Righter & Tittman Architects Inc. ............................. 10 Becker Morgan Group . ........................................................... 2 Carter & Burgess .................................................................. 11 Cathy Schwabe Architects ................................................... 10 CDR Studio Architects ............................................................ 2 Garver LLC . ....................................................................... 4, 12 GATE Inc. ............................................................................... 12 Hickok Cole Architects Inc. ..................................................... 4 HLB Lighting Design ............................................................... 4 Jacobs . ................................................................................. 11 JLG Architects ...................................................................... 10 Karn Charuhas Chapman & Twohey ..................................... 10 Klohn Crippen Berger . ............................................................ 5 Maser Consulting ................................................................... 4 Matheny Goldman ................................................................ 10 Miyamoto International ........................................................ 12 Nick Noyes Architecture . ..................................................... 10 O’Neal Inc. .............................................................................. 9 Palermo Edwards Architecture ............................................. 10 Patrick Ahearn Architect . ..................................................... 10 Rehkamp Larson Architects .................................................. 10 Sam Schwartz Engineering . ................................................. 12 TEECOM .................................................................................. 4 Westwood Professional Services ....................................... 4, 7

MORE COLUMNS xz BRAND BUILDING: Be loud, proud of your marketing. Page 3 xz MARKETING MATTERS: What makes a winning campaign? Page 6

PLUS

xz THE COMPLETE LIST OF MARKETING EXCELLENCE AWARD WINNERS: Pages 6-7 xz THE JERRY ALLEN COURAGE IN LEADERSHIP AWARD: Page 11

See MARK ZWEIG , page 2

Marketing Excellence and Hot Firm winners Pages 5-12

T H E V O I C E O F R E A S O N F O R A / E / P & E N V I R O N M E N TA L C O N S U LT I N G F I R M S

BUSINESS NEWS BECKER MORGAN GROUP WINS METAL ARCHI- TECTURE DESIGN AWARD Becker Morgan Group was awarded the 2015 Metal Architecture Ribbed Metal Wall Panels Design Award for Audi Cape Fear. The project is featured in the July issue of Metal Architecture and displayed on metalarchitecture.com . The Metal Architecture Design Awards recognize “cre- ativity in the metal construction industry and showcase exciting uses of steel” incorporat- ed into project design. Audi Cape Fear is a 21,800-square-foot auto- motive dealership in Wilmington, North Car- olina. The triangular-shaped site resulted in a unique triangular-shaped building footprint, which allowed for an exciting dynamic be- tween the primary programmatic elements: showroom, sales offices, and the service garage. The angles of the walls helped en- hance the dynamic presence of the building, located at one of the busiest intersections in Wilmington. Becker Morgan Group provided consultation as the owner’s architect during schematic design exercises led by Audi’s corporate architect, CDR Studio Architects of New York City. Becker Morgan Group was architect of record, providing design development, construction documents, and construction phase services.

A LOOK AHEAD

#HOTFIRM2015 COUNTDOWN

#HOTFIRM2015 ATTENDANCE

Please register for the

Nearly 200 firms * have registered for the Hot Firm & A/E Industry Awards Conference, but there’s still room for you! Register today at zweiggroup.com/conference .

conference by August 21 . We look forward to seeing you there!

DAYS

WEEKS

*As of end of business on August 7.

Attendees of the 2015 Hot Firm and A/E Industry Awards Conference are eligible for 15 continuing education credits! You don’t have to be an award winner to come to the Hot Firm & A/E Industry Awards Conference! The event is a great place to network and learn, and all A/E/P and environmental professionals are welcome!

EDITOR’S NOTE Longtime readers will likely notice that this week’s TZL looks a little different. That’s because this special edition celebrates – and has been taken over by – all things MARKETING EXCELLENCE AWARDS ! THE ZWEIG LETTER will return to its normal appearance next week.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION!

Live tweet during #HotFirm2015 with @ZweigLetter and @ZweigGroup!

MARK ZWEIG , from page 1

both the numbers of the business and in management decision-making. Open book management – sharing the numbers with everyone and not having any secrets whatsoever – helps build trust with the employees and management. Educating all employees at ALL levels on where the money goes is helpful to getting them to see how they contribute to the firm’s success. You cannot underestimate the importance of sharing this information. Ditto for explaining all decisions made that affect people in the firm and the logic behind them. We have intelligent people in this business, and they can understand things for the most part IF you explain. Doing so is critical to their motivation. 3)They keep it positive! It’s really easy to be a cynic and gripe and complain about problems. I have been there, myself, many times. But in the interest of your team and their morale, you are far better off to keep it positive! Make sure that you share successes on wins and give accolades to those who receive praise from clients for jobs well done. All of this will contribute to a positive culture. And positive results come from a positive culture. 4)They have accounting and reward systems that encourage cooperation. So many companies are set up to do the opposite of this. They track each unit and then pit them against each other and, in the process, discourage work-sharing, people- sharing, credit-sharing, and, in general, helping out the other guy who’s in need. You must be extremely careful how you design your accounting and rewards and make sure they encourage whatever behavior is the best for the LONG TERM interests of the organization. 5)They have the right mix of people in the firm. This is easier said than done, and there’s no simple formula or prescription for how to do it. But, the fact that it is difficult doesn’t mean it is any less important or necessary. You’ll know it when you see it. And cultural compatibility of everyone in the team is critical to you. It doesn’t mean you want everyone to be the same, either, because that will likely re- sult in a lack of creativity and, in some cases, unnecessary competition and conflict. Getting the right team is a job that never ends. Management has to remain vigilant, in terms of decisively dealing with problems and capitalizing on opportunities to add good people. There are so many things you have to do to get your machine humming and everyone pulling the rope the same way. All I know is when you do, amazing things will happen!

More BUSINESS NEWS, page 10

38West Trenton Blvd., Suite 101 Fayetteville, AR 72701 Mark Zweig | Publisher mzweig@zweiggroup.com Andrea Bennett | Managing Editor abennett@zweiggroup.com Christina Zweig | Contributing Editor christinaz@zweiggroup.com Liisa Andreassen | Correspondent lsullivan@zweiggroup.com Richard Massey | Correspondent rmassey@zweiggroup.com

Tel: 800-466-6275 Fax: 508-653-6522 E-mail: info@zweiggroup.com Online: www.thezweigletter.com Twitter: twitter.com/zweigletter Blog: blog.zweiggroup.com Published continuously since 1992 by Zweig Group, Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA. ISSN 1068-1310. Issued weekly (48 issues/yr.). $475 for one-year subscription, $775 for two-year subscription. Article reprints: For high-quality reprints, including Eprints and NXTprints, please contact The YGS Group at 717-399-1900, ext. 139, or e-mail TheZweigLetter@TheYGSGroup.com . © Copyright 2015, Zweig Group. All rights reserved.

MARK ZWEIG is founder and CEO of Zweig Group. Contact him at mzweig@zweiggroup.com.

THE ZWEIG LETTER AUGUST 17, 2015, ISSUE 1116

2015 Be loud, proud of your marketing Marketing awards allow firms to recognize support staff’s contributions to overall efforts of the company, provide a measure of return on investments. O P I N I O N

A s we at Zweig Group prepare for our annual Hot Firm and A/E Industry Awards Conference, I am reminded of when I was leading marketing for my A/E firm and the excitement and sense of pride that we had when we won a marketing award.

❚ ❚ Marketing awards reinforce that your marketing messaging is truly differentiated, and that is a powerful affirmation. Too many firms are saying the same things: “Cost effective innovative solutions!” or something similar. There are some really great ideas out there, and to beat them speaks volumes. ❚ ❚ It exposes your team to new ideas. Normally, these award programs are accompanied by an awards banquet or ceremony where attendees get to see other award winning work (at Zweig Group’s conference in September, the Marketing Excellence Awards Luncheon is on Friday, the same day as the Hot Firm and A/E Industry Black Tie Awards Ceremony). This infuses new ideas and approaches that can be used in the future. And don’t worry; your idea is not so good that it cannot be shared. Share and share alike! ❚ ❚ It’s a powerful marketing metric! So, we know establishing marketing metrics can be challenging for design firms. Winning a marketing award says you are on the right track and that you are getting a return on your investment that is beyond that of most of your peers. ❚ ❚ Getting your marketing recognized gives your firm a personality and defines the brand outside of the projects you work on. This gives you positive PR exposure through new channels and can help you in your recruiting and retention efforts. Recognizing your marketing has many benefits. It is important to have an investment strategy that is company-wide and focuses on investment in critical areas like marketing and that you utilize every opportunity to recognize and reward those who are in this critical support function. “Winning a marketing award says you are on the right track and that you are getting a return on your investment that is beyond that of most of your peers.”

When we won our first award, it was the first time in the company’s 89-year history that we had even entered a marketing competition. Both entering the competition and winning the award marked a significant time in our history. For us, it made a statement that we had evolved past the typical engineering firm that only focused on projects into one with a dream and a vision for growth and that we were making investments in marketing that were paying off. “Getting your marketing recognized reinforces the importance of your support teams to the overall success of the firm.” Many firms submit regularly for project awards like those awarded by the ACEC and AIA, and that is fantastic. But, when a firm has the kind of marketing that can compete for an award, it really makes a statement. To me, it says the firm is investing in a critical area that drives growth, business development, and sales. As I have stated in previous articles, many firms find it difficult to invest in marketing because of the challenge in measuring the return. Here are some reasons your firm should be producing award-winning marketing: ❚ ❚ Getting your marketing recognized reinforces the importance of your support teams to the overall success of the firm. There are many ways project teams get recognized, and when we shed a spotlight on support functions, it really motivates and inspires further creativity. I have seen it time and time again: Firms that focus on winning awards have motivated and inspired people. “Attending marketing award ceremonies exposes your team to new ideas ... And don’t worry; your idea is not so good that it cannot be shared. Share and share alike.”

CHAD CLINEHENS is Zweig Group’s executive vice president. Contact him at cec@zweiggroup.com .

THE ZWEIG LETTER AUGUST 17, 2015, ISSUE 1116

TRIPLE CROWN

Three firms have earned Zweig Group’s 2015 Trifecta Award, reserved for companies that place on the Hot Firm List and earn Best Firms to Work For and Marketing Excellence Awards. This year’s Trifecta awardees are: ❚ ❚ Westwood Professional Services : No. 9 Hot Firm; No. 32 Best Firm to Work For – Multidiscipline; Marketing Excellence Awards – No. 3 Online Marketing Campaign, No. 2 Special Event Marketing, No. 1 Integrated Marketing Campaign ❚ ❚ Maser Consulting : No. 12 Hot Firm, No. 5 Best Firms to Work For – Multidiscipline, Marketing Excellence Awards – No. 4 External Newsletter ❚ ❚ Garver : No. 50 Hot Firm, No. 3 Best Firms to Work For – Multidiscipline, Marketing Excellence Awards – No. 5 Integrated Marketing Campaign

A VIEW FROM THE TOP TEECOM , HLB Lighting Design , and Hickok Cole Architects Inc. took First Place for Online, Internal, and Special Event marketing. Highlights of their entries are below.

TEECOM: ONLINE MARKETING CAMPAIGN

HLB: INTERNAL MARKETING CAMPAIGN

HICKOK COLE: SPECIAL EVENT MARKETING

THE ZWEIG LETTER AUGUST 17, 2015, ISSUE 1116

K L O H N C R I P P E N B E R G E R

Effective messages, inside and out No. 94 Hot Firm takes First Place for External Newsletters and Second Place for Internal Marketing Campaigns.

2015

of collaboration between marketing and hu- man resources. After all, both groups have a shared goal to build the company’s brand to support business development and recruit- ment. Together, they developed a training series titled “The Social Network – Networking Skills for the 21st Century.” The objective was to provide staff with the skills to act as brand ambassadors. The series consisted of three sessions. In the first session, they shared tips on how to effectively network at conferences and in- dustry events; senior staff opened this ses- sion by sharing success stories and caution- ary tales. The second session covered the use of LinkedIn to support networking ac- tivities. In the third session, they offered an exclusive event to their young professionals group. “We set up a mock cocktail reception and invited them to join the senior staff to put their new skills to work,” Fowler says. “It was a great success and a fantastic opportu- nity for junior staff to network with senior staff to build their personal brands.” IMPACT ON ROI. Fowler says that the sustain- ability report has been an effective tool to communicate with clients, the community, employees, and other stakeholders. “The benefits of the report increase expo- nentially as we incorporate the material into our website, in social media, presenta- tions, and proposals to demonstrate our val- ue proposition,” she says. Since KCB published its first report three years ago, the team has seen a steady in- crease in the application of this information in proposals with positive results. They have “The benefits of the report increase exponentially as we incorporate the material into our website, in social media, presentations, and proposals.”

By LIISA ANDREASSEN Correspondent

E xternal marketing breathes life into firm growth, but internal marketing keeps the machine going to ensure operations move along at a steady pace. Klohn Crippen Berg- er (Vancouver, BC), an international engi- neering, geoscience and environmental firm that employs approximately 500 people who work out of 10 offices in Canada, Aus- tralia, Peru, and the United Kingdom, offers a range of services for mining, environmen- tal, water, power, transportation, oil sands, and the oil and gas sectors. KCB values its clients and employees and works to keep things balanced on the mar- keting scale. This year, the KCB team took First Place in the External Newsletter cate- gory and Second Place in the Internal Mar- keting Campaign in Zweig Group’s Market- ing Excellence Awards.

EXTERNAL EFFORTS. “Our cli- ents face an increasing chal- lenge to address the grow- ing body of international best practices covering a broad range of sustainabil- ity goals,” Kathy Fowler, manager of marketing and sustainability, says. This is particularly true in the re- source sector, where build- ing community trust and responsible environmental management is critical to our clients’ success.” As a result, the KCB team

Kathy Fowler, Manager of Marketing and Sustainability, Klohn Crippen Berger.

created a sustainability report. Its purpose is to communicate their commitment to sustainability and to share how they can work with their clients to help them achieve their sustainability goals. The report covers topics in the key focus ar- eas of corporate governance, health, safe- ty, environmental practices, community in- volvement, and KCB project work. INTERNAL AFFAIRS. KCB’s internal marketing campaign exemplifies the possible outcomes

KCB’s 2014 external newsletter.

See KCB , page 8

THE ZWEIG LETTER AUGUST 17, 2015, ISSUE 1116

O P I N I O N

2015

Westwood’s integrated marketing campaign.

What makes a winning campaign? Regardless of category, Marketing Excellence Award recipients showed commitment to planning, presentation, theming, detail, and results.

❚ ❚ Planning. A good marketing campaign takes time and thought to put together. Winning entries have solid explanations for the decisions made in the campaign’s development and execution, and preparation and organization were apparent from start to finish. ❚ ❚ Presentation. Content is extremely important – more on that later – but, to borrow a phrase from Marshall McLuhan: “The medium is the message.” The medium influences how the message is perceived. Firms that create unique, stylish, functional, or representational packaging for their Marketing Excellence submissions show an attention to detail and thor- oughness that is usually also present throughout the rest of the campaign. For example, Westwood ’s First Place Integrated Marketing Campaign has “Better treats. Better boxes. Better packaging. Better ideas” printed on the high-quality glossy white box that the treats arrive in. Talk about ensuring that your medium and message align! Though a custom-bound entry wasn’t necessary to win, it often showed a level of commitment to detail and our next recommendation ... ❚ ❚ Theming. A theme doesn’t have to be over-the-top and out-of-the-box to be good, but a commitment to consistency keeps a marketing campaign from appearing thrown together and increases its effectiveness. The theme of a Marketing Excellence submission was often what got the campaign noticed and made it memorable. W e recently completed judging the fantastic set of marketing campaigns for Zweig Group’s 2015 Marketing Excellence Awards. We received entries from firms of various types and structures nationwide. Regardless of category, some overwhelming themes emerged in winning campaigns.

“The most important thing about a marketing campaign is that it achieves an objective. A winning Marketing Excellence Award submission must demonstrate success.”

Christina Zweig

See CHRISTINA ZWEIG , page 8

THE COMPLETE LIST OF ZWEIG GROUP’S 2015 MARKETING EXCELLENCE WINNERS Online Marketing 1. TEECOM 2. Harris & Associates 3. Westwood Internal Marketing 1. HLB Lighting Design

THE ZWEIG LETTER AUG Special Event 1. Hickok Cole Architects Inc 2. Westwood 3. HKS Inc. 4. Larson Design Group (LDG) 5. Sanderson Stewart

2. Klohn Crippen Berger Ltd. 3. The Louis Berger Group Inc. 4. Harris & Associates 5. AC Martin Partners Inc.

4. AC Martin Partners Inc. 5. Smith Seckman Reid Inc.

Zweig Group is social and posting every day! C O N N E C T W I T H U S Rebranding efforts pay off No. 9 Hot Firm wins top nods for Integrated Marketing, Second Place for Special Event Marketing, Third Place for Online Marketing Campaign. WE S T WOO D P RO F E S S I O N A L S E R V I C E S facebook.com/ ZweigGroup twitter.com/ ZweigGroup linkedin.com/company / ZweigWhite blog. ZweigGroup.com vimeo.com/ ZweigGroup

2015

showcase and align its top talent with its best work, which, in turn, supports lead generation, strategic hiring, and cross- training. “Our promise begins on the inside, which is really the recipe for a successful brand,” she says. Special event marketing Launching Westwood’s refreshed brand identity and promise, “better people, bet- ter results” had to be deliberate and me- thodical. Company-wide alignment and support of the over-arching message was critical, which meant the vision and direc- tion of the company had to be clearly un- derstood by all employees. “We held a month-long, prelaunch cam- paign to generate anticipation and instill the message in- and outside the compa- ny,” McDonough says. “Westwood’s CEO, Paul Greenhagen, was very involved in the launch. Together, we conducted of- fice visits, providing sneak previews and engaging with staff. We also used direct, email and social media marketing to drop early ‘better’ teasers to our staff, vendors and clients. Our ‘better’ branded employ- ee and client gifts really helped instill the message.” “Westwood has experienced many changes during the past decade ... We were challenged to find an effective way to communicate the multi- faceted company that we had become.”

By LIISA ANDREASSEN Correspondent

I t’s important to know when it’s time to give your brand a boost, and Westwood Pro- fessional Services (Eden Prairie, MN), a multi- disciplined surveying and engineering firm, didn’t turn a blind eye when its old brand was colliding with its new brand. Westwood took First Place for its In- tegrated Marketing Campaign, Second Place for its Special Event Marketing, and Third Place for its Online Marketing Cam- paign in Zweig Group’s 2015 Marketing Excellence awards. A TRIPLE PLAY: REFRESH, LAUNCH, AND TAKE IT ONLINE.

Integrated marketing “Westwood has experi- enced many changes dur- ing the past decade,” says Clare McDonough, di- rector of marketing and communications. “Our old brand identity start- ed creating confusion and, quite possibly, lost revenue. We were chal- lenged to find an effec- tive way to communicate the multi-faceted compa- ny that we had become. Today, I think our fresh brand identity really cap-

Clare McDonough, Director of Marketing and Communications, Westwood Professional Services.

tures the essence of who we are and what we do – and our simple promise to our cli- ents – with ‘better people,’ we deliver ‘bet- ter results.’ ” The Westwood team has intentionally in- tegrated the brand’s promise into recruit- ing and hiring activities, professional de- velopment, and business processes. Wo- ven into all external communications, it provides Westwood the opportunity to

See WESTWOOD , page 8

Westwood’s online marketing campaign.

External Newsletter 1. Klohn Crippen Berger Ltd. 2. Sam Schwartz Engineering 3. O’Neal Inc. 4. Maser Consulting P.A. 5. Allana Buick & Bers Inc.

Integrated Marketing 1. Westwood 2. Hickok Cole Architects Inc 3. Thornton Tomasetti Group Inc. 4. G2 Consulting Group LLC 5. Garver LLC

GUST 17, 2015, ISSUE 1116

KCB , from page 5

also seen an increase in employee engagement and com- munity involvement and received recognition from exter- nal organizations for their sustainable business practices. Since launching the networking training series, employ- ees are collaborating with marketing and human resourc- es more, so the teams are able to support their efforts more effectively. They have seen an increase in participa- tion on LinkedIn, too. “With a more confident and strategic approach to net- working, they are beginning to build their personal brand, the brand of the firm, and maximize opportunities for business development and recruiting,” Fowler says. The main purpose of the sustainability report and net- working sessions is to build authentic and effective meth- ods of communication. The benefit to KCB is better re- lationships with clients, prospects, employees, and the community. “This supports the sustainability and longevity of our firm,” Fowler says.

KCB’s internal marketing campaign.

❚ ❚ Attention to detail. Proofread, proof- read, proofread! This applies to both the Marketing Excellence Award submission materials and the campaign itself. ❚ ❚ Results. The most important thing about a marketing campaign is that it achieves an objective. A winning Marketing Excel- lence Award submission must demon- strate success, which can be almost any- thing as long as it can be recorded. A few good measures of results include quotes, emails, repeat work, additional work gained for existing clients, email open- rates, distribution numbers, click rates, number of shares, number of views, press mentions, interactions, “likes,” social me- dia audience growth, names added, and the list goes on. Whatever success means to your campaign, it’s important to find a way to measure it and be able to explain it in the submission. Know what you want to achieve and set a goal. Winning campaigns didn’t need: ❚ ❚ Lots of funding ❚ ❚ Tons of components/to be complicated. I hope you enjoy and are inspired by these winning campaigns. Marketing Excellence winners are highlighted throughout the year in THE ZWEIG LETTER’s “What’s Working” feature, so be on the lookout for more in-depth insights into how your peers are taking their marketing to new heights. CHRISTINA ZWEIG is a Zweig Group marketing and management consultant. Contact her at christinaz@zweiggroup.com . CHRISTINA ZWEIG , from page 6

WESTWOOD , from page 7

Online marketing campaign For Westwood, online marketing is about demonstrating competency and culture. Prospective clients and employees hear about Westwood and then visit its website and social channels. “Since our recent refresh, we often hear ‘Hey, this looks good. These folks must know what they are do- ing.’ Online marketing is our best opportunity to reach a broad target audience, so we need to make sure that we strategically demonstrate our depth of expertise and experi- ence, and offer a glimpse of our cul- ture and workplace benefits,” Mc- Donough says. The new site is clean, robust, dynam- ic, and mobile-responsive. “By simplifying how online visitors experience our complex business model through our professionals, projects, and social channels, we’ve eliminated the noise and created a more effective online strategy,” she says. MARKETING SUPPORTS GROWTH SPURT. McDonough says that these market- ing efforts have helped the firm to clarify its value-proposition and to redefine its organization. Westwood has gone through several organiza- tional changes and has added new

Westwood’s special event marketing

markets, office locations, and top in- dustry professionals to its team. “As a result, we’ve experienced a substantial growth spurt,” she says. “The strategic marketing campaigns launched in December 2014 gave us a symbolic event in Westwood’s his- tory, which continues to help drive us forward. Our brand refresh re-ener- gized the company.” The Westwood team now spends less time looking back or worrying about alignment in their marketing com- munications. “With fresh online analytics and en- hanced CRM tools, Westwood can be more strategic and effective in achiev- ing our business goals,” McDonough says. “It has been an important sym- bol to our clients to see that we have gone through a substantial and suc- cessful transformation.”

THE ZWEIG LETTER AUGUST 17, 2015, ISSUE 1116

O ’ N E A L I N C .

Celebrating ‘The Apostrophe’

2015

No. 3 Hot Firm takes Third Place for External Newsletters with publication that aims to affirm its place as thought leader, industry expert.

By LIISA ANDREASSEN Correspondent

R ecognizing that people are bombarded with information on a dai- ly basis was one of the driving forces behind the design of “The Apostrophe,” an external newsletter designed by the team at O’Neal Inc. (Greenville, SC), a 285-person industrial engineering and construc- tion company. Another driving force was a platform that would serve to build solid relationships. That’s what won them Third Place in the External Newsletter category in Zweig Group’s 2015 Marketing Excel- lence Awards. “We realize that people are inundated with information and content every day, and we focused on developing a piece that provided unique and valuable content and insight.”

BUILDING OUTSIDE AWARENESS. The goal in developing “The Apostrophe” as an external newsletter was to estab- lish and position O’Neal as a thought leader and in- dustry expert. “We use ‘The Apostrophe’ to provide relevant industry information and knowledge to our existing and target clients and help our prospects and customers main- tain a pulse on industry trends and activity,” says Bri- an Gallagher, director of marketing.

Brian Gallagher, Director of Marketing, O’Neal.

Through the distribution of “The Apostrophe,” O’Neal wanted to develop a platform to talk about its proj- ects, project delivery systems, advancing technology and processes, and recognition. “We realize that people are inundated with information and content every day, and we focused on developing a piece that provided unique and valuable content and insight,” Gallagher says. The target audience for this piece is senior management and director- level personnel focused on manufacturing, operations, and economic development and site-selection professionals. The intended message of “The Apostrophe” is that O’Neal is a leader in capital project delivery for the industrial manufacturing, process chemical, and pharmaceutical industries. “We are using unique processes, innovative techniques and programs to allow us to provide a more efficient and effective experience for our clients, which allows us to establish an equally beneficial relationship between ourselves and our clients,” Gallagher says. The team at O’Neal keeps tabs on the industry’s pulse and economic

See O’NEAL , page 10

The Apostrophe.

THE ZWEIG LETTER AUGUST 17, 2015, ISSUE 1116

BUSINESS NEWS MARVIN ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF 2015 AR- CHITECTS CHALLENGE Marvin Windows and Doors has announced the winners of its seventh annual Architects Challenge. The winning projects were designed by archi- tects nationwide, and the award categories include Best in Show, Best Contemporary Project, Best Transitional Project, Best Tra- ditional New Construction Project, Best Re- model/Addition, Best Commercial Project, and Honorable Mentions. “This is the first year we have chosen to hon- or winning projects in various segments,” said Christine Marvin, director of marketing for Marvin Windows and Doors. “This year, the winners include everything from a lake- side mansion to a downtown commercial revival.” The 2015 winners include: ❚ ❚ Best in Show: Healdsburg Residence in Healdsburg, California, designed by Nick Noyes Architecture ❚ ❚ Best Contemporary Project: Russian River Studio in Forestville, California, designed by Cathy Schwabe of Cathy Schwabe Architects ❚ ❚ Best Transitional Project: Minnetonka Masterpiece on Lake Minnetonka, Minnesota, design by Mark Larson of Rehkamp Larson Architects ❚ ❚ Best Traditional New Construction: Green Hills Residence in Nashville, designed by Michael Ward and Tyler LeMarinel of Allard Ward Architects ❚ ❚ Best Remodel/Addition: Adirondack Camp in Indian Lake, NewYork, designed by Jacob Albert of Albert, Righter & Tittman Architects Inc. ❚ ❚ Best Commercial Project: The Loretta Building in Fargo, North Dakota, designed by Lee Dobrinz of JLG Architects ❚ ❚ Honorable Mentions: Forest Hills Restoration in Newark, designed by Jennifer Palermo of Palermo Edwards Architecture ; Madeline Island Retreat on Madeline Island, Wisconsin, designed by Christine Albersson of Albertsson Hansen ; Chatham Gambrel in Cape Cod, designed by Patrick Ahearn Architect ; Great Camp Lake Retreat in Guntersville, Alabama, designed by Paul Matheny of Matheny Goldman KCCT RANKS NO. 10 IN 2015 BOOK OF LISTS Karn Charuhas Chapman & Twohey was recently ranked No. 10 in the Washington Business Journal’s 2015 Book of Lists, which ranks architecture firms by their 2014 D.C. metro- area billings. With only 55 employees, KCCT is the only firm with fewer than 100 total em- ployees in the Top 10 and is one of only two firms on the list of 25 located exclusively in Washington D.C.

O’NEAL , from page 9

happenings to forecast trends for its clients. “Our primary goal was to help build awareness and position O’Neal to exist- ing and prospective clients,” Gallagher explains. “Our sales process and cycle is very long; the typical cycle is nine months to two years. ‘The Apostrophe’ has definitely had an impact on people who have become O’Neal clients.” DEMONSTRATING VALUE. Gallagher says that anytime you can demonstrate value to your clients, you are contributing to your return on your investment. “We are honored as a company to be selected for Zweig Group’s Hot Firm and Marketing Excellence awards. O’Neal has been blessed to experience significant growth over the last 40 years, and this recognition is a testament to the efforts our employee-owners put forth every day,” he says. He adds that being recognized for “The Apostrophe” is exciting because the publication provides the ability to showcase the knowledge, expertise, insights and project performance of the firm’s employee-owners. It also provides an op- portunity for the team at O’Neal to highlight its clients’ projects. “We’re in the relationship business,” Kevin Bean, president and CEO says. “In today’s fast-paced business environment, it’s become all too common to lose sight of simple truths – like project delivery being a relationship business at its core. At O’Neal, we like to keep relationships front and center.” “The Apostrophe” delivers real-life examples of how long-term client relation- ships are building more than just successful projects. They’re building under- standing, accountability, and trust. For example, a recent issue of “The Apostrophe” featured an article on the American manufacturing renaissance and discusses the forces driving a manu- facturing comeback. It features client success stories, challenges, and solutions. “With companies like Michelin, Bosch, Duracell, and GlaxoSmithKline still turning to us, it’s clear that our clients value these solid partnerships as much as we do,” Bean says. “And, we don’t take that simple truth for granted.”

THE ZWEIG LETTER AUGUST 17, 2015, ISSUE 1116

Zweig Group will name 2015 Jerry Allen Courage in Leadership honoree at September conference; award pays tribute to Mark Zweig’s mentor. The leaders who have what it takes

By ANDREA BENNETT Managing Editor

I n addition to naming the Hot Firm List, the Best Firms to Work For, and the Marketing Excellence award winners, Zweig Group will also present its Jerry Allen Courage in Leadership Award during the Hot Firm and A/E Industry Awards Conference in Boston. Mark Zweig will name the 2015 winner and present him or her with the coveted bronze lion during the Courage in Leadership Luncheon on Thursday, September 3. Jerry Allen, former president and CEO of Carter & Bur- gess (later acquired by Jacobs ) in Fort Worth, Texas, was a mentor to Zweig, and the annual award rec- ognizes and A/E/P or environmental leader who has overcome obstacles to advance his or her firm to new levels of success and accomplishment. Zweig met Allen in 1985 when he worked for Carter & Burgess as its director of marketing and human resources. Allen taught him how to work in a larg- er organization and how leaders can advance their long-range agendas for change without alienating the people they had to go around – or through, or over – to do it, among many other things. Zweig still applies Allen’s lessons at his own companies

and seeks to share them with the firms he consults. “Jerry did the hard things that it took to make Cart- er & Burgess succeed,” Zweig says. Hard things like cutting costs, changing policies, and eliminating bureaucracy to enable the firm to make important management and acquisition deci- sions in days rather than months. Award nominees

See LEADERSHIP AWARD , page 12

THE ZWEIG LETTER AUGUST 17, 2015, ISSUE 1116

RECENT WINNERS ❚ ❚ 2014:William Brock Johnson (1949- 2012), President & CEO, Garver LLC Under Johnson’s nine-year leadership, Garver began an era of growth unlike any other period in the consultant engineering company’s 93-year history, and Johnson spent his entire career at Garver, celebrating his 40-year work anniversary only two months before his death. ❚ ❚ 2013: Grant Gibson, Founder & President, GATE Inc. Gibson overcame several obstacles in life and career to advance GATE to success. Under his leadership, GATE grew from a fledgling company in 2000 to approximately $40 million in revenue in 2013. ❚ ❚ 2012: Sam Schwartz, CEO, Sam Schwartz Engineering Though he faced scorn from merchants, commuters, and the mayor when as chief engineer for NewYork City in 1988, Schwartz closed the bridge between Manhattan and Brooklyn, his actions saved thousands of lives. Schwartz acted heroically again on September 11, 2001, when he helped get his 30 employees and his family to safety as the Twin Towers fell. ❚ ❚ 2011: Kit Miyamoto, President & CEO, Miyamoto International and Global Risk Miyamoto At age 18, Miyamoto came to the U.S. from Japan to pursue his dream of playing for the Dallas Cowboys football team. He played running back for California State University – Chico until injuring his knee. In 1990, he joined Marr Shaffer Structural Engineers. In 1997 John Shaffer, sold the company to Miyamoto and Miyamoto International was born. Miyamoto’s firm is a company with a simple mission: Make the world a better place.

LEADERSHIP AWARD , from page 11

can serve any role in their firm, and nominating firms can be of any type or size.

The Jerry Allen Courage in Leadership Award winner receives up to five Zweig Group surveys, a one-year subscription to THE ZWEIG LETTER, and a bronze tro- phy in the shape of a lion. “We recognize there are other Jerry Allens out there, and we want them to get the recognition they deserve,” Zweig says. Allen was born on Oct. 8, 1940, in Texarkana, Texas, and grew up in West Mem- phis, Arkansas. He was the first in his family to attend college and graduated from Mississippi State University in 1962 with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. He was a registered professional engineer in Texas and Louisiana and worked as a city engineer with the Fort Worth Department of Public Works before joining Cart- er & Burgess, then a 40-person civil engineering and landscape architecture firm, in 1969. Allen worked at Carter & Burgess for more than 30 years; he was made a principal in 1973, firm president in 1988, and chairman of its board in 1998. During his ten- ure, he led the company to unprecedented growth, with “2,000 by the year 2000” as his vision and rallying cry. The firm exceeded that goal, transitioning from an organization with less than 200 employees and $17 million in revenue in 1989 to one with 2,400 employees and $381 million in revenue in 2002. “Burgess & Carter not only achieved its goal of 2,000, but blew way past it,” Zweig says. Though he was physically active all of his life, Allen was diagnosed with colon can- cer at age 62. He faced the terminal disease with the same courage with which he approached life, and his spirit lives on in his wife, Paula; son, John; and everyone with whom he had contact. “We came up with this award to celebrate Jerry’s life and to keep his name alive; to remind everyone of his achievements and how he touched so many lives and creat- ed a fantastic company that provided a living for literally thousands of people and their families,” Zweig says. “He was very inspirational to me and so many others.”

THE ZWEIG LETTER AUGUST 17, 2015, ISSUE 1116

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