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Zweig Group is social and posting every day! C O N N E C T W I T H U S Success begets success Huckabee built on philosophy that design documents should allow for constructability and that architects, contractors, and engineers should work together for clients. S T R U C T U R A L E N G I N E E R I N G facebook.com/ ZweigGroup twitter.com/ ZweigGroup linkedin.com/company / ZweigWhite blog. ZweigGroup.com vimeo.com/ ZweigGroup
By Liisa Andreassen Correspondent
H uckabee (Fort Worth, TX), an 80-person architecture, engineering and management firm, reports that it exists to provide committed, motivated profession- als with integrity the opportunity to have an impact of excellence on the communities they serve through consistent delivery of innovation, quality, and value. FORESIGHT TO DELIVER. Tommie Huckabee, father of CEO Chris Huckabee, started the firm in West Texas in 1967. At the time, Tommie was working as a general contractor for his dad and had grown tired of seeing poor design documents in the field. He became an ar- chitect and built his company on the philosophy that construction documents should be designed with constructability in mind and that contractors, archi- tects, and engineers should work closely together – ultimately benefiting the client. This philosophy is still at the heart of what the firm does today and is also why it provides in-house struc- tural engineering alongside architectural services. “If our employees are happy, see the value they each provide and believe in our mission, we deliver a better product to our clients and make a greater impact on our communities.” Jennifer Brown, chief marketing officer, says that Huckabee invests in its employees – not just in the traditional sense, but through the creation of employ- ee programs, committees, and engagement opportu- nities that build camaraderie and make Huckabee a fun place to work. “Our firm is committed to creating a collaborative work environment and finding ways for employees to interact above and beyond their day-to-day roles,” she says. Huckabee is also dedicated to educational design, something that touches all of its staff. With 100 per- cent of its clients in public education, employees truly
feel they are making a difference for the teachers, stu- dents, and communities in their state. “Our shared investment in impacting communities brings employees together and has helped build a cul- ture of innovation and excellence,” Brown says. TRIPLE-PLAY ACTION. Kim Hopper, HR director, says that, from an HR perspective, winning this award has several advantages: ❚ ❚ It brings a level of prestige and highlights the firm’s reputation. ❚ ❚ It attracts potential employees who are looking at awards and company rankings to determine who will prosper in the future. ❚ ❚ It can improve employee morale. When employees are proud of their company’s achievements, they will spread the word to potential new hires about the firm’s excellence. This, in turn, will continue to help the firm attract the best people in the business. “Huckabee is the employer everybody wants to have. We have the privilege of working with the brightest professionals in the industry. Leadership truly cares about their employees’ and families’ wellbeing. And, we have Nerf wars, a corporate barista, and the cool- est working environment in the business,” says Eric Ramirez, structural REVIT drafter. IT’S ALL CONNECTED. Brown says that they want to
See HUCKABEE , page 8
THE COMPLETE LIST OF ZWEIG GROUP’S 2015 BEST FIRMS TO WORK FOR
© Copyright 2015. Zweig Group. All rights reserved. © Copyright 2015. Zweig Group. All rights reserved. ENVIRONMENTAL 1. EHS Support 2. Comprehensive Environmental 3. BrightFields 4. P.W. Grosser Consulting
45. MSA Professional Services 46. ESI Consultants 47. Pennoni 48. Sam Schwartz Engineering 49. The Thrasher Group
50. McCormick Taylor 51. HGA 52. HFA 53. Trigon Associates 54. LNV
40. Braun Intertec Corporation 41. R.E. Warner & Associates 42. Wantman Group 43. Crafton Tull 44. BCC Engineering
ULY 27, 2015, ISSUE 1113
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