TZL 1588 (web)

June 2, 2025, Issue 1588 WWW.ZWEIGGROUP.COM

TRENDLINES

Barriers to hiring

Our geographic location Lack of time Competitive firms High salary demands Lack of qualified candidates

Recruiting is tough, but AEC firms that master the basics gain a serious competitive advantage. Back to basics

2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5

L et’s break down recruiting in the architecture and engineering industry back to some basics. We know that as a design and service industry, we are in the business of selling our firm’s talent. It’s a people business through and through – which means nothing matters more than the skills of the people we hire, at all levels. So how is it that so many firms overlook the fundamentals of recruiting? It’s because recruiting is difficult, unpredictable, and requires constant attention. Recruiting is also time-consuming, which can make it feel like a distraction from design, production, and client service. But I promise – if you pay attention to these four basic elements, your firm’s recruitment game will improve markedly: 1. Leadership sets the tone. Recruiting starts at the top. Your CEO should be a passionate advocate, talking about recruiting regularly and emphasizing that it’s a top, if not the top, firm value. Leaders should teach that recruiting is a shared responsibility across the entire team, from senior leadership to entry-level staff. This consistent emphasis from the top creates a culture where everyone understands that attracting and retaining great people is a strategic imperative for your firm’s growth and success. By framing recruitment as a strategic priority, leadership empowers every employee to help shape the future of the firm. That’s impactful! 2. First stop, employee networks. The most immediate and warm connections your firm has to talented professionals are through your existing staff. Of course they know other talented people in the industry! If you aren’t pushing heavily on this resource, you are making a big mistake. Start by implementing a system that offers incentives, such as significant hiring bonuses, to incentivize your staff to constantly be recruiting. Offer an amount that will get noticed and inspire action. We have clients who are paying $5,000-$10,00 in bonuses to staff who introduce people who get hired! I have one client with a guy who makes almost $20,000- $30,000 extra every year because he’s constantly introducing good people who get hired by his firm! And they’re not just people he knows; they’re people he meets at conferences and industry events who he intentionally keeps in touch with and pursues.

FIRM INDEX Cedarville Engineering Group ..........9 CHA....................................................................... 2 Croy.......................................................................8 HLB Lighting Design................................6 MORE ARTICLES n KAREN POIST & BRAD WILSON: The hidden risk in ownership transitions Page 3 n MARK ZWEIG: Accomplishing your business plan Page 5 n ADAM LANGLEY: Make your hours count Page 7 n Shaping the future: April Barkasi Page 9 Zweig Group’s 2025 Policies, Procedures & Benefits Report shows that AEC firms see the lack of qualified candidates as the biggest hiring challenge, with an average difficulty rating of 4.3 out of 5. High salary demands (3.7) and competition from other firms (3.3) also contribute, while geographic location and lack of time are considered less significant barriers at 2.5 each. Participate in a survey and save on a Zweig Group research publication.

Chris Catton

See CHRIS CATTON, page 2

THE VOICE OF REASON FOR THE AEC INDUSTRY

ON THE MOVE RAMON BORGES JOINS CHA AS KEY ACCOUNT MANAGER FOR FLORIDA CHA has announced Ramon Borges, PE, joined the firm as vice president, key account manager. Borges will be expanding CHA’s portfolio of transportation projects throughout the state of Florida focusing on highway, bridge, ITS, and tolling. Borges joins CHA with more than three decades of expertise in program management, transportation infrastructure design, and construction management of major capital projects. His diverse experience includes procurement support, contract negotiation and administration, Intelligent Transportation Systems, strategic planning, tolling and roadway lighting engineering services for some of the largest transportation

infrastructure projects in Florida. Ramon earned a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from the University of Oriente, Cuba. He is a licensed engineer in Florida and also attended the International Bridge, Tunnel, and Turnpike Association Leadership Academy in 2013. CHA is an innovative, full-service engineering, design, consulting, and program/construction management firm providing a wide range of technology- enhanced services to public, private, and institutional clients. The firm is focused on delivering sustainable, integrated solutions to the world’s most challenging infrastructure projects across utilities, transportation, water, and other critical commercial and industrial end-markets.

CHRIS CATTON , from page 1

3. Recruiting is marketing. Have you heard this before? Just like your firm is aiming to attract clients, you should be doing the same to attract the best professionals. As you gather names of potential hires from your hard-working staff, diligently include them in your firm’s systematized marketing and outreach via direct email, social media posts, etc. Send them individualized and targeted information. Woo them! Smart people are always thinking about building their careers and making good decisions to move forward. If you keep these people aware of your brand and growth, you can be ready when they decide to make a change. 4. Be decisive. One of the most common mistakes we see is firms requiring either a large committee decision for hiring or a protracted interview process with too many meetings. If your staff know your firms’ culture and mission, making hiring decisions should not be difficult. People who are talented and good at their jobs know it and are aware they have choices. If you’re not able to be decisive in hiring them, they’ll find a better place to go. Streamline decision-making and be ready to move quickly when the right candidate comes along. Recruiting doesn’t have to be overly complex – but it does have to be intentional. In an industry where people are your greatest asset, building a strong, consistent, and proactive recruitment strategy is essential to long-term success. By reinforcing recruiting as a cultural value, activating employee networks, treating recruiting like marketing, and making swift, confident hiring decisions, your firm can create a competitive edge in today’s talent-driven market. The basics work – if you commit to them. And if your firm needs support developing or executing your strategy, Zweig Group’s executive search team can help. Our consultants specialize in finding top-tier talent for AEC firms – because we know that great people build great businesses. Learn about our executive search consulting services here. Chris Catton is manager of Talent consulting services at Zweig Group. Contact her at ccatton@zweiggroup.com.

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Chad Clinehens | Publisher cclinehens@zweiggroup.com Sara Parkman | Senior Editor & Designer sparkman@zweiggroup.com Tel: 800.466.6275 Email: info@zweiggroup.com Online: zweiggroup.com/blogs/news LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/22522 Instagram: instagram.com/zweiggroup Twitter: twitter.com/ZweigGroup Facebook: facebook.com/p/Zweig- Group-100064113750086 Published continuously since 1992 by Zweig Group, Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA. ISSN 1068-1310. Issued weekly (48 issues/year). © Copyright 2025, Zweig Group. All rights reserved.

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THE ZWEIG LETTER JUNE 2, 2025, ISSUE 1588

OPINION

Proactively address this blind spot early in the process to ensure your firm remains fully compliant, operational, and set for long-term success. The hidden risk in ownership transitions

A s architecture and engineering firms navigate mergers, acquisitions, and internal succession plans, one critical compliance risk is often left behind: state firm professional licensing . You may successfully transition ownership, only to discover after that your firm no longer meets the requirements to legally operate as an architecture or engineering firm in a state.

Karen Poist, CPA

THE COMPLIANCE RISK YOU DIDN’T PLAN FOR. When your firm undergoes an ownership transition, whether through an M&A deal, employee stock ownership plan, or other internal succession, the ownership structure may change in a way that disqualifies the firm from maintaining its firm professional license in one or more states. By the time you realize it, the consequences can be costly, ranging from delayed projects to penalties and reputational harm or even offers of ownership to key employees that might need to be rescinded. Every state has its own professional licensing requirements for architects and engineers. These typically include:

Ownership/officer requirements

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■ Qualified Licensed Professional in Responsible Charge These requirements are legal prerequisites to provide design services in a state, and without compliance, a firm can subsequently be prohibited from providing these services. Licensing issues often go unnoticed during ownership planning. Unlike tax implications or deal structures, firm licensing is frequently overlooked. Firm licensing should not be treated as a box to check. It’s a strategic asset that protects your firm’s ability to operate, bid on projects, and maintain credibility.

Brad Wilson, CMA, MBA

See KAREN POIST & BRAD WILSON, page 4

Entity structure requirements

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THE ZWEIG LETTER JUNE 2, 2025, ISSUE 1588

licensing early in the process to ensure your firm remains fully compliant, operational, and set for long-term success. Ensure your ownership transition advisory team includes professionals who understand both the corporate and regulatory implications of ownership changes. Don’t rely solely on transaction advisors or your corporate lawyer to navigate this minefield of regulations – consult those familiar with architecture and engineering firm professional licensing. NEXT STEPS. Don’t let firm licensing be the weak link in your ownership transition strategy. Ensuring compliance isn’t just a legal necessity; it’s a business imperative that safeguards your firm’s ability to grow, operate across state lines, and preserve client trust. Join Stambaugh Ness for our upcoming webinar, AE Ownership Transition & Professional Licensing Challenges , where we’ll break down state licensing requirements and share proactive strategies to help you navigate leadership and ownership changes without putting your licensure or your business at risk. Karen Poist, CPA, is managing director of State Advisory at Stambaugh Ness. Connect with her on LinkedIn. Brad Wilson, CMA, MBA, is director of Strategic Growth Advisory at Stambaugh Ness. Connect with him on LinkedIn.

KAREN POIST & BRAD WILSON , from page 3

HOW OWNERSHIP TRANSITIONS CAN DISRUPT FIRM LICENSING. As ownership transitions become more common, whether due to retirements, increased M&A activity, employee-led buyouts, or expansion of the firm, it’s important that firm leaders integrate licensing compliance into every stage of the transition process. The popularity of ESOPs in the AEC industry has soared for many reasons. Still, ESOPs bring with them unique challenges regarding licensure that could impact the structure of the ESOP or even the decision to become an ESOP firm. “Don’t let firm licensing be the weak link in your strategy. Ensuring compliance isn’t just a legal necessity; it’s a business imperative that safeguards your firm’s ability to grow, operate across state lines, and preserve client trust.” Ownership transitions are turning points in a firm’s growth story. They must be handled with more than financial and legal accuracy – they require regulatory awareness. Don’t wait for a state board to flag the problem. Proactively address

THE ZWEIG LETTER JUNE 2, 2025, ISSUE 1588

FROM THE FOUNDER

Accomplishing your business plan

A lot of people in the AEC business – truth be told – think that business planning is just another meaningless “academic” exercise that really isn’t worth doing. As a result, they treat the whole process as such, and it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. A business plan only works if leadership builds accountability, relationships, and follow-through into daily operations and culture.

Outside of the AEC business, the majority of wannabe business owners see the business plan merely as a vehicle to raise startup capital, and once that goal has been accomplished, pay little attention to it or the process of maintaining it. The truth is that the business plan should guide daily operation of the business. It’s an articulation of the firm’s reason for existence, what it is trying to accomplish or become, and what the creators’ basic philosophy is about and how they will approach everything they do. It is also a means of establishing goals and action items that will provide individual accountability for their accomplishment. That’s a tall order, but a good plan along with management that uses it will do all of those things. I used to think (not long ago) that making all information about individual and group performance

public inside the company would in itself guide accountability through establishment of the right corporate culture. But I have now come to realize that in itself is not enough. As my friend Matt Lewis, general manager of the large privately-held Lewis Automotive Group based here in Fayetteville likes to say, “Don’t forget ‘management’ has the word ‘manage’ in it.” In other words, managers do need to hold the people who work for them to account to do what they say they will. That “holding people to account” is rarely fun. It is an art but also a discipline. Some people do it well and some don’t. Some managers try to use threats and fear to do it. While that may have worked in 1900, it rarely works today in a labor market where demand for quality workers generally exceeds supply. I find

Mark Zweig

See MARK ZWEIG , page 6

THE ZWEIG LETTER JUNE 2, 2025, ISSUE 1588

ON THE MOVE HLB LIGHTING DESIGN STRENGTHENS LEADERSHIP TEAM WITH KEY PROMOTIONS FOR GROWTH AND INNOVATION HLB Lighting Design has announced the promotion of several key members of its leadership team, each of whom has played a vital role in the firm’s continued growth and innovation in architectural lighting design. These appointments reflect the individuals’ dedication to excellence and their ability to inspire and lead others within the firm. The following team members have been promoted: Lee Brandt to senior principal, Simi Burg to principal, Joanna Billy to director, and Clifton Manahan, Erik Stroemberg, Hadar Bendriem, Julie Donovan, and Michelle Tessier to associate director. As part of the leadership team, directors and principals play a critical role in shaping HLB’s strategic direction. Their leadership ensures the firm’s continued commitment to pushing the boundaries of design excellence and fostering a culture of innovation across the firm. Lee Brandt, senior principal, is known for her commitment to mentorship, team development, and innovative collaboration within the firm. Reflecting on her journey at HLB Lighting Design, Brandt shares, “I owe my professional growth to the mentorship and support I received at HLB, and I’m passionate about paying that forward. I’m focused

on continuing to foster a collaborative environment where our team members can thrive and grow. In the coming year, I’m excited to support our team as we take on new projects, explore opportunities, and recruit top talent to further elevate our work.” Simi Burg, principal, is deeply committed to mentoring the team and inspiring both internal and external collaborators to push the boundaries of design. Burg reflects, “I find immense joy in mentoring the team and guiding both designers and clients on a journey to explore the most transformative visual experiences. Business development is one of my greatest passions, and I’m always looking for ways to build lasting relationships with clients and industry partners.” Looking ahead, Burg is focused on several key goals, saying, “This year, I’m excited to open up opportunities for HLB in new geographic markets and market sectors, and continuing to collaborate with globally renowned clients.” Joanna Billy has been promoted to director, recognizing her outstanding leadership in managing the firm’s financial operations. As controller, Billy has been instrumental in ensuring the financial health and stability of the firm. “I’m honored to step into this new role and continue supporting the firm’s growth and success,” Billy said. “It’s exciting to be part

of a team that is dedicated to excellence in every aspect of our business.” Clifton Manahan, Erik Stroemberg, Hadar Bendriem, Julie Donovan, and Michelle Tessier have all been promoted to associate director, reflecting their individual contributions to the firm and their commitment to maintaining the highest standards of excellence in lighting design. Each has demonstrated outstanding leadership in their respective roles, whether in design, project management, or client relations. Founded in 1968, HLB Lighting Design is the largest women-owned, independent architectural lighting design firm in the world. The firm specializes in creating compelling holistic lighting experiences that redefine the way people interact with the built environment. HLB’s longstanding legacy of excellence, combined with its multiple boutique studios, gives the firm the ability to deliver the most transformative client experience in the industry. With an international roster of more than 100 employees and streamlined virtual capabilities, HLB is uniquely positioned to collaborate with clients of every scale worldwide. The firm operates on the cutting edge of lighting technology, constantly expanding and refining its services to meet the evolving needs of the industry.

having these kinds of solid relationships has to be seen as a precedent for accountability, and accountability has to be seen as a precedent for accomplishing what is in the business plan. Of course, all of this is facilitated by first having all employees participate in the creation of the plan, by sharing the plan openly with all employees, and by periodically revisiting the plan publicly to track performance toward goals and checking of items on the “to-do” lists. On top of it, the firm does need to have a means of truly rewarding those who accomplish their goals, and either reforming or removing those team members who consistently demonstrate they cannot or will not do what they need to do. Business plans are important. Management is a real job. You are responsible for the success of the enterprise, for your investors’ or lenders’ money, and for the prosperity of all the families who depend on the income of their family members who work for you. No one said it’s going to be easy or always be fun, but if it was, everyone would be doing it! Mark Zweig is Zweig Group’s chairman and founder. Contact him at mzweig@zweiggroup.com.

MARK ZWEIG, from page 5

that some combination of relentless checking (some might say “needling”), combined with expressing disappointment in individuals who fail and celebrating and publicizing the accomplishments of those who succeed generally works best. “The business plan should guide daily operation of the business. It’s an articulation of the firm’s reason for existence, what it is trying to accomplish or become, and what the creators’ basic philosophy is about how they will approach everything they do.” For this to work, however, employees must feel that their managers actually care about them as individuals. That requires a significant time investment from managers in really getting to know their people and to form real relationships with them that are not just transactional in nature. Therefore,

THE ZWEIG LETTER JUNE 2, 2025, ISSUE 1588

OPINION

Make your hours count

Time is a finite resource, but by effectively managing it, you’ll contribute to your individual success and the long-term prosperity of your firm.

W hen you think of billable professions, you might think of doctors, lawyers, or accountants – but what about engineers? Yes, many times, engineers bill by the hour, too. The success of both your professional development, and the engineering firm you work for, isn’t just about technical work; it’s also about contributing to making sure the business is healthy. Specifically, managing your billable hours and tracking time.

Adam Langley

Engineering goes far beyond design for projects. What we’re really creating – and contributing to our clients – is hours. Embracing this mindset, from day one to retirement, is crucial for setting both you and your firm up for success. Let’s take a deeper dive into what this means for you, your team, your clients, and your firm. UNDERSTANDING BILLABLE HOURS AND MEASURING METRICS. I like to tell young engineers to think of your firm as an assembly line. The track starts to run, and everyone must be ready to do their part. If one person on the line takes too long, rushes their process, or drops the ball, the entire operation won’t move efficiently – and may end up costing your firm. Plus, if you don’t spend your hours wisely, the trust you’ve built with your team and with your client could start to be questioned. So how do you avoid things getting off track? Begin by managing your time effectively. This includes knowing how many hours you can bill to a specific task given

the budget and schedule – and sticking to it. It also means consistently communicating with the project manager, department head, and other team members to make sure schedule or scope hasn’t changed to avoid unnecessary work. Another critical component is to make the most of your hours in each day, coupling your time management efforts with tracking your utilization goal. But what is utilization? Utilization refers to the percentage of time spent on billable tasks compared to non-billable tasks. For example, if you work 40 hours a week, and only 30 of those hours go toward billable work, your utilization rate is 75 percent. Balancing your billable time (on projects) with your non-billable time (business development, professional development, and/or administrative duties), is critical and depends on your role in the company. Being

See ADAM LANGLEY , page 7

THE ZWEIG LETTER JUNE 2, 2025, ISSUE 1588

your process for the next project. Invoicing also creates an opportunity to communicate directly with the client about the status of the project and the upcoming phases needed for completion. Communication is key and effective, direct communication will ensure a smoother project delivery. WORKING AS A TEAM. While you may manage, track, and report your own time, you also need to understand how indirect time impacts the greater good of your firm through unbillable efforts. A few examples common to most firms include: 1. Project accounting. Project accountants monitor team members’ time and ensure that billable hours get properly recorded. They set up projects based on contracts, define billing rates, and assist project managers with accurate, timely invoicing. By working closely with project teams, project accountants are a critical part of capturing and billing hours. 2. Information technology. A key function of IT in a firm is to keep you operating at your maximum efficiency including management of your firm’s time-tracking systems to ensure that they are user-friendly, secure, and accessible. A reliable time-tracking system helps engineers record hours quickly and accurately, reducing errors and improving efficiency. They are much more than the folks you call when you can’t open a file! 3. Marketing. The final piece to the project puzzle is the marketing team. It’s their job to position the company so that it attracts new business and brings in those projects. They’re often tasked with creating the proposals and qualifications packages sent to clients to help win work. Ensuring that your budgeted time allows for effective communication and collaboration with the marketing team secures your project wins, and in turn, keeps projects flowing into the business. There are many more key players who contribute to engineering firms, such as corporate accountants, legal representatives, and human resources, but what is important is that you understand the value of their time. When you understand their roles, you can gain a better understanding of how their hours fit into the pie and help drive efficiencies for the engineering technical staff. WHY BILLABLE HOURS AND TIME MANAGEMENT MATTER. Time management and billable hours directly influence the health of an engineering firm. Accurate billing practices build trust with clients, who expect transparency and fairness. The more you effectively manage your time, the more reliable you become – to both these clients and your firm’s leadership team. In the business of engineering, the most valuable product we offer clients is our time. By optimizing your billable hours, accurately tracking time, and monitoring project budgets, you can contribute to the financial health of your firm. Time is a finite resource, but by effectively managing it, you’ll contribute to your individual success and the long-term prosperity of your firm. Adam Langley is the chief financial officer and an owner at Croy, a more than 100-person full-service engineering firm with offices in Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee. He can be reached at alangley@croyeng.com.

ADAM LANGLEY, from page 7

highly utilized with quality hours is the basis for a thriving project, department, and, ultimately, firm. THE LIFE CYCLE OF A PROJECT AND ITS IMPACT ON BILLABLE HOURS. To understand how time management and billable hours fit into the broader picture, it’s essential to understand the lifecycle of a project. A well-managed project requires methodical planning, structured execution, and constant attention to timelines and budgets. Let’s look at how a project runs, beginning to end: 1. Client development and contracting. First, we always encourage our team members to develop strong, lasting relationships with clients which in turn create continuing opportunities. Typically, you’ll receive a formal solicitation in the form of a request for proposals or qualifications. If you’re familiar with the client, you can tailor your response to their unique needs, making you stand out from competitors. Ideally, you’ve known this project was on the horizon and have already established a team, talked with the client on priorities, and are ready to hit the ground running. Once you receive the official “win” notice, you can lay the groundwork for how time and work will get contracted and billed. Familiarity with the client helps provide clear communication of the scope, timeline, and budget and helps prevent misunderstandings. Even if this is a brand- new client, the time and effort you put into familiarizing yourself with them shows your investment in achieving the project goal. 2. Scope, timeline, and budget. Once you understand your project scope, the client, and their expectations, you can budget out your time with accuracy. If this understanding isn’t complete, it’s unclear how to estimate the time for each task and allocate resources accordingly. Without this clarity, your team’s capabilities become strained as they don’t have a clear path to project completion. 3. Change orders and scope creep. Once you have your plan in place, watch out for change orders and scope creep. Sometimes, additional requests and unforeseen challenges pop-up during the project execution phase that require you to re-budget your time. When you budget your time out early in the project process, you can easily navigate through these changes, finding areas where time can be reallocated or trimmed. If this isn’t possible, your team is able to confidently approach the client with a revised scope, timeline, or fee. 4. Project delivery and invoicing. As the project nears completion, review the time you spent on each task and ensure that all hours are billed accurately and appropriately for the type of project. For example, if the project is going to be billed as a “Time and Expense,” each task should be spent and billed as the hours are accrued. Timely invoicing at this stage is also critical because it ensures your firm receives compensation for completed work without any delays. Providing the final deliverable to your client also involves confirming that all tasks have been completed to satisfaction and that it meets their expectations. In this review, you can quickly identify areas of your time management that are effective, strengthening

THE ZWEIG LETTER JUNE 2, 2025, ISSUE 1588

PROFILE

Shaping the future: April Barkasi President and CEO of Cedarville Engineering Group (Pottstown, PA), a civil and environmental design-build firm that delivers value through innovation.

By LIISA ANDREASSEN Correspondent

C edarville Engineering Group is a federally-certified 8(a), woman-owned small business and DBE/WBE certified engineering technology company. April Barkasi, its president and CEO, is also the founder and a civil engineer at the firm. THE CROSSROADS OF TECHNOLOGY AND INFRASTRUCTURE. “I have a passion for improving people’s quality of life through technology and infrastructure,” she says. “It’s just what civil engineers do.” Barkasi has a heightened interest in harmoniously using technology in CEG’s infrastructure projects and says that they are not afraid to try new things in order to use the right tools for the job. In fact, the company has been recognized as an industry leader in 3D modeling and digital twin technology. In 2016, Barkasi was the recipient of the Engineering News Record Newsmaker Award for her use of innovative technology for redevelopment of contaminated public lands; and in 2021, she received the Villanova University Professional Achievement for her contributions to technology and entrepreneurship.

“When it comes to the future of the industry, I’m most excited about the technology that’s becoming available,” Barkasi says. CEG is currently exploring two AI proposal writing tools, but has not made a decision as of yet. One was created by the Department of Defense for its procurement office and the other is more generic in nature, but powerful nonetheless. Recent projects that used 3D modeling tech include creating a 3D model of Fenway Park where it worked with Aerial Genomics to collect data; and taking a photogrammetric survey by an unmanned aerial system (UAS) to capture photographs for a client that provided an existing conditions model to illustrate manholes, building outlines, curbs, and roadways, helping to identify current infrastructure conditions. Contours were also shown on the model for a better understanding of the terrain. MEETING GROWTH DEMANDS. In addition to being excited by tech, Barkasi is also motivated to grow the firm and it seems to

See SHAPING THE FUTURE , page 10

THE ZWEIG LETTER JUNE 2, 2025, ISSUE 1588

HEADQUARTERS: Pottstown, PA NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 65 YEAR FOUNDED: 2005 OFFICE LOCATIONS:

Pottstown, PA

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Pensacola, FL

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The Cedarville Engineering Group team at the firm’s headquarters in Pottstown, Pennsylvania.

MARKETS:

Local, state, and federal government

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have an all-hands-on-DISC training once a year to learn about different communication and behavioral styles. “It’s so interesting to see the skeptics of this type of training have that ‘aha’ moment,” she says. “Once they realize that they can use this knowledge in their professional and personal lives, they get it and appreciate it even more.” As a 2024 winner of Zweig Group’s Best Firm to Work For Award, Barkasi says CEG decided to pursue the application for the award designation to get staff feedback. “Our mission is to be a great place for great people to work,” she says. “The feedback we received from staff during this application process was very helpful. We learned that more junior staff were interested in stronger career path opportunities and more flexible options for time off. We’ve addressed those issues and will continue to pursue this designation in the future to drive the firm forward.” As part of being a great place to work, Barkasi says that she ensures leaders don’t have too many people to manage. Teams are made up anywhere from five to eight people – no more. “It’s important that managers not just manage, but lead. I want them to have time to be mentors and coaches too,” she says. “They also work to set professional growth opportunities and have collaborative goal setting between them and their team members. From infrastructure and technology to sustainability and problem-solving, engineers shape our future in countless ways.”

SHAPING THE FUTURE, from page 9

be happening quickly. CEG’s clients are local, state, and federal government agencies as well as commercial, industrial companies, and educational institutions throughout the country. To meet growth demands they recently brought both IT and HR in-house. They’ve also made some key hires and says they have some real “professional horsepower now.” “With uncertainty in some other sectors we were in a good position to recruit top people,” she says. “We’re a small business, but we’re growing fast. I’m confident that infrastructure work will continue to be strong.” She admits that with that growth does come some challenges, but she and her team are facing them head on. “Strategic hires can put a strain on cash flow for a smaller firm, but it will pay off in the end,” she says. As she’s grown the firm she’s learned some lessons along the way – one of the most important being, “when a wrong fit is in the wrong seat, don’t wait to make a move.” “We’ve been through a lot during our 15 years in business,” she says. “But as long as you learn from those mistakes, it’s OK. Years back, I hesitated to let someone go who was in a key role because I was concerned about reallocating staff. It ended up having a detrimental effect on the whole group. We lost clients and staff. We learned that lesson the hard way and it won’t happen again.” That’s one of the reasons why CEG puts a real focus on training and communication. They

Commercial

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Industrial

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Educational

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SERVICES:

Aerial inspections and mapping

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Construction

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Construction management

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Engineering

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Environmental consulting Facilities management

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Geospatial and GIS

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Grant services

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Municipal engineering

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Stormwater management and MS4

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Surveying

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Water and wastewater

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THE ZWEIG LETTER JUNE 2, 2025, ISSUE 1588

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