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BUSINESS NEWS FEHR GRAHAM NAMED ZWEIG GROUP HOT FIRM FOR THIRD CONSECUTIVE YEAR Fehr Graham, a leading Midwest engineering and environmental firm, secured the No. 83 spot on Zweig Group’s Hot Firm List, making its third consecutive year on the roster. Ranking No. 54 in 2023 and No. 74 in 2022, Fehr Graham continues to establish itself as one of the top-growing firms. This year marks the ninth time Fehr Graham has earned a place on the list, showing the firm’s ongoing commitment to growth and excellence. “We are thrilled to once again be recognized by Zweig Group,” said Fehr Graham President Mick Gronewold. “This honor is a testament to the hard work of our dedicated team and the trust our clients place in us. Together, they drive our growth and allow us to innovate and excel.”
Zweig is a business management group that annually honors the 100 fastest- growing firms in the AEC industry. Rankings are determined by revenue growth by percentage and dollars over three years. Eligibility for the 2024 Hot Firm List requires at least 50 percent of the firm’s revenue in 2020 and 2023 to be derived from the AEC industry, firms to generate at least $500,000 in gross revenue and to have achieved at least $1 million in gross service revenue by 2023. Firms must have been established on or before December 31, 2018. “The 2024 Hot Firms have outperformed the economy and their competitors and are leading the AEC industry,” Zweig Group CEO Chad Clinehens said in a news release. “Their commitment to a strong culture, innovative marketing and adaptability to change help set them apart as successful, growth-focused firms.”
Winners will be recognized at Zweig Group’s 2024 ElevateAEC Conference & Awards Gala September 18-19 in Tampa Bay, Florida. Fehr Graham designs projects ranging from water and wastewater treatment plants to roads, bridges and highways. The team also designs stormwater solutions, sanitary sewer systems, water distribution and treatment facilities, wells, pumps and lift stations, parking lots, parks and more. Fehr Graham is a premier provider of engineering, environmental and funding solutions for commercial, industrial, institutional and government clients with Midwest office locations in Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin. Fehr Graham is an Engineering News-Record Top 500 Design Firm and Midwest Top Design Firm.
when someone has had their ego bruised or doesn’t know the company’s long-term plans for them. The CEO is probably the best person in the company to involve in these situations. He or she will be best equipped to sell the opportunity and give assurances to solve whatever problems or roadblocks the employee thinks are insurmountable and are making them want to leave. ■ Getting other firms to want to sell or merge with the firm. The CEO is always going to be the best person to involve when trying to interest another company in selling to or merging with your firm. Don’t wait too long to involve them and you may find your efforts to get other firms to join you are more successful. ■ Educating people in the business aspects of the business. The CEO is likely to be the person who best understands the full financial situation of the firm and can probably explain that effectively to the other people in the company who don’t have the same business experience they have. So use them! Involving them in training the other people to better understand critical financial metrics and how to impact them could be pivotal to the firm’s success. And selling everyone in the company on the business plan and how the firm’s success could impact their individual success is a really important job and something worth the CEO’s time and attention. So maybe I have nothing profound to offer here for some of our readers whose CEOs or managing partners are doing all of these things. But my guess is most of your top people are not doing all of them. Fully employ your top people in each of these roles described above and my guess is you will see positive results from it! Mark Zweig is Zweig Group’s chairman and founder. Contact him at mzweig@zweiggroup.com.
MARK ZWEIG, from page 5
level down is afraid to do so. They feel it is their job to deal with these things and think they have failed when they drag in the top person in the firm to help out on a project. But maybe it’s just the smart thing to do. Egos can be harmful to your success. People need to know that the top person is there to help versus judge them. ■ Solving problems with a client. The client may be slow to pay. The client may be changing roles of people inside their organization and it’s causing problems. Sometimes the CEO has relationships with the higher-ups inside client organizations that can be used to make the client aware of issues inside their own organizations that are affecting their success and the CEO can tactfully bring attention to these problems when necessary. Use them. ■ Bringing a past client back to the firm. A past client may be the easiest path to new work. And sometimes these old relationships suffered when the firm had problems on a project or changed people who were dealing with that client that hurt the relationship. The CEO may be best able to confront these issues and bring that old client back into the fold. Employ them here! ■ Recruiting new employees. A quick visit or even call from the CEO to a job candidate the firm is highly interested in could be all it takes to get that person to accept a job offer that is already made or is coming. That level of interest is rare and may make the job candidate feel more comfortable accepting an offer if they know they are known to the top person in the company. ■ Turning around a key employee who is quitting. I’m not big on making counteroffers to those who turn their notice in but there are times it makes sense. Especially
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THE ZWEIG LETTER AUGUST 5, 2024, ISSUE 1548
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