TZL 1554 (web)

September 23, 2024, Issue 1554 WWW.ZWEIGGROUP.COM

TRENDLINES

Hiring time

Less than one month One to two months Three to four months Five or more months

Zweig Group’s Marketing Excellence Awards showcase top creative campaigns that elevate AEC industry branding. Celebrating innovation

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FIRM INDEX AECOM............................................................... 2 Corgan................................................................8 MG2.......................................................................9 Suffolk .................................................................6 Wallace Design Collective, PC.........4 MORE ARTICLES n BRAD THURMAN: Lessons from the emergency room Page 3 n MARK ZWEIG: More marketing involvement Page 5 n ERIC LANNEN: Four benefits of summer internships Page 7 n Energized growth: Russ Hazzard Page 9 Zweig Group’s 2024 Recruitment & Retention Report shows that filling the most difficult positions is a lengthy process for AEC firms, with 66 percent reporting it takes five or more months. Only 9 percent can fill these roles within one to two months, while 25 percent need three to four months, highlighting the challenges firms face in recruiting top talent. Participate in a survey and save 50 percent on the final or pre- publication price of any Zweig Group research publication.

E ach year, Zweig Group’s Marketing Excellence Awards shine a spotlight on the most creative, effective, and impactful marketing campaigns in the architecture, engineering, and construction industry. The 2024 edition is no exception, with firms of all sizes demonstrating the power of innovative marketing to drive growth, foster brand recognition, and engage audiences. Zweig Group’s data highlights the clear link between marketing investment and firm success. Firms that invest marketing, such as Marketing Excellence Award winners, experience significantly higher growth rates (56 percent) compared to the industry average of 25 percent. Additionally, 71 percent of these award-winning firms report high or very high profits, surpassing the industry average of 59 percent, demonstrating that marketing investment drives both growth and profitability. The Marketing Excellence Awards recognize outstanding achievements across 15 categories. From compelling brand overhauls to strategic digital campaigns, the winners of this prestigious award have raised the bar for marketing in the AEC industry. These standout firms have proven that creativity and strategy are key to successful brand communication, positioning their businesses for continued success in an increasingly competitive marketplace. This year, we received an impressive number of submissions from across the industry, showcasing the diverse talents and strategies firms are employing to elevate their brands. Each entry was carefully evaluated by a panel of expert judges who scored the submissions based on creativity, effectiveness, and alignment with business objectives. The result is a lineup of award-winning campaigns that have set a new standard for marketing excellence. INTRODUCING THE PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD WINNER. As part of our commitment to celebrating industry achievements, Zweig Group is excited to announce the winner of the 2024 People’s Choice Award. This year, we invited the AEC community to vote for their favorite campaign among the top 2024 Marketing Excellence Award winners. Voting closed last week, and McAdams’ “Experience McAdams” campaign, which won first place in the Website category, was selected as the People’s Choice Award recipient. McAdams was honored for their achievement at the 2024 ElevateAEC Awards Gala last week.

Mailena Urso

See MAILENA URSO, page 2

THE VOICE OF REASON FOR THE AEC INDUSTRY

BUSINESS NEWS AECOM JOINT VENTURE APPOINTED BY UNITYWATER AS PROFESSIONAL SERVICES PARTNER AECOM, the world’s trusted infrastructure consulting firm, announced that Unitywater has appointed AECOM, in a joint venture with Aurecon, as Professional Services Partner. Unitywater provides water supply and sewage treatment services to more than 800,000 people daily across the Moreton Bay, Sunshine Coast and Noosa regions of South East Queensland, Australia. “We’re excited to partner with Unitywater in providing safe, reliable water and sewerage services,” said Mark McManamny, chief executive of AECOM’s Australia and New Zealand region. “With the South East Queensland region experiencing significant population growth, our unique combination of global Water and program management capabilities mean our team is ideally positioned to partner with Unitywater to deliver critical infrastructure, advance sustainable practices, and unlock efficiencies at each stage of the program.” As part of the Elevate joint venture, AECOM will support Unitywater’s five-year, $1.8 billion capital works program under the Build Better Together program. The program aims to help meet regional growth and achieve enduring sustainability and net zero goals and has been designed to provide for a long-term, collaborative, and

efficient delivery model. Its scope spans sewage treatment plant upgrades and renewals, network growth and renewals for water distribution, reticulation and sewerage collection, and recycled water schemes. In its role, AECOM will provide professional services across the whole project lifecycle by supporting strategic, long term and detailed planning, and undertaking design, technical assurance, and construction support throughout delivery, operationalization and handover. “This significant engagement with Unitywater builds on our track record of securing large-scale water projects across Queensland and our Australia New Zealand region,” said Beverley Stinson, chief executive of AECOM’s global Water business. “As we advance our commitment to delivering transformative work, we look forward to deploying and deepening our industry-leading technical skills in the water sector, which span the full breadth of our clients’ needs — from conveyance and treatment to reuse and beyond.” Unitywater operates and maintains more than $3.8 billion of essential service infrastructure, supplying water and sewerage services to residential and business customers, including 6290 km of water mains, 103 water reservoirs, and 17 sewage treatment plants.

Interested in learning more

about the projects and ideas driving the AEC industry forward? Learn more with Civil+Structural Engineer Media.

MAILENA URSO, from page 1

The “Experience McAdams” campaign stood out for its innovative approach to user- centered design and its ability to seamlessly bridge the real-world culture of McAdams into the digital space. The website, designed with end-users in mind, serves as a connected hub, offering easy navigation for users to explore projects, services, and career opportunities. SEE ALL THE WINNING 2024 MARKETING EXCELLENCE AWARD CAMPAIGNS. If you’re interested in seeing what the best of the best are doing in AEC marketing, you won’t want to miss the full list of winning campaigns from the 2024 Marketing Excellence Awards. These campaigns represent outstanding creativity, messaging, results, and design, offering insights into how the best firms stand out from the rest with their marketing efforts. Click here to explore the award-winning work and get inspired for your firm’s next big marketing move ! Mailena Urso is chief marketing officer at Zweig Group. Contact her at murso@ zweiggroup.com.

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THE ZWEIG LETTER SEPTEMBER 23, 2024, ISSUE 1554

OPINION

Empathy, clear communication, and attentive listening are crucial in building trust and improving client relationships in the AEC industry. Lessons from the emergency room

A recent tussle with illness (read: stomach bug) left me badly dehydrated with my kidneys freaking out. Everything is great now, but the episode required a couple of nights in the hospital. It was the first time in my 62 years that I’ve had a hospital stay since I spent the night with my mom when I was born. Seriously. Although I’ve been in emergency rooms as both a patient and a family member, I’ve always managed to escape to my own bed.

Brad Thurman, PE, FSMPS, CPSM

My interactions with medical professionals made me think about how we in the AEC industry relate to others as part of our jobs. Both require expertise, both require information, and both have one side of the conversation that doesn’t fully understand what’s going on. My experience made me think about how to have better interactions with our clients: ■ Be kind, be calm. Whether they’re dealing with emergencies or existing conditions, patients are usually nervous or apprehensive. For some, it’s a rare occurrence. Others have been there before, but there’s still a flutter in their stomachs. Every interaction I had with the hospital staff – ER nurses, CT technicians, physicians, etc. – was met with the same calmness and professionalism, which eased my anxiety. It showed me that they

cared about how I was feeling and that they were there to help. As AEC folks, we should do the same with our clients. Let your professionalism and compassion show. Know that not every person understands how to finance a project or build their dream, so it’s your job to help them reach their desired end goal. ■ Ask questions, listen to the answers. It feels like you’re always answering questions during an ER or hospital stay. “What are we seeing you for today?” “What symptoms are you experiencing?” “How long have they been happening?” These

See BRAD THURMAN, page 4

THE ZWEIG LETTER SEPTEMBER 23, 2024, ISSUE 1554

explain their concerns. Once I understood that, it gave me some idea of what was happening. Hoo boy, do we in the AEC space love our technical jargon. We throw around TLAs – three-letter acronyms – like a Shriner tossing candy in a Memorial Day parade. Too often, we think it conveys competence when all it does is fluster our clients. Take the time to explain what you mean. Don’t get all jargon-heavy. Listen to your explanations through your clients’ ears. It will lead to stronger interactions and better relationships. ■ Be empathetic. Everything in life comes with some level of anxiety. Some, like medical issues, come with more than others, like picking out a tile color. Still, the nature of any decision is it’s important to the person making it. Regardless of the magnitude of the issue, there are people who need to choose a course and are looking to you to help them on that path. Understand that, and use your knowledge and humanity to help them make a decision that meets their needs and is best for all involved. That’s what it’s about after all, right? Brad Thurman, PE, FSMPS, CPSM, is a principal and chief marketing officer at Wallace Design Collective, PC. Contact him at brad.thurman@wallace.design.

BRAD THURMAN, from page 3

questions are intended to allow medical professionals to drill down, determine what is actually happening and decide the proper course of action. Medical protocols are based on research and are highly formulaic. These personal interactions and the responses they elicit help determine the best course of action. The best interactions in the AEC realm begin with questions. We shouldn’t come into a situation thinking we already know the best course of action. A healthy discussion might show that our initial instincts were correct, but it might also show that there were desires or nuances that we hadn’t anticipated and are personal to the client. Ask and listen. Ask and listen again. Don’t come into a conversation thinking you already know the answers. ■ Watch the jargon. Medicine is full of technical terms that the average person might not understand. For medical professionals, those terms roll off the tongue without considering whether the patient knows what the heck they’re talking about. For example, my doctors were worried about my creatinine levels. Having never been in acute renal failure, I didn’t know what creatinine was or why it was an issue. So I asked, and they took the time to

THE ZWEIG LETTER SEPTEMBER 23, 2024, ISSUE 1554

FROM THE FOUNDER

More marketing involvement

I saw an interesting post on LinkedIn the other day where the author (rightly) pointed out how marketing people are typically relegated to working on only the promotion aspect of the “four Ps” that make up the firm’s “marketing mix.” This is certainly true for firms in our industry. AEC firms that restrict their marketing leader’s role greatly impact their success and that of the company.

Mark Zweig

As a refresher for those of you who forgot your “Marketing 101” course in college, the four Ps are price, product, physical distribution or “place,” and promotion. How a business manipulates those variables determines your “marketing recipe” and ultimate success. And yet, we tend to restrict our marketing leader’s role to promotion, and not get their involvement in any of these other areas that greatly impact their success and/or that of the company. Why, you may ask? I think there are several reasons, including: 1. There is a lack of respect for marketing people in general from technical or design professionals. I have been fighting this battle for years. For whatever reason, many technical and design professionals don’t understand or believe

there is a body of knowledge on marketing just like there is for their discipline. 2. The marketing people firms have in place may not have a broad enough business background to contribute in these other areas. Many of these folks came up through communications or graphic design backgrounds and they don’t have wide-ranging business knowledge, and are therefore not sought out for input on anything beyond promotion. 3. There’s fear that getting marketing’s involvement could rock the boat and make things more difficult. Maybe marketing will want to lower prices to make a project less profitable?

See MARK ZWEIG, page 6

THE ZWEIG LETTER SEPTEMBER 23, 2024, ISSUE 1554

BUSINESS NEWS SUFFOLK PARTNERS WITH KETTLER ON TRANSFORMATIONAL GASWORX DEVELOPMENT IN TAMPA’S YBOR CITY Suffolk, one of the largest and most innovative construction enterprises in the country, announced it is partnering with developer Darryl Shaw and KETTLER on the construction of Gasworx, a vibrant mixed-use development in Tampa’s Ybor City that will build on Ybor’s rich history to create a new urban neighborhood at the crossroads of culture, tradition and community. The district, which will include up to 5,000 modern residences, 500,000-square- feet of cutting-edge office space and 140,000-square-feet of carefully curated retail space, promises to deliver sophisticated living and working spaces for Ybor City visitors and residents alike. “Suffolk is honored to work with Darryl Shaw and KETTLER on this incredible Gasworx project in Ybor City, a unique community driven by arts, culture and history, that continues to attract residents, businesses and visitors because of its high quality of life,” said James Scarpace, general manager of Suffolk in Tampa. “Our wealth of experience and strong and diverse project portfolio in Tampa, appreciation and track record for delivering historic renovation projects,

and use of sophisticated technologies and processes will allow us to deliver a seamless and successful project that will make Shaw, KETTLER and the Ybor City community proud.” Suffolk will deliver multiple projects within the Gasworx development; a newly constructed 100-000-square- foot office building, and a more than 500 space above-grade parking structure wrapped with a five-story residential building. Shaw, Suffolk and KETTLER are committed to meaningfully engaging with the local community throughout the duration of the project, aiming to honor the neighborhood’s rich culture and history while providing a platform for the community to evolve into a sophisticated destination of the future. The project is set to break ground this summer. Suffolk is an innovative industry leader well-established in its core competency of construction management while also providing vertical service lines such as real estate development funding, self-perform, technology R&D and investment, and design-assist. Gasworx will add to Suffolk’s impressive portfolio in Florida, which includes signature projects such as The Residences at 400 Central in St. Petersburg, The Seminole Hard

Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, The Ritz-Carlton Residences in Naples, and 1991 Main Street in Sarasota. This diverse and impressive portfolio demonstrates Suffolk’s expertise leveraging innovative technologies and sustainable solutions to deliver cutting-edge projects across every major industry sector. Suffolk is a national enterprise that builds, innovates and invests. Suffolk is an end- to-end business that provides value throughout the entire project lifecycle by leveraging its core construction management services with vertical service lines that include real estate capital investment, design, self-perform construction services, technology start- up investment and innovation research/ development. Suffolk is a national company with more than $5.5 billion in annual revenue, 2,800 employees, and offices in Boston, Massachusetts; New York City, New York; Miami, West Palm Beach, Tampa and Estero in Florida; Dallas, Texas; Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego in California; Portland, Maine; and Herndon, Virginia. Suffolk manages some of the most complex, sophisticated projects in the country, serving clients in every major industry sector.

that a marketing person will see than what a technical or design professional sees. Try them out. 4. Get them involved in project meetings with clients. The marketing people may pick up on things the client is saying that your PMs and other professionals don’t. I can tell you that early in my career I got to sit in on a lot of client meetings and it was not only educational for me as a marketing person, but I got to make suggestions on actual development projects that got used. It was very educational and motivational for me. 5. Elevate their role to the equivalent of your top finance and operations professionals. You can’t say “marketing is important” and that you value marketing people, and then make their roles second class to the line and finance roles. Elevate ‘em! So yes – marketing can be a contributor to all areas of the business – IF you let them! Mark Zweig is Zweig Group’s chairman and founder. Contact him at mzweig@zweiggroup.com.

MARK ZWEIG, from page 5

Or maybe they will want to raise prices which will make it harder to sell? Maybe marketing will want to get in front of “your” client and you are afraid of what the client will think? These are all possibilities but you won’t know if their input is valuable unless you listen and try out their suggestions. What are some specific things you can do to get more out of your marketing people? 1. Get them to do research on your clients and potential clients. Having real research data gives you unique insight into the clients and markets you serve that could impact your service offerings, proposals, and pricing. 2. Involve them in every aspect of strategic planning. A lot of big decisions are made at this level. Where will offices be located? What services will the firm provide? What people are needed? What firms to acquire? What client types are going to be pursued? All of this stuff needs marketing’s input. 3. Get their input on fee proposals and contracts. You may be surprised what fresh eyes can see that you don’t. There may be better ways to win the job or maximize revenue

THE ZWEIG LETTER SEPTEMBER 23, 2024, ISSUE 1554

OPINION

Internships provide real-world experience, mentorship, brand recognition, and foster long-term relationships, benefiting both students and organizations. Four benefits of summer internships

S ummers go by in a flash. The arrival and departure of interns mark the beginning and end of this short season within our professions. Students who take advantage of the three-month break between college years gain valuable work experience in the AEC industry and chosen fields. Although brief, internships provide many mutual benefits to students and organizations.

Eric Lannen

The benefits may seem obvious – students earn work experience to satisfy a graduation requirement and gain an advantage in the job market, and businesses have extra help on projects throughout the busy summer months. Providing quality internship programs is a beneficial experience for students, professionals, businesses, and our industry as a whole. At Westwood, our internship program benefits participants in four ways: 1. Real project work and job exposure. Busy summers require additional expertise. Our interns work on real projects for clients and are exposed to many markets and services in all areas of our business. They gain hands-on experience, bridging the gap between academic knowledge

and real-world application. Many also get the opportunity to see their work in action, traveling to projects across the country. Beyond project work, the interns also partake in invaluable experiences to learn more about office soft skills and post-graduate financial training. Working cross-functionally to gain knowledge of how teams work together can be invaluable for an internship. Project managers appreciate the increased productivity, new diverse skill sets, and knowledge sharing that will continue to propel our organization forward.

See ERIC LANNEN, page 8

THE ZWEIG LETTER SEPTEMBER 23, 2024, ISSUE 1554

ON THE MOVE CHRIS GROSSNICKLAUS TO LEAD CORGAN’S HEALTHCARE SECTOR Global architecture and design firm Corgan has announced that Chris Grossnicklaus has been promoted to national sector leader for the firm’s healthcare practice. Grossnicklaus has more than 18 years of experience in the design industry, with the last seven years at Corgan taking a leadership role in the healthcare practice. Ranked the fourth largest architecture firm overall and the 18th largest healthcare design firm in the United States, Corgan’s portfolio includes major academic medical centers, behavioral health facilities, labs, oncology centers, hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers and medical office buildings. “Chris has been an indispensable part of Corgan’s Healthcare sector, and we are excited to see where his leadership takes the studio next. With a remarkable ability to anticipate clients’ needs and gain their trust, he will enable our team to continue to create innovative, user- focused healthcare facilities, elevating the experience for our clients and the communities they serve,” said Scott Ruch, CEO of Corgan.

Grossnicklaus’s extraordinary design portfolio includes projects throughout the U.S., Canada, and the Middle East. His strengths as a strategist and relationship builder make him an invaluable leader at Corgan, overseeing projects for HCA Healthcare Behavioral Health Hospitals, Houston Methodist, the Mayo Clinic, Methodist Health System, OSF Healthcare, Saint Francis Health System, UT Southwestern Medical Center, and UCLA Health. “Corgan’s emphasis on user-focused design is critical in the healthcare space,” said Grossnicklaus. “It’s a privilege to design places that help people during the most stressful times of their lives, and I’m honored to lead our team as we continue to do important work across the country.” Grossnicklaus is a leader whose design ethos embodies empathy and ingenuity. A Certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt professional and member of the AIA, he holds a master’s degree in architecture from Texas A&M University. Grossnicklaus’s exceptional work has earned him awards from AIA Dallas and the Texas Society of Architects.

Known for its research and insights that informs their design, Corgan has proven its dedication to improving health outcomes through better healthcare design at facilities large and small. Corgan’s clients include Houston Methodist, Kaiser Permanente, Mayo Clinic, and the award-winning Parkland Health Hospital in Dallas. Corgan is an employee-owned architecture and design firm with 18 locations and more than 1,000 team members globally. The firm, ranked as the No. 4 architecture firm by Building Design + Construction, works with clients in a variety of sectors including aviation and mobility, data centers, education, health, mixed-use, multifamily, office, and workplace. Founded in 1938, Corgan has developed a strong reputation for agility in design by anticipating marketplace changes and leading clients to thoughtful, data- driven design solutions. Its research insights and design expertise empower the organization to foresee emerging changes and develop solutions that minimize risk, create flexibility, and maximize longevity.

ERIC LANNEN, from page 7

way to narrow the search for an excellent employer or partnership. Internships also help students build their personal brand. The student returns to the university in the fall with new skills to apply to classwork and clubs. The experience shows students their strengths and weaknesses to continue to build on throughout the semester and potentially helps them further identify paths of study, focuses, or opportunities to take advantage of. 4. Lifelong relationships. After investing time and effort into our program and interns, it is the ideal scenario to keep those interns around in some capacity. Maybe they accept a full-time role post-graduation, return the following intern season, or explore other areas of the business. The opportunity to return or stay with our team provides the calming assurance graduates and interns look for. We continue to show the value these individuals bring to our team. We encourage them to take initiative and innovate. Many take these opportunities and our annual growth planning process wholeheartedly and are now leaders, associates, and shareholders in our organization. Eric Lannen is chief human resources officer at Westwood. Connect with him on LinkedIn.

2. Mentorship and leadership development. The mentorship benefits for interns can be rich and valuable for their education and career. Interns gain confidence working on projects with guidance from their mentors and supervisors, and they can explore other facets of the business to help them find their true passions. Mentors provide additional insight into the workforce after college by being a resource for questions about work-life balance, benefits, and growth. Having an internship program also benefits the cultivation of the talent in existing employees. Allowing current employees to oversee, train, and manage interns is a great way to build leadership and managerial skills without needing to disrupt employees’ current job descriptions or roles. This also gives employers a chance to see how top talent grows and responds to change or increased responsibility, highlighting potential candidates for promotion or development opportunities. 3. Brand recognition. Whether it’s a LinkedIn post announcing their new internship or a conversation with a friend upon returning to campus in the fall, word of mouth is maybe more important today than ever when it comes to finding and retaining top talent. Student-to-student or even client-to-client positive referrals are the best

THE ZWEIG LETTER SEPTEMBER 23, 2024, ISSUE 1554

PROFILE

Energized growth: Russ Hazzard President of MG2 (Seattle, WA), a global architecture, design, strategy, construction, and branding studio.

By LIISA ANDREASSEN Correspondent

H azzard first joined MG2 in 1993. He says that they’re always looking to grow their shareholder base and to bring younger contributors into the fold – people who want to grow the company and take over when the old guard retires. “It will be exciting to watch as the next generation leads the firm and the industry into the future,” he says. ASSEMBLING TEAMS. Like many other AEC firms, MG2 is seeing a workforce shortage, not necessarily in the younger generation, but certainly among those with 12 to 15 years of experience. Hiring an in-house recruiter, whose full-time job is to identify good candidates, has helped the company to meet this challenge. “Our internal recruiter understands the company roles, responsibilities, and skills needed and has taken the burden of screening people and setting interviews off our principals’ plates,” Hazzard shares. At MG2, leaders work to ensure they’re putting the right people in the right jobs. “When we’re assembling teams, we’re looking for three distinct skill sets: leadership, project management, and technical acumen,” he says.

For example, the project lead works directly with the client, so it’s essential to be a good communicator. The project lead also works with the project manager and keeps track of the big picture to ensure the project moves in the right direction. Project managers are involved in the details and the project architect, who is on the technical side, makes sure the team delivers quality documents and deliverables that communicate design intent, including the sets of drawings that go out to the contractor. “So, to be sure we have the right people for the job, training is important,” he says. MG2 has internal training for project management and the technical side of their work and for up-and-coming leaders, there’s a very specific one-year program – CORE 4. Individuals must apply and be accepted into this training program, the bulk of which incidentally, centers around communication. A FOCUS ON DEI. Hazzard believes that if companies aren’t addressing the fact that they must grow with diversity, equity, and inclusion in mind, then they’re not helping to build the industry.

See ENERGIZED GROWTH, page 10

THE ZWEIG LETTER SEPTEMBER 23, 2024, ISSUE 1554

HEADQUARTERS: Seattle, WA NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 415 YEAR FOUNDED: 1971 OFFICE LOCATIONS: 7 MARKETS: Affordable housing; EV/automotive; experiential retail; financial institutions; food, beverage & entertainment; high- rise; hospitality; industrial & cold storage; interiors; large-format retail, mixed-use; multifamily; office; retail development; specialty retail SERVICES: Architecture, master planning, program management, cost management, design prototyping & guidelines, LEED sustainable design & specifications, interior design, environmental graphic design, casework & fixture design, space planning, and visual merchandising. MG2 Advisory Services include macro trends analysis, behavioral insights, brand & operational analysis, digital engagement strategy, competitive benchmarking, targeted Focus Groups, Qualitative Surveys, Field Studies, SME Interviews, White- space Differentiation, vision & positioning, design exploration recommendations, experience attributes and optimizations, future testing framework

MG2’s 6 Corners Lofts project in Chicago combines mixed-use innovation with historic revitalization.

programs through a data-driven lens using general and proprietary data, consumer insights, etc. to peer into the future, offering not just who the consumer is and what they want to buy today, but also what, where, and how they will shop down the road. “We’re constantly evolving and growing and that energizes the whole firm,” Hazzard says. In its commercial work, which includes multi- family residential, high-rise, hospitality, and mixed-use markets, MG2 contributes to the urban environment. This gives teams in all seven offices the opportunity to contribute to the urban and built environments where they work and live. “Our employees say there’s nothing like walking down the street with family or friends and pointing to an MG2 project. Whether they’re in marketing or architecture, design or finance, they’re proud to have played a part,” he says. ACQUISITION MEETS NATIONAL NEED. MG2 recently acquired Oregon-based Studio C Architecture to expand their housing market. For the next 20 to 30 years, this will be a growth sector. “We recognize the fact that housing is a nationwide need,” Hazzard says. “And, we wanted to expand our commercial work into affordable and senior housing too. So, in addition to a passion for their projects, Studio C principals Jim Walker, AIA, and Brian Bennett, AIA, bring an expertise that immediately adds depth to the housing market that we are already working in.” Moving forward, MG2 is prepared to continue to create transformative experiences for its clients and staff, alike.

ENERGIZED GROWTH, from page 9

“There was a time – in fact, I was in school – when there were 90 percent men and only 10 percent women earning architecture degrees. Universities made a big decision in the ‘80s and ‘90s to recruit women, and today the ratio is closer to 50-50. In fact, MG2’s leadership team skews female with women holding the positions of chief financial officer, chief operating officer, and chief branding officer,” he says. On the flip side, he shares that, as a profession, they have not been very successful with the DEI quotient for Black, indigenous, and people of color. “To improve that number, we have to start at the base,” he says. MG2 is involved in the curriculum of Howard University and engaged with recruiting and studio support at Florida A&M University. They have also set up an endowment with Howard. SUPPORTING CLIENT GROWTH. Retail is at MG2’s foundation. The company works with major retail corporations such as Costco, Target, and Home Depot and these major U.S. retailers make decisions that affect huge numbers of people across the country and around the world. “They have their own corporate goals and growth programs, and we take pride in partnering with them to, for example, introduce innovative ways to be more efficient or offer new design ideas to be more effective, that will help them meet their goals. Supporting their growth is exciting,” Hazzard says. Its new MG2 Advisory looks at retail

THE ZWEIG LETTER SEPTEMBER 23, 2024, ISSUE 1554

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