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July

2025,

Issue

1592

TRENDLINES

Operational profitability

14.0% 15.0% 16.0% 17.0% 18.0%

Firms that are truly boosting profitability aren’t just raising rates; they’re reengineering how they charge. The profit behind the percent

According to Zweig Group’s 2025 Financial Performance Report , the median net pre-tax, pre-bonus profit on net service revenue (NSR) rose to 17.5 percent – the highest level in five years. This metric, considered the most accurate measure of a firm’s operational profitability, has steadily increased since 2023, reflecting improved financial performance across the AEC industry. Participate in a survey and save on a Zweig Group research publication.

A EC firms across the country are raising rates, but many are missing a bigger opportunity: rethinking their fee structure. According to Zweig Group’s 2025 Fee & Billing Report , every firm surveyed increased billing rates over the past three years – with a median rise of 11 percent. But the firms that are truly boosting profitability aren’t just raising rates; they’re reengineering how they charge. FEE STRUCTURE IS YOUR SECRET WEAPON. Think two firms charging the same hourly rate will see the same results? Think again. The difference often comes down to strategy. Firms that win sole-source contracts – those awarded without a fee competition – tend to outperform their peers. Why? They leverage trust, reputation, and relationships, sidestepping price wars and reinforcing their value. Others are charging for urgency, with 37 percent of firms applying an “emergency” markup of 15 percent for rush work. It’s a simple but powerful adjustment that ensures margins don’t shrink under pressure. WHICH PRICING MODELS PAY OFF? Not all fee methods are created equal. AIA Work-on-the-Boards survey data shows that percentage-of-construction-cost fees are considered the most profitable by nearly half of participating firms. As project values increase, so does the firm’s revenue – without renegotiating fees mid-project. By contrast, fixed fees and hourly contracts often limit upside and expose firms to risk if scope shifts. This insight should prompt every firm to assess whether their current pricing model is maximizing revenue or simply maintaining the status quo. WHEN YOU GET PAID MATTERS. In addition to how you charge, when you get paid can dramatically impact your firm’s financial health. The data from Zweig Group’s 2025 Fee & Billing Report shows that most firms still bill conservatively in early phases – only 23 percent of a project’s fee is typically collected by the end of schematic design, and 25 percent by the end of design development. That means more than half of the project’s fee comes later – when

Will Swearingen

FIRM INDEX Bowman Consulting Group Ltd..................2

Landmark Science & Engineering........... 6

McKim & Creed...................................................... 6

Morrison-Maierle.................................................. 8

Tutor Perini Corporation................................10

MORE ARTICLES n SCOTT D. BUTCHER: Winning work during uncertain times Page 3 n MARK ZWEIG: The one number to track in your AEC firm Page 5 n NAM DOUGLASS: The case for global talent Page 7 n ADAM WHITE: Unlocking true potential Page 9

See WILL SWEARINGEN, page 2

THE VOICE OF REASON FOR THE AEC INDUSTRY

ON THE MOVE BOWMAN TO AERIAL ORTHOIMAGERY SERVICES FOR NORTH CAROLINA CGIA Bowman Consulting Group Ltd., a national engineering services firm, has been awarded a one-year contract by the State of North Carolina’s Center for Geographic Information and Analysis to deliver high-resolution, six-inch pixel digital orthoimagery covering the counties of Bladen, Johnston, Sampson, Wayne and Wilson in the state’s Eastern Piedmont region. Under the agreement, Bowman will produce orthorectified images by employing initial survey ground control, precise aerial flight acquisition, rigorous quality assurance and quality control protocols, and advanced post- processing techniques. Encompassing a 3,650-square-mile area that features a diverse mix of rural and urban settings with PROVIDE

varying geographic and land-use types, the project ensures complete coverage for each county and will generate 4,070 individual tiles of seamless, high- resolution imagery. The data collected by Bowman will support the North Carolina 911 Board’s ongoing efforts toward emergency planning and response, ensuring dispatchers can accurately identify roads, driveways and structures to improve response times. Beyond emergency services, state agencies and local governments will leverage the imagery for transportation planning, disaster recovery, economic development, environmental assessment and land surveying. All records will be publicly accessible through the NC OneMap platform, serving as a vital resource for a wide range of applications across the state.

WILL SWEARINGEN , from page 1

project risks increase and upfront work has long been delivered. “Back-dragging” fees in this way limits cash flow and exposes firms to nonpayment if the project is delayed or scaled back. “Front-loading,” on the other hand, shifts more of the fee to early phases where critical strategic work is done. Firms that allocate more fee to upfront design, alignment, and scope definition are seeing better predictability, improved client communication, and fewer surprises downstream. ADAPTING FEE ALLOCATION TO REALITY. Top-performing firms don’t follow legacy fee splits. Instead, they adjust allocations based on client type, project risk, and real-time effort. They build flexibility into their contracts – adding rush premiums, scope-change clauses, and milestone billing options that protect both sides. And they make it a habit. Today, 95 percent of firms review and update their billing rates at least once a year, up from 83 percent just one year ago. It’s part of a larger shift: fee planning is no longer a static task. It’s a strategic, dynamic business discipline. READY TO SHAPE THE FUTURE OF FEE STRATEGIES? Don’t wait until your next project burns a hole in your margin. For Florida firms, take this short survey and see how your fee-setting strategies stack up. Survey results debut at the AIA Florida 2025 Convention & Trade Show taking place at the JW Marriott Tampa Water Street, July 30-August 2. Learn more about the convention classes and schedule, and register to join us here. Will Swearingen is senior director of Transition consulting at Zweig Group. Contact him at wswearingen@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.

ELEVATEAEC CONFERENCE & AWARDS GALA The largest in-person gathering of industry leaders and award-winning firms, the 2025 conference promises to be bigger and better than ever with a jam-packed agenda designed to help you connect, learn, and celebrate like never before. Join us September 9-11 in San Antonio, Texas. Learn more!

THE ZWEIG LETTER JULY 7, 2025, ISSUE 1592

OPINION

To succeed in disruption, AEC firms must refine client focus, target markets, and go/ no-go processes. Winning work during uncertain times

D isruptions are constant. Inflation, interest rates, politics, tariffs, funding cycles, and demographic changes – these are all areas that can cause uncertainty in the built environment, as owners consider holding back on design and construction projects.

This disruption is happening everywhere. Uncertainty over tariffs has resulted in projects going on hold. Cuts to governmental funding are being experienced throughout the country. Economists are now projecting a 50/50 chance of economic retraction, and first- quarter 2025 results demonstrate current economic challenges. When facing uncertainty, AEC firms in the past have embraced a reactionary approach to the potential challenges, often rushing to cut overhead, including marketing and business development staff, and proactive efforts. But this is the opposite approach of what firms should be doing. While it is important to ensure you have the right people in the right roles, focus is critical when facing economic uncertainty or the potential of a downturn. During busy times, inefficiencies may remain largely unexposed, whether in firm management, project delivery and operations, human resources, or BD and

marketing. To build and sustain a resilient business, we must identify inefficiencies and become more focused with our strategies and tactics. Where do you start in BD and marketing? With the low-hanging fruit. Understanding your existing clients and focusing on the highest-value, highest-opportunity existing clients will help you to weather any downturn. But what about landing new clients? By focusing more on three specific areas, you will improve your efforts and the probability of success. These include developing ideal client profiles (ICP), refining your target markets, and making sound go/no-go decisions. UNDERSTANDING YOUR IDEAL CLIENTS. Every AEC firm understands that some clients are better than others. Ideal clients tend to value your services, pay on time, utilize multiple services, and come back to you. In the realm of marketing, the term “customer persona” is thrown around a lot, and it allows marketers to

Scott D. Butcher, FSMPS, CPSM

See SCOTT BUTCHER , page 4

THE ZWEIG LETTER JULY 7, 2025, ISSUE 1592

■ Strategic alignment: conformance with strategic plan and company mission, vision, values ■ Licensing considerations: business license, staff license and certifications, contractor license, etc. – whether in a specific state, geographic region, or having specialized certifications necessary to work in the target market AEC firms often spread themselves too thin when it comes to target markets. Just because you technically “could” do the work doesn’t mean you will be hired without a robust offering to the target market, as outlined above. In other words, ensure you have the right bait before fishing. GETTING REAL WITH GO/NO-GO DECISIONS. A tale as old as time is the propensity for making “go” decisions for pursuits that are quite obviously “no-go” opportunities. In most firms, there is a “go” process instead of “go/no-go.” An executive, principal, partner, or PM wants to pursue an opportunity, so it automatically becomes a “go” – regardless of the firm’s past experience, existing relationships, capacity of the marketing department, etc. The opportunity cost of poor “go” decisions is significant. Critical – and often limited – resources are diverted to pursuits with low-to-no probability of success. Sometimes, this comes at the cost of pursuing higher probability opportunities, or avoiding the critical marketing tasks necessary to build your brand, establish name recognition, and generate inbound leads. So it has the double-whammy of essentially doing nothing (pursuing a project you can’t win) and preventing the firm from conducting proactive marketing, which is essential during times of uncertainty. There are many different types of “go/no-go” forms and processes, but they typically entail responding to several questions and scoring them. However, when they are too subjective, everyone knows how to “cook” the workshop to score it as a go, so being objective here is very critical. Typical categories or questions for scoring include the strength of your existing relationship with the client, whether pre-positioning occurred before the opportunity or RFP was released, alignment with your firm’s ideal client profiles, target markets, and primary services, and the probability of being shortlisted or winning. Other considerations include the capacity of your marketing and pursuit team members, knowledge of the client’s challenges and pain points, a portfolio of relevant project experience, strength of proposed team resumes, ability to be competitive on fee or bid, potential for profitability, level of competition (including incumbents), the firm’s desire to be associated with the project, and potential risks. NEXT STEPS. There is of course much more to business development and marketing when developing strategies to generate work in uncertain times, but by focusing first on existing clients and segmenting them, then ensuring that your ICPs are current, target markets are defined, and go/no-go processes are realistic, you’ll be able to focus your marketing and BD efforts and improve your probability of success. Ready to learn more about these and other strategies to help drive your business development pipeline? Watch the on- demand webinar, Generating Business for Your AEC Firm in Uncertain Times, or reach out to me to discuss how Stambaugh Ness can help you be more intentional and strategic when it comes to BD and marketing. Scott D. Butcher, FSMPS, CPSM is managing director, Strategic Growth Advisory at Stambaugh Ness. Connect on LinkedIn.

SCOTT BUTCHER, from page 3

focus on targeting individuals based on specific demographic/ geographic characteristics. For the AEC industry, it is hard to pigeonhole a specific “persona.” For instance, a DPW director at one municipal client may be a male baby boomer who did not go to college but worked his way up, beginning in maintenance. He may retire in just a few years. But the DPW director at the adjacent municipality may be a young millennial woman with a degree in engineering, new to the role, and with a long career ahead. So, how do you create a buyer persona with these characteristics? Well, this is where the ideal client profiles come in. Identify the ideal companies, agencies, or institutions based upon certain variables, then target those prospective clients and individuals with specific roles/titles identified through the ICP process. It is critical to look at your existing and former clients to help provide context for the ideal clients. Every company has its own definition of ideal clients, but some of the common variables analyzed include market sector, sub-category (if applicable), size (revenues, employee county, population, etc.), AEC selection process, financial position, business objectives, needs we can address, project delivery preferences, and primary contact profile. Once defined, making ICPs central to your BD and marketing strategy is essential. Use them to score leads, define targets, guide content creation, and prioritize pursuits. KNOWING YOUR (MARKET) STRENGTHS. ICPs must align with target markets. Too often, firms facing uncertainty chase any and every opportunity, hoping that if they throw enough at the wall, something will stick. At the beginning of my career, I experienced a recession. The architecture/engineering firm I worked for was very worried about workload and went after everything. This reaction included taking a one-size-fits-all approach to pursuing every publicly advertised opportunity. I vividly remember the thrill of the pursuit in the early days of my job, followed by the consistent agony of defeat. After a year of pursuing every federal opportunity in our general region, with no focus or proactive business development, doing the math and learning we were 0-for-100 took the wind out of my sails. You may have heard the saying, “Don’t fish everywhere.” Perhaps a better saying should be, “Don’t fish everywhere, and bring the correct bait.” In the prior example, we fished where the fish were biting, but our bait was woefully inadequate. When targeting the right markets for your services, internal subject matter expertise and prior experience are absolutely essential to succeed in an uncertain market. There are many different ways to define a target market, but it is really about the intersection of several different components, including: ■ Historic performance: past revenues, profitability, current backlog, portfolio of project experience ■ Future opportunity: growth projections, funding sources, legislation that could impact the market ■ Existing relationships: knowing the decision-makers, having a broad network in the market sector, and geographic region ■ Company brand: recognition as a legitimate provider of specific services to the specific market in the specific region

THE ZWEIG LETTER JULY 7, 2025, ISSUE 1592

FROM THE FOUNDER

I t is hard to believe that after almost 45 years of working with architecture and engineering firms, firm owners and managers are STILL arguing about and debating what kinds of chargeability or utilization targets make sense for people or units in the firm. Stop measuring success by utilization – revenue factor reveals what really drives profit in architecture and engineering firms. The one number to track in your AEC firm

It’s dumb, and who cares? I’m sure this sounds like heresy to some of you. “How can Zweig say that? After all, we know if our people would be just 3 percent more chargeable we would make an additional $2 million in profit,” you may say. Not necessarily. In truth, all that REALLY matters is how much net service revenue (or labor revenue, if you prefer) you bring in versus how much you spend on labor, billable or not. If all you do is measure, report, and push utilization, what happens? You get higher utilization. “Yay,” you may say. “That’s the point!” But is it? What if all that happens is your people charge more time to jobs but don’t get anything more done on them? What if they

just charge time to jobs and run them over budget? Their utilization looks great. But the labor multiplier on the project erodes. The net result is the same. Same revenue and same labor cost. No change in the bottom line. So should “Sue” in her job as a PM be 70 percent chargeable? I don’t know. How about “Randy”? He’s a licensed architect. Is 90 percent the right utilization target for him? Again, I don’t know. I certainly don’t know unless I know what kind of labor multipliers each is achieving in their units. Because if Sue is in a unit that gets a 4.2 multiplier and Randy is in one with a 3.0, all other factors being equal and each earning the same pay, we are making far more money on Sue than we are with Randy, even though Randy has much higher utilization. Sue’s revenue factor (utilization

Mark Zweig

See MARK ZWEIG , page 6

THE ZWEIG LETTER JULY 7, 2025, ISSUE 1592

TRANSACTIONS MCKIM & CREED ACQUIRES LANDMARK SCIENCE & ENGINEERING TO EXPAND MID-ATLANTIC PRESENCE McKim & Creed, a leading engineering, planning and geospatial services firm, announced that it has acquired Landmark Science & Engineering, based in Newark, Deleware. The strategic acquisition is expected to strengthen McKim & Creed’s presence in the Mid-Atlantic region while expanding the services available to Landmark’s clients. Founded in 1987, Landmark Science & Engineering is a respected consulting firm specializing in civil engineering, surveying, and natural environmental sciences. The company provides innovative site solutions and value- engineered results to both public- and private-sector clients involved in land development and building improvement projects. “This acquisition represents a significant step in our growth journey,” said Street Lee, McKim & Creed’s Chief Executive Officer. “By joining forces, we will be positioned to serve clients across Delaware, Pennsylvania, and Maryland with the same commitment to quality, innovation, and care, while delivering enhanced resources, expertise, and technology-driven solutions to Landmark’s clients.” Landmark’s notable projects include:

Donne Landmark provided all aspects of civil engineering along with traffic analysis. Associates. Fairview K-12 public school campus serving approximately 4,000 students. Campus, a Landmark provided all aspects of civil engineering along with athletic field design, Traffic Impact Study, off-site road improvements and site construction review. Wilmington Flats, an affordable housing redevelopment in Wilmington, Del., for approximately 400 units across 10 city blocks by Woodlawn Trustees. Landmark provided all civil engineering including subsurface stormwater management and site construction review. Appoquinimink School District Meridian Crossing 1 & 2, a 700-unit residential community consisting of single-family homes, town houses and apartments. Landmark provided all civil engineering, roadway designs stormwater management, Traffic Impact Study and sanitary sewer pump station design for Reybold Development.

complement each other, enabling us to offer even more comprehensive and impactful solutions to our clients. We are excited about this next chapter and confident in the value we can create together.” Both companies will collaborate closely in the coming weeks to ensure a smooth and seamless transition for clients, employees, and business partners. McKim & Creed is an award-winning, employee-owned civil engineering firm with more than 900 employees operating in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Florida, Louisiana, and Texas. McKim & Creed specializes in services for the energy, transportation, federal, land development, water and building markets, including survey and mapping; airborne and mobile lidar/scanning; unmanned aerial systems; subsurface utility engineering; and hydrographic and conventional surveying; water and wastewater, MEP, fire protection and structural engineering; and industrial design-build. Landmark Science & Engineering is a leading consulting firm offering professional services to public and private clients in Delaware, Maryland and Pennsylvania with a commitment to providing the highest quality land planning and site design, with a comprehensive focus on low-impact, green technology stormwater practices, and a dedication to responsive service.

■

“Partnering with McKim & Creed is a natural fit for our team,” said Ted Williams, President and Chairman of the Board at Landmark Science & Engineering. “Our cultures align perfectly—we both prioritize people first. Our services

Avenue North, a 1,864,000-square- foot mixed-use development in North Wilmington, Del., for Delle

■

could add to the equation. How about tossing in the difference in what you charge and what you pay for your subconsultants as an addition to the net revenue of any unit? Now we can really get a true picture of how much money any unit makes. Some groups may earn more money on subs than they do their labor revenue. Should we measure them the same way that other groups that employ no subs get measured? Should they be penalized for that? I think not. Mark Zweig is Zweig Group’s chairman and founder. Contact him at mzweig@zweiggroup.com. firm overall, a unit in the firm, or any individual – is not their chargeability, but rather their revenue factor.” “Just talking utilization makes no sense. All that matters – when we look at the

MARK ZWEIG, from page 5

times labor multiplier) is .7 times 4.2, or 2.94. Randy’s revenue factor on the other hand is .85 times 3.0, or 2.55. What does that mean, though? It means for every dollar of labor in Sue’s unit, chargeable or not, we get paid $2.94. And in Randy’s unit we get paid $2.55 for every dollar of labor. Sue’s unit therefore – if both are the same size and have the same non-labor overhead – is doing a lot better than Randy’s. So the moral of the story is that just talking utilization makes no sense. All that matters – when we look at the firm overall, a unit in the firm, or any individual – is not their chargeability, but rather their revenue factor. How much revenue is generated versus the cost of doing so? Stop using one-size-fits-all utilization targets. Stop pushing utilization. Start looking at revenue factor. And if you really want to up your game and truly develop an understanding of what makes money and what doesn’t, there is one more twist you

THE ZWEIG LETTER JULY 7, 2025, ISSUE 1592

OPINION

The case for global talent

Firms that critically consider how best to leverage this tool today are better positioned to win the projects of tomorrow.

I n today’s fast-paced global economy and competitive labor market, companies are facing the growing challenge of finding the right candidate to fill their open positions. Attracting and retaining skilled STEM workers is critical to business growth and long-term success.

So while the ACEC Research Institute found that the engineering and design industry grew more than 5 percent and added more than $656 billion to the U.S. GDP in 2023, 51 percent of respondents to their Q4 2024 Engineering Business Sentiment Report stated that they had to “turn down work due to labor shortages,” while 26 percent of firms also indicated they were “turning down good, profitable projects.” One strategy often overlooked is foreign national talent. For many firms, the cost, time, and challenges of navigating the U.S. immigration system can make this option feel unattainable. Others may not even know what’s possible when it comes to sponsoring an employee or have heard only about long wait times or complicated processes. In reality, U.S. immigration pathways can be a powerful tool for filling gaps in workforce, recruiting

high skill employees, and retaining top performers. When balanced against the costs of prolonged vacancies, turnover, recruiting fees, and the revenue lost from contracts that were turned down, this opportunity can deliver a strong return on investment. WHY AEC FIRMS SHOULD CONSIDER AN IMMIGRATION STRATEGY. Recent research from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce found that the U.S. had 8 million job openings as of March 2025, but only 6.8 million unemployed workers available to fill those jobs. In 2023, a record 1.13 million international students were enrolled at U.S. colleges and universities, according to a report from the Institute for

Nam Douglass, Esq.

See NAM DOUGLASS , page 8

THE ZWEIG LETTER JULY 7, 2025, ISSUE 1592

ON THE MOVE MORRISON-MAIERLE NAMES NEW PRESIDENT/CEO AND COO Morrison- Maierle has named Arian Bloomfield and Ryan Jones as Morrison-Maierle’s new president/chief executive officer and chief operating officer. They succeed Scott Murphy and Carl Anderson, who stepped down from their respective positions on May 1, 2025.

As a 100 percent employee-owned firm, Morrison-Maierle is committed to fostering professional development from within. In its 80th year of business, Morrison-Maierle strives to provide stable and continuous professional environments for its employee-owners, clients, and communities throughout the Intermountain West.

Morrison-Maierle is an engineering firm that provides civil, mechanical, electrical, and structural engineering and surveying, planning, and environmental science services. It has 12 offices throughout the West: Great Falls, Kalispell, Helena, Missoula, Bozeman, and Billings, Montana; Casper, Cody, Sheridan, and Gillette, Wyoming; Bend, Oregon; and Spokane, Washington.

Advanced degree researchers or scientists align well, in addition to those with real-world technical and business innovations. ESTABLISHING STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS. The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) authorizes work authorization (TN visa) for Mexican and Canadian nationals in professional occupations including engineering, architecture, mathematics, and other scientific careers. With no limit on the number of visas authorized or a maximum number of years held, this option provides significant flexibility. Strengthening relationships with universities in Mexico and/ or Canada who have robust engineering, architecture, and other STEM programs may help create recruiting pipelines leveraging TN visas. Similar treaties also allow specific work authorized visa classifications for foreign nationals from Australia (E-3), as well as Chile and Singapore (H-1B1). LEVERAGING AN INTERNATIONAL FOOTPRINT. Companies with overseas entities can transfer talented employees to the U.S. with the L-1 visa. The L-1 allows current employees with at least one year’s experience with the company to transfer from the overseas entity to the U.S. based firm. This relationship can be created through acquisition or even the establishment of a new U.S. entity by a foreign parent company. THE BOTTOM LINE. Hiring international talent is not just a solution to workforce gaps, but a strategic investment. A thoughtful immigration strategy aligns workforce planning with business objectives, aimed at identifying highly skilled professionals with niche expertise while driving organization growth. For proactive planners seeking organizational agility, immigration isn’t just an HR function, it’s a competitive advantage. Businesses that critically consider how best to leverage this tool today are better positioned to win the projects of tomorrow. Nam Douglass, Esq., is a N.C. Board Certified Immigration Law Specialist and partner at Garfinkel Immigration Law Firm. Contact her at nam.douglass@garfinkelimmigration.com.

NAM DOUGLASS, from page 7

International Education. Almost 25 percent of those students were majoring in math and computer science, and nearly 19 percent were studying engineering. Further, more than 19 percent of the current STEM workforce in the U.S. and more than 50 percent of doctoral-level computer and mathematical scientists and engineers were foreign born, according to the most recent research from the National Science Foundation. Firms that strategically leverage immigration options to address labor shortfalls open global hiring channels to attract professionals who are highly qualified and skilled in their fields. WHAT OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE? ■ Recruiting talent from U.S. universities: Optional practical training (OPT) allows recent international student graduates to work for up to 12 months. Those with STEM degrees can receive an additional 24 months of OPT, meaning they are authorized to work in the United States for your firm for up to three years. During those three years, your company can consider a skilled visa option like the H-1B as well as long-term green card sponsorship to retain this new talent. ■ Skilled visas: H-1B visas are available for specialty occupations, which require a minimum of a bachelor’s degree. With a congressionally mandated limit of H-1B visas issued each fiscal year, known as the “cap,” when the demand for these visas exceeds the supply a random, computer-based lottery is required. While 20,000 slots are reserved for foreign nationals with an advanced degree from a U.S. college or university, this process is still uncertain. Additionally, if your firm works with government research organizations, nonprofit research organizations, or institutions of higher education through formal MOUs, there may be an opportunity to leverage these relationships and not be subject to the H-1B visa cap. ■ Extraordinary ability: The O-1 visa is an option for foreign nationals who possess extraordinary ability or a high level of acclaim that can be achieved through research, patent contributions, adoption of new processes or technologies, business acumen and other documented awards.

THE ZWEIG LETTER JULY 7, 2025, ISSUE 1592

OPINION

Unlocking true potential

I ’m passionate about employee development, which I define as building up the careers of the people you work with. This goes beyond professional development or training; you can send people to conferences for those things. Real staff development involves a long-term commitment to shaping individuals into better professionals and people. Meaningful employee growth goes beyond trainings and workshops – it takes time, trust, feedback, and a clear path forward.

Adam White, PE

Having spent nearly 20 years at Garver, where I’ve been given both the autonomy and support to forge my own path, I’ve identified three strategies that are key for effective employee development. 1. Invest time and be intentional. To truly develop your team, it’s essential to engage in frequent interactions. Within your team, you need to intentionally carve out time for one- on-one conversations, preferably in-person. These interactions allow you to understand an employee’s challenges and thoughts, moving beyond superficial hallway or “Teams” exchanges to build genuine connections. You need to be the one to initiate these meetings, because without your proactive approach they may never happen or won’t occur often enough to make a significant impact. This process is time-consuming, so it’s important to be selective.

Assess your workload and theirs to determine if you can dedicate the necessary time. While it’s ideal to spend time with everyone, it’s simply not feasible; there aren’t enough hours in the day. Being intentional means focusing efforts so that you achieve meaningful impacts. I adhere to the one-to-seven rule from the book Love Works , which suggests that six to seven is the optimal number of people you can effectively mentor at any given time. When you sit down for these conversations, delve deep, and ask probing, open-ended questions, such as, “Tell me why you made that decision” or, “What do you think the next step is?” Try not to immediately solve problems but rather discuss the path to future solutions. Discuss strategies for navigating tricky situations or handling difficult contractors or

See ADAM WHITE , page 10

THE ZWEIG LETTER JULY 7, 2025, ISSUE 1592

BUSINESS NEWS LUNDA CONSTRUCTION AWARDED $67.2 MILLION I-94 AND I-394 INTERCHANGE PROJECT IN MINNEAPOLIS Tutor Perini Corporation, a leading civil, building and specialty construction company, announced that its subsidiary, Lunda Construction Company, has been awarded a contract by the Minnesota Department of Transportation valued at approximately $67.2 million for the I-94 and I-394 Interchange Project in Minneapolis. The scope of work includes repairing 34 bridges and ramps along I-394 and I-94 between downtown Minneapolis and Highway 100. The project also includes

maintenance work on the Dunwoody Boulevard ramp, replacing the deck for the Penn Avenue bridge that crosses over I-394, and other improvements along I-394 between downtown Minneapolis and Highway 100. Work is expected to begin in July 2025 with substantial completion anticipated in the summer of 2027. The contract value has been added to the Company’s backlog in the second quarter of 2025. Tutor Perini Corporation is a leading civil, building and specialty construction company offering diversified general

contracting and design-build services to private customers and public agencies throughout the world. The firm has provided construction services since 1894 and has established a strong reputation within its markets by executing large, complex projects on time and within budget while adhering to strict safety and quality control measures. Tutor Perini offers general contracting, pre-construction planning, and comprehensive project management services, and have strong expertise in delivering design-bid-build, design- build, construction management, and public-private partnership projects.

Later, when you need to offer criticism (a withdrawal), you might bruise their ego, but the accumulated goodwill helps cushion the impact. 3. Encourage and help direct growth. Securing employee buy-in is crucial for successful development. Encourage your employees to create a vision for themselves, helping them see the potential paths their career could take. Without this buy-in, they may be reluctant to tackle complex problems or take on additional responsibilities necessary for career growth. Use semi-annual check-in meetings to discuss goals and career opportunities. Share where you envision them in two to four years, highlight where their skills can be most impactful, and ignite their enthusiasm. It’s important, however, to remind them that achieving this vision requires effort from both parties. Chances are, if you’ve shown your commitment to them, they’re going to be equally committed. Developing their technical skills is only part of the equation. They must also develop the discipline and soft skills needed for advancement. In conversations about next steps, address weaknesses and amplify strengths. Identify what they excel at and enjoy doing and how to align those strengths with their growth. Helping an employee navigate their career path and understand their role in Garver’s growth takes time and can be challenging, but it is good for the individual and the company as a whole. When we make employees aware of the possibilities within Garver, they won’t be tempted to look elsewhere. Garver opened its first Aviation Design Center in 2017, and since that time we have not had any regrettable departures. In this competitive environment, that’s saying something. I’ve spent my entire career at Garver, but company loyalty is frequently challenged in today’s hyper-competitive labor market. You must make it worth it for employees to stay, and offering employee development opportunities does that. Adam White, PE, is the Aviation Operations Leader for Garver. Connect with him on LinkedIn.

ADAM WHITE, from page 9

clients. Encourage them to share their issues openly so you can help them problem solve. 2. Share criticisms and celebrate successes. Early on in my career, we developed an “Expectations” list to review with new hires; one of them is “Be humble enough to accept criticism and courageous enough to give it.” Often, employees feel compelled to share only positive news with their supervisors, fearing that discussing their struggles might reflect poorly on their performance. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Open and transparent communication is crucial for identifying and addressing issues and often provides the most value. To encourage open communication, be willing to share your own failures with your team. And if a crisis does arise, employees need to know how to manage it. Clients frequently commend Garver for our ability to step up and take control when things don’t go as planned. By fostering deep relationships with our employees and understanding potential issues, we can address problems before they happen. Of course, it’s also important that employees feel seen and appreciated for their successes. A few months ago, I had to discuss an issue with a team member. I’d noticed that the budget on a project wasn’t being closely monitored, so I challenged the employee to take ownership of that problem moving forward. I also asked him to send me an analysis of how he was going to accomplish our goal. He did that, but he didn’t stop there; he went above and beyond, sending out weekly updates to me throughout the rest of the project. At our next meeting, I publicly acknowledged him in front of our whole team, saying, “I want everybody to know that I challenged him to do this, and he exceeded expectations.” Public praise not only boosts morale, it also contributes to buy-in. Early in my career, one of my mentors taught me that relationships are like piggy banks. When you applaud someone for something positive, it’s like making a deposit.

THE ZWEIG LETTER JULY 7, 2025, ISSUE 1592

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