TZL 1471 (web)

The PDF edition of The Zweig Letter.

January 9, 2023, Issue 1471 WWW.ZWEIGGROUP.COM

TRENDLINES

Turnover rates

15%

10%

Average firms Best Firms

Becoming a great leader is a rewarding experience, but it takes time, training, and a lot of trial and error. Not for the faint of heart

FIRM INDEX Atwell..............................................................................4 Ben Dyer Associates, Inc.................................4 ECS Southeast, LLP.............................................4 Greeley and Hansen........................................12 Huckabee Architects, Inc................................2 Image Engineering Group..............................2 Kempton Rinard, Inc.........................................10 Pennoni...................................................................... 10 Silman......................................................................... 12 TYLin............................................................................ 12 W&A Engineering.................................................6 MORE ARTICLES n JULIE SMITH: Are your employees listening? Page 3 n Visionary: Jon Williams Page 6 n LAUREN RHODES MARTIN: A hurricane’s grim reminder for AEC firms Page 9 n MARK ZWEIG: Being ready for the great year ahead Page 11 According to Zweig Group’s recent survey of Best Firms to Work For, these Best Firms (8 percent) are minimizing their turnover compared to the average firm (14 percent). For both voluntary and involuntary turnover, Best Firms performed better and were able to reduce turnover while maximizing growth. Best Firms grew by 10 percent in FTEs while the average firm grew by 8 percent. Reducing turnover is an easy way for firms to improve project management and reduce the costs associated with recruitment and retention. Participate in the 2023 Best Firms to Work For Award and gain access to Zweig Group’s new Insights Platform with dynamic data visualization and employee perception benchmarks.

I t takes a lot of trial and error, along with knowledge and training, to be a good leader. Some people are naturally gifted, but even so, there’s always room for improvement. Almost everyone can learn how to be a good leader, but they also must want to be a good leader. Opportunities and training must be provided in order for them to succeed. I have seen companies that have been run by the same group of leaders for 20 or 30 years. They haven’t given those under them (middle management) many opportunities to be a leader within the firm. Then one day, the leadership group realizes they want to retire in two to three years, and there isn’t anyone in the firm prepared to lead the organization. The leadership team has to scramble to figure out what to do. Most of the time, a leader can’t be created in a couple of years. It takes five to seven years to develop a great leader! Becoming a leader doesn’t happen overnight. (Don’t we all wish it would?) Employees must continually attend conferences, workshops, and seminars to learn about leadership – and then put everything they’ve learned into practice. There are many different types of leadership training available within various associations (industry, community, civic), as well as from consultants and trainers. You can’t expect someone to become a great leader after just a single class or conference. One must be consistent with leadership training. In some cases, it’s recommended to hire an executive coach to help prepare these employees for leadership roles, especially if you see opportunity for them to be a partner or future owner of the firm – but executive coaching is a whole other topic. Leadership has many different facets and is pretty complex. It doesn’t come easy for most people; it takes a lot of time and dedication to grow those who you are supervising. And leadership is about more than just managing people. It’s inspiring others to be motivated, and as the leader you are there to support them in their endeavors. It’s having difficult conversations with employees. On the flip side though, leadership can be fun! You get to watch people grow and develop when you’ve helped them succeed in their career. That’s rewarding. As a leader, you want to develop people better than you, so you can have the best team. It’s about bringing in all talent, so you have a well-rounded team. It’s about building a

Lindsay Young

See LINDSAY YOUNG, page 2

THE VOICE OF REASON FOR THE AEC INDUSTRY

TRANSACTIONS GODSPEED CAPITAL-BACKED HUCKABEE ARCHITECTS ACQUIRES IMAGE ENGINEERING GROUP Godspeed Capital Management LP, a lower middle- market defense and government services, solutions, and technology focused private equity firm, announced the successful acquisition of Image Engineering Group, a Texas-based MEP design firm focused on sustainability in the education, commercial, and retail markets. Founded in 1991 in Westlake, Texas, IEG is a leading provider of innovative MEP design and engineering solutions. Driven by a mission to deliver sustainable, cost-effective buildings and deep expertise operating within the education, commercial, and retail architecture markets, IEG’s seasoned management team boasts a more than 30-year track record of providing environmentally friendly and cost-effective MEP solutions to education, commercial, and retail facilities across Texas and nationally. IEG will join Rachlin Partners and TSK Architects as part of Huckabee Architects, Inc., Godspeed Capital’s AEC services and solutions growth platform focused on education and government markets. Continuing Godspeed’s ongoing strategy to further grow and diversify Huckabee’s capabilities, IEG will add technology solutions, geographic and market reach, and customer relationships to the platform. Under the Huckabee umbrella, IEG will integrate its MEP engineering capabilities

to enhance the platform’s design innovation and expand the continuum of capabilities offered to Huckabee’s growing customer base. Following the transaction, IEG will continue to be led by founder, Don Penn, and president, Jonathan Penn. Chris Huckabee, CEO of Huckabee, said “We are thrilled to announce the addition of IEG to our platform, whose highly technical MEP engineering capabilities are a key area of expertise for Huckabee as we work to become a diversified, leading national AEC services platform. IEG is a recognized leader within the industry and has gained a tremendous amount of respect for their innovative engineering solutions and the premier client service that IEG’s team brings to each of its projects. We look forward to leveraging the firm’s capabilities to provide Huckabee’s clients a fully comprehensive offering of AEC services and solutions.” Don Penn, founder of Image Engineering Group, said, “We are excited to join forces with Huckabee and add new design and engineering innovations, scale, and diversity to the platform. Not only will Huckabee’s expansive AEC offerings enable us to expand our network into the growing K-12 and higher education sectors across the Southwestern U.S.; the platform will also provide us with a substantial inflow of work to backfill our business development pipeline.”

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Chad Clinehens | Publisher cclinehens@zweiggroup.com Sara Parkman | Senior Editor & Designer sparkman@zweiggroup.com Shirley Che | Contributing Editor sche@zweiggroup.com Liisa Andreassen | Correspondent landreassen@zweiggroup.com Tel: 800-466-6275 Fax: 800-842-1560 Email: info@zweiggroup.com Online: zweiggroup.com/blogs/news Twitter: twitter.com/zweigletter Facebook: facebook.com/Zweig- Group-1030428053722402 Published continuously since 1992 by Zweig Group, Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA. ISSN 1068-1310. Issued weekly (48 issues/year). Free electronic subscription at zweiggroup.com © Copyright 2023, Zweig Group. All rights reserved.

LINDSAY YOUNG, from page 1

relationship and trust with those team members. It’s about being their support system, both professionally and personally. Every leader has a different set of strengths as well, so making sure the leadership team is comprised of a diverse group of people helps the firm grow and be more agile. Determine early what your exit strategy is and start developing your future right now. It’s never too early to start investing in your employees when it comes to leadership. Lindsay Young, CPSM is a marketing services advisor with Zweig Group and president and founder of nu marketing. She can be reached at lyoung@zweiggroup.com.

ELEVATEHER® SYMPOSIUM ElevateHER® is about the future of the AEC industry, and Zweig Group’s commitment to recruit, retain, and engage the best minds in the industry. Join us at the 2023 ElevateHER® Symposium, where we present select ElevateHER® projects, DEI-focused keynotes from industry leading change agents, powerful panel discussions, and practical mini workshops to all those who are ready to turn inspiration into action. Click here to learn more!

THE ZWEIG LETTER JANUARY 9, 2023, ISSUE 1471

OPINION

Are your employees listening?

I n today’s world, employees and clients are inundated with news and messages constantly, not to mention juggling remote work, jobsite visits, and interacting with clients. Team members can feel disengaged, disconnected, and uninspired. How can you connect and reach them? Podcasting is a unique way to share the story of your company, and it should be part of your marketing strategy.

Julie Smith

ECS recently launched a podcast to engage with our employees and clients for this reason. We recognized the opportunities to improve internal communication, attract and recruit talent, and to build brand awareness. ■ Accessibility. Podcasting lets our team members hear from each other, no matter their physical location. With more than half of our employees being in the field, it’s important to meet our employees where they are. While podcasts are played from a phone, it does not require active reading on a screen once you hit play, so people can listen while they’re on the go, from the car or even on a walk.

■ Improve internal communications. ECS is one of the largest and most rapidly growing engineering and consulting companies in the U.S. and, as we continue to grow, our challenge is to keep finding ways to connect with our employees. That is why we started a podcast – to communicate more personally with our employees, like you would at the watercooler. Podcasting allows listeners to get to know employees across different departments and in different locations in a way they may not be able to otherwise. Podcasting is personable, allowing employees to connect voices, names, and faces that they may not directly hear from on a regular basis.

See JULIE SMITH, page 4

THE ZWEIG LETTER JANUARY 9, 2023, ISSUE 1471

TRANSACTIONS ATWELL EXPANDS INTO MID- ATLANTIC WITH ACQUISITION OF BEN DYER ASSOCIATES, INC. In its second transaction this quarter, Atwell has acquired Ben Dyer Associates, Inc., a 60-person engineering firm based in Maryland. Ben Dyer Associates specializes in civil engineering, land planning, and surveying services for land development and redevelopment projects throughout Maryland and the District of Columbia. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed. This acquisition expands Atwell’s reach into the U.S. mid-Atlantic region and will strengthen Atwell’s ability to support a variety of land development projects, including single and multi-family residential, commercial, and industrial. Ben Dyer is also experienced in the power and energy market, enhancing Atwell’s ability to support solar projects on the east coast. “Atwell and Ben Dyer share a similar business strategy – we guide and advise our clients through every stage of a project from concept to completion,” said Brian Wenzel, president and CEO

of Atwell. “This acquisition supports an expansion into a new region for Atwell and is another meaningful advancement of our long-term strategic growth.” “Alignment of culture and values is incredibly important for us,” said Steve Mauersberg, president of Ben Dyer Associates. “Ben Dyer and Atwell share a joint vision of improving our communities, helping our clients achieve success, and providing opportunities for our employees.” The company founder, Ben Dyer, entered private practice as a registered professional engineer and land surveyor in 1935. In 1952, the company was incorporated as Ben Dyer Associates, Inc. Mauersberg began his career with Ben Dyer Associates in 1986. Every president’s career has spanned more than three decades with the company. “We’re excited to welcome the members of Ben Dyer to the team,” said Bill Anderson, vice president of Land Development in the U.S. East at Atwell. “We believe that Ben Dyer is the right

firm for expanding our geographic footprint while continuing to provide expert service to our land development clients.” Atwell continues to expand its geographic footprint, service offerings, and capabilities through organic growth and strategic acquisitions. Last month, Atwell financed the acquisition of Cross Surveying, a 28-person land surveying firm based in Florida. Atwell, LLC is a national consulting, engineering, and construction services firm with technical professionals located across the country totaling more than 1,400 team members. Creating innovative solutions for clients in industries such as real estate and land development, power and energy, and oil and gas, Atwell provides comprehensive turnkey services including land and right-of- way support, planning, landscape architecture, engineering, land surveying, environmental compliance and permitting, and project and program management.

listen-through rate of 98 percent for a 30-minute episode. In a technical industry like engineering, podcasting offers a unique advantage. This medium allows podcast guests to go more in-depth on a topic than in other forms of content like an eblast or blog post. It also provides a unique way to engage audiences who are in the consideration stage of brand engagement in your marketing funnel. ■ Podcasts are engaging for creators, too. Podcasting is an engagement tool, offering multiple ways of team building with a variety of staff across your organization. Hosting, producing, and marketing the show can provide opportunities for collaboration at every level. One way we engaged team members was in creating the theme music. We learned one of our employees in Austin, Texas, writes music so we asked him to write a song that we use in our intro and outro. We also engaged senior leadership in hosting the podcast as well as some of the training and development team members in helping edit and produce episodes. Podcasting is a unique, novel way to share the story of your company, from employee spotlights to technical information. It provides an opportunity to reach current and prospective employees as well as current and prospective clients. Consider it as part of your marketing strategy and see where it can take your content. Julie Smith is senior communications manager for ECS Southeast, LLP. She can be reached at jesmith@ecslimited.com.

JULIE SMITH, from page 3

■ Recruit talent and increase retention. Topics for a podcast can cover a range of topics, including unique projects, industry trends, work-life balance, safety, and benefits. Sharing more about leadership and mentorship engages current and prospective employees with topics like career journeys, leadership style, and lessons learned along the way. This also gives prospective employees an opportunity to hear about career opportunities and benefits that they may not be aware of, like tuition assistance. “Podcasting provides an opportunity to reach current and prospective employees as well as current and prospective clients. Consider it as part of your marketing strategy and see where it can take your content.” ■ Build brand awareness. You can build brand awareness through your podcast and showcase your technical expertise. Podcasts also let you share news and go in depth about your services. With show notes available on multiple podcast platforms, you can link to other forms of content such as blogs, websites, and social media.

■ Podcasts are engaging for listeners. Podcasts have a

THE ZWEIG LETTER JANUARY 9, 2023, ISSUE 1471

PROFILE

Visionary: Jon Williams President and CEO of W&A Engineering (Athens, GA), a growing multidisciplinary engineering firm known for its innovative design, efficient engineering, and professional service.

By LIISA ANDREASSEN Correspondent

F ounded by Williams in 1999, W&A Engineering (Athens, GA), formerly Williams & Associates, has grown from a one-person operation into a diverse company with five core departments: civil engineering, land surveying, landscape architecture, traffic engineering, and economic development. Municipal services and planning and development consulting round it all out. W&A Engineering is a Better Communities Collaborative company – a family of innovative businesses with the unified mission to work toward a better tomorrow. This common thread is woven into the fabric of its affiliate companies and is the “why” with which its teams approach each and every opportunity. “I get to set the course for where BCC is heading, not only as a business, but for our employees and how we will impact our communities,” Williams says. “It’s a fantastic job! It can be challenging, and as with anything there are trials and errors and lessons learned, but the reward is huge.” A CONVERSATION WITH JON WILLIAMS. The Zweig Letter: In 2022, your firm was a recipient of Zweig

Group’s Best Firm To Work For award. To what do you most attribute that? Jon Williams: Our people, from the leadership team down. They believe in our mission of “Building Better Communities,” which for us starts with focus on our employees and the things that make them want to come to work every day. TZL: What about the Better Communities Collaborative excites you most? JW: The fact that our employees come to work every day knowing they have an opportunity to build better communities, and our holistic focus on making our employees “net better off.” I can’t take credit for this research, but the gist of it is that for employees to be “net better off” they must be fulfilled in six areas: emotional/mental, relational, physical, financial, purposeful, and employable. We are very intentional about our focus on each of these areas for our employees. TZL: Are there any key challenges in working with such a business model? If so, what are they and how do you rise to meet those challenges?

THE ZWEIG LETTER JAN

JW: BCC is the “umbrella” company that sits above our other companies; it’s been done before. We did not create the model. I think of it as the glue that holds the other companies together. It’s where our mission and our values for all the companies live. This way we are all connected and focused on building better communities, but the individual companies can maintain their own forward-facing identity. TZL: Have you had a particular mentor who has guided you – in school, in your career, or in general? Who were they and how did they help? JW: My dad. All of the BCC employees have heard the story about my dad asking me to go to work with him at the family grocery store in the seventh grade. I worked beside him for five years managing a grocery store. I learned so much about business, the value of hard work, how to treat employees, and giving back to the community. Dad did that every day in some way.

found the EOS system, developed by Gino Wickman, and that is how we run BCC today. A key tenant of the system is the intentionality of working “on the business.” We are still working to become better at EOS, but, because of it, I’d say 70 percent of my time is spent working on the business. “It’s so critical for our employees to know that flexibility is there for them as they move through different phases of life and family.” TZL: Trust is essential. How do you earn the trust of your clients? JW: By being good communicators and by living our values, which include being committed, accountable, resourceful, expanding, and socially responsible. We do what we say we are going to do, and we leave things better than we found them, both things I learned from my dad. TZL: Diversity and inclusion are lacking. What steps are you taking to address the issue? JW: We made this one of our focus areas in our corporate citizenship platform. We are just beginning to learn how we can do better, genuinely better, for all people to feel “net better off” and welcome when they work for BCC. There were some low hanging fruit, at least for us, like recruiting from more diverse colleges or implementing our flexible work policies that enable our employees to be present for their families while still having a fulfilling career. We also try to go into the lower schools whenever we can and talk to young kids about the opportunities in the AEC fields. We share information and try to get them thinking about things they might not ever have considered before. We’ve also established an internal employee-led committee to have conversations around DEI and to help us create additional opportunities to improve DEI for BCC. This will be one of those issues we will be working on for a long time, but it’s so worth it. Increasing diversity brings different backgrounds and life experiences to the table and with that comes ideas and innovation. TZL: What benefits does your firm offer that your people get most excited about? JW: Our new unlimited PTO policy is pretty popular and we also offer a great deal See VISIONARY, page 8

HEADQUARTERS: Athens, GA

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 140+

Year founded: 1999

OFFICE LOCATIONS:

Athens, GA

■

TZL: What’s your key strategy for engineering external partnerships?

Atlanta, GA

■

Augusta, GA

JW: Communication is so important in any partnership. Being open and honest about expectations and being accountable for your role in the partnership is key. I also think that talking about our mission and values attracts like-minded companies, and when you have similar thoughts around the way business should be done, the partnerships naturally work better. TZL: What are some of the key things you look for when approaching an external partner? JW: We ask ourselves: Do our values align? Are they technically competent? Are they good communicators? Do they understand the mission and add value to the client? “Communication is so important in any partnership. Being open and honest about expectations and TZL: How much time do you spend working “in the business” rather than “on the business?” JW: That’s a great question and one that I would not have known how to answer three years ago. But around that time is when we being accountable for your role in the partnership is key.”

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Birmingham, AL

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Monroe, GA

■

Nashville, TN

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MARKETS: U.S.

SERVICES:

Better Communities Collaborative: Building better communities W&A: Engineering, surveying, landscape architecture ClearCourse: Traffic and transportation engineering GroundHawk: Underground utility locate Geolucix: Scanning and lidar services

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NUARY 9, 2023, ISSUE 1471

W&A Engineering staff coming together for a Habitat for Humanity volunteer day.

TZL: A firm’s longevity is valuable. What are you doing to encourage your staff to stick around? JW: Providing opportunity for growth – both professional and personal – and by focusing on the six “net better off” areas that I mentioned before. We’re currently restructuring our bonus and incentive compensation plan, and like all of our initiatives, I’ve tasked our leadership with creating a plan that is forward- thinking and not status quo. We offer flexibility in an industry that has not historically been flexible, and we’ll continue to focus on why we do what we do – which is building better communities, because our employees, clients, and neighbors deserve the best. “We offer flexibility in an industry that has not historically been flexible, and we’ll continue to focus on why we do what we do – which is building better communities, because our employees, clients, and neighbors deserve the best.”

VISIONARY, from page 7

of flexibility. It’s so critical for our employees to know that flexibility is there for them as they move through different phases of life and family. I hear a lot of positive feedback about our family leave policy. It has three months paid maternity leave, and one month paternity, but the dad can get the three months if the mom is the primary breadwinner. We provide adoption and foster family assistance, and there are an extra 30 days per year of paid time off if someone must care for a sick family member. I also hear a lot of good feedback about the local charities that we support and the opportunities we provide for our employees to volunteer in the community. TZL: In one word or phrase, what do you describe as your number one job responsibility? JW: Visionary. I get to set the course for where BCC is heading, not only as a business, but for our employees and how we will impact our communities. It’s a fantastic job! It can be challenging, and as with anything there are trials and errors and lessons learned, but the reward is huge. If we get it right, we will attract the best and brightest and they will want to stay and grow with BCC. As we grow, we will have more and greater opportunities to build better communities and to have a positive impact on the world.

THE ZWEIG LETTER JANUARY 9, 2023, ISSUE 1471

OPINION

As natural disasters continue to increase in frequency and severity, so will the potential exposure to the design community. A hurricane’s grim reminder for AEC firms

W henever a catastrophic weather event occurs, our thoughts go first and foremost to those whose lives have been dramatically, often permanently affected. Because of the rising temperatures of both water and air as a result of climate change, the impact of storms, fires, droughts, freezes, and floods have taken on new significance. For design firms, that means facing the reality that they operate in a changed landscape fraught with natural perils that are continuing to evolve.

Lauren Rhodes Martin

Hurricane Ian has been described as a 500-year storm, as was Hurricane Harvey several years ago. Ian will likely ultimately be ranked as one of the top five most costly weather events in the United States, following Hurricane Katrina at $186 billion and Hurricane Harvey at $149 billion. As hurricanes and other natural disasters continue to increase in strength and frequency, so does the amount of damage left in their wake. Although it’s hard to imagine that litigation would follow these natural disasters, novel theories often surface in their aftermath. And, unfortunately for the design community, there is almost always an expert willing to testify there was a breach of the standard of care.

Following Hurricane Harvey, there was at least one class action suit regarding site changes to commercial property that allegedly caused additional water runoff onto a large area of an adjacent homeowner’s property. While there undoubtedly would have been more than five feet of water entering the homes regardless of that work, the claim was it increased the amount of water by a matter of inches. Not only were there experts willing to testify that it was reasonably foreseeable that this 500-year storm would occur and that the increased runoff would cause additional damage, there were also experts willing to testify that the inches of added water caused millions of dollars in additional damage.

See LAUREN RHODES MARTIN, page 10

THE ZWEIG LETTER JANUARY 9, 2023, ISSUE 1471

TRANSACTIONS PENNONI EXPANDS IN FLORIDA WITH KEMPTON RINARD Pennoni, a multidisciplinary consulting engineering firm headquartered in Philadelphia, announced the recent acquisition of certain assets of Kempton Rinard, Inc. in Tampa, Florida. Pennoni welcomes the staff and the group will be working as the Kempton Rinard Division of Pennoni. “As we continue to serve public and private clients in the Tampa Bay area, we are delighted to offer an expanded range of service offerings. The addition of Kempton Rinard will allow us to have a greater reach in the community, and we are excited for the opportunities of growth for our clients and newly

expanded staff,” says Brian Diehl, PE, regional vice president. Headquartered in Tampa, Florida, Kempton Rinard provides landscape architectural and civil engineering services for multi-faceted corporate, institutional, municipal and governmental design projects throughout the Southeastern U.S. and the Caribbean. “Tampa is a natural extension for Pennoni,” said David DeLizza, president and CEO at Pennoni. “With our existing offices in Clearwater and Winter Haven, the new location allows us to expand our presence in the Tampa Bay area. The addition of Kempton Rinard adds

landscape architecture to our capabilities and expands our civil engineering expertise in the region.” The new Tampa, Florida office is located at 3242 Henderson Blvd. Suite 200, Tampa, FL 33609. As a multidisciplinary consulting engineering firm founded more than five decades ago, Pennoni approaches engineering challenges from a wider spectrum of angles than most, from land development to energy management. Pennoni’s combination of talent and experience generates unprecedented solutions for diverse and iconic projects around the globe.

to address conditions that could have been reasonably foreseeable and could lead to injury or damage. How do you balance the potential responsibility to design to something more than the code against your client’s desire to build the most cost-effective project? And what can be done to protect yourself? There are no absolute protections, but communication and documentation can help. Discuss with your client what potential climate change impacts they might want to consider. Be sure to contemporaneously document these discussions with specificity. Explain to the client that design firms cannot simply rely on codes and standards to meet their professional obligation to design for public health, safety, and welfare and that you are bound to consider the well-being of users and the community along with the client’s specific financial interests. In addition to the informed consent documentation outlined above, you might also include language in your contract to reduce your professional exposure. Unfortunately, while waivers of claims and limitations of liability from clients can be helpful, the largest claims in these post-event scenarios can come from third parties. An indemnification by the client for third-party claims could help address this exposure if the client is solvent or insured when claims are made. Admittedly, however, these types of agreements may be difficult to negotiate. A restriction of third-party beneficiaries could likewise be beneficial and may be easier to negotiate. In closing, the best way to protect yourself may simply be to be aware of the potential exposure, and to consider and discuss with your client the possible future risks that could be caused by climate change. Adapt the design if your client will agree with your recommendations and document the critical discussions as they occur. Analyze to whom your primary exposure might be and do your best to negotiate terms and conditions that will protect your firm from future claims. Lauren Rhodes Martin is a risk manager and claims specialist at Ames & Gough. She can be reached at lmartin@amesgough. com.

LAUREN RHODES MARTIN, from page 10

The case was brought on behalf of hundreds of homeowners by a well-known, very capable plaintiff’s law firm in a jurisdiction where nearly everyone on the jury would have suffered similar losses in the storm. The Court refused to dismiss the lawsuit. In light of the cost of continuing the litigation, as well as the real possibility that there would be an adverse verdict and that the potential exposure would be vastly in excess of available insurance, the case was settled despite the extremely questionable liability. This illustration of a climate-related matter that led to a lawsuit was an actual example, but it’s not hard to envision lawsuits relating to wind loading, fire protection, excessive heat, unusual cold and flooding, and other circumstances that in the past the court may have considered an “Act of God.” What, if anything, can be done to avoid what may seem unavoidable? “How do you balance the potential responsibility to design to something more than the code against your client’s desire to build the most cost-effective project? And what can be done to protect yourself?” We know that the standard of care for a design professional is a duty to exercise the degree of learning and skill ordinarily possessed by a similarly situated design professional practicing in the same or similar locality and under similar circumstances. Additionally, the first tenet of nearly every professional design license is the duty to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public. As natural disasters continue to increase in frequency and severity, so will the potential exposure to the design community. This risk is significantly greater in areas where building codes are insufficient. Codes are the minimum design requirements, so even if code requirements are satisfied, the standard of care may render parties liable for not designing

THE ZWEIG LETTER JANUARY 9, 2023, ISSUE 1471

FROM THE FOUNDER

A s the new year is already – but barely – underway, there is still time to get your head on straight and do a few things to make the most of it. As the old guy in the room (that is so strange as I used to be the young guy), I have had plenty of time to learn and reflect. That time has been very valuable. There’s still time to get your head on straight and do a few things to make the most of the new year. Being ready for the great year ahead

Mark Zweig

Here is what I would be thinking and doing if I were you right now: 1. Be optimistic. It’s easy to be negative, but it’s also not that hard to be positive. Expect things to go well. Expect people to usually do the right thing. Assume good intentions. Look for the silver lining in every single negative thing that happens. You can do it. 2. Learn to enjoy the present. It’s great to look ahead, but at some point in your life you will figure out if you are always living for tomorrow you will be chronically dissatisfied and you will miss out on a lot. Whatever you are going through, be present for it. Look for the good and don’t focus on the bad. 3. Don’t allow yourself to fail. Consider your failures experiments that didn’t go well, but if you never

give up, YOU will never BE a failure. Keep working at whatever it is you think is worth doing. Seek out new information. Try new approaches to the problem. Don’t give up. 4. Be the initiator in relationships. You be the one who calls, or writes, or goes to see the other person. Don’t wait for anyone else to do it. You can win over that new client and you can win that old client back. You can improve your relationships with your coworkers, too, if you really want to. Reach out. 5. Free up your time. Cut back on social media. Take the apps off your phone. Get rid of all other unused apps. Clear out your inboxes. Opt out of emails that you don’t find worthwhile. Cut out meetings. Cut back on the length of meetings.

See MARK ZWEIG, page 12

THE ZWEIG LETTER JANUARY 9, 2023, ISSUE 1471

TRANSACTIONS TYLIN BOLSTERS WATER SECTOR CAPABILITIES WITH ACQUISITION OF GREELEY AND HANSEN, AN AWARD-WINNING, GLOBAL WATER ENGINEERING FIRM TYLin, a globally recognized, full-service infrastructure consulting firm, announced it is expanding its water and wastewater capabilities in North America with the acquisition of Chicago-based Greeley and Hansen, a leading water infrastructure engineering firm known for creating some of the world’s largest and first-of-its-kind water and wastewater treatment facilities in the U.S. and Latin America. Greeley and Hansen will continue to go to market as Greeley and Hansen, A TYLin Company. Founded in Chicago in 1914, Greeley and Hansen is an award-winning global engineering, architecture, and consulting firm solely dedicated to providing sustainable engineering solutions for a broad range of water, wastewater, and solid waste challenges. With over 100 years of proven civil and environmental engineering experience in all phases of project development and implementation, the firm has grown to become a premier global provider of comprehensive services in the water sector. With more than 20 offices in the U.S. and Latin America, Greeley and Hansen is dedicated to designing better urban environments worldwide. “The acquisition of Greeley and Hansen advances our strategy to leverage our current water sector capabilities to help transform TYLin into a leader in the water market in the Americas,” said TYLI Group

president and CEO Matthew Cummings, P.E. “TYLin’s prowess in infrastructure, coupled with Greeley and Hansen’s strong industry-wide reputation in water and wastewater engineering technologies and construction, will make us a powerful force as we strive to improve the quality of life in the communities our clients serve.” “For more than a century we have made it our mission at Greeley and Hansen to improve urban environments by solving complex water, wastewater, and solid waste challenges with sophisticated engineering solutions,” said John Robak, chairman and CEO of Greeley and Hansen. “Our bespoke engineering solutions and designs have created some of the world’s best and largest water and wastewater treatment facilities – from Chicago to Colombia. As part of TYLin, Greeley and Hansen will have even more resources and scale, and an even greater ability to provide clients with the advanced technologies and innovative ideas we have been known for since our founding 11 decades ago. This coming together is very symbiotic. TYLin offers broader engineering resources and provides us with tremendous breadth, while Greeley and Hansen is an expert in water, providing TYLin with amazing depth.” As part of the acquisition, Robak will step down after serving as an advisor during the transition. He plans to continue his endeavors in philanthropy and civic engagement. Greeley and Hansen Chairman Emeritus Andy Richardson and

President Paul Vogel will retire. TYLin’s newly expanded water sector will now be led by Greeley and Hansen’s Michael Hope, P.E., who was previously a principal and executive vice president at Greeley and Hansen, leading client engagements and business development. Hope joins TYLin as president of Greeley and Hansen and senior vice president of TYLin. TYLin’s Abe Khademi, SVP, will continue to oversee the TYLin Water Sector in Canada and work with Hope to develop plans for a unified water team. “In addition to being a very strategic business decision, the acquisition of Greeley and Hansen is also a solid cultural fit,” said TYLin’s Cummings. “Our firms have similar cultures and priorities. We both place immense value on our people, our portfolio of clients and projects, and the impact we are recognized for delivering to our clients and the communities we serve. These constants have driven our individual success and, together, will remain a key tenet to our future growth and success.” In early 2022, TYLin reorganized its operations into market-facing sectors focused on the diverse segments of the buildings, transportation, and water sectors. In April, TYLin acquired Silman, a leading structural engineering firm to enhance its buildings sector. The acquisition of Greeley and Hansen supports the firm’s strategy to grow its global water practice.

will think faster and make better decisions. Count to 10 before reacting, practice meditation, visualize yourself somewhere that is low stress, get a prescription from your doctor – do whatever it takes to make sure you are in full control of how you will react to anything. Life will go better. 7. Set goals for the year. You won’t get there if you don’t know where “there” is. Goals are important. Write them down. Have at least three but no more than 10. Keep these handy and refer back to them during the year. Having goals for what you want to accomplish is essential to getting anything done. There may be nothing profound in this list. Or maybe there is something you hadn’t really considered. Either way – here is to your continued success and to new achievements in 2023! We are always here to help! Mark Zweig is Zweig Group’s chairman and founder. Contact him at mzweig@zweiggroup.com.

MARK ZWEIG, from page 11

Move closer to the office. Get up earlier. Watch less TV. Opt out of the organizations you belong to that don’t help you. All of these things and more will help free up more of your time. That will make you more relaxed and help keep your head clear and help you get more done. “Expect things to go well. Expect people to usually do the right thing. Assume good intentions. Look for the silver lining in every single negative thing that happens. You can do it.”

6. Keep your emotions in check. When you lose your cool, you lose. You cannot afford to lose, so stay calm. You

THE ZWEIG LETTER JANUARY 9, 2023, ISSUE 1471

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