TZL 1610 (web)

November 17, 2025, Issue 1610 WWW.ZWEIGGROUP.COM

TRENDLINES

Dedicated IT leadership

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When the mind and body of a business move together, worry fades and real performance begins. The embodied enterprise

FIRM INDEX Agbara Engineering..................................4 Corgan................................................................6 Peralte-Clark, LLC......................................9 The Wooten Company...........................8 WSB LLC...........................................................4 MORE ARTICLES n BRAD WILSON: ESOP essentials for AEC leaders Page 3 n MARK ZWEIG: Get out and meet people! Page 5 n KRAIG KERN: The creative void Page 7 n Cultivating culture: Jean-Alix Peralte Page 9 Zweig Group’s 2025 Information Technology Report shows that dedicated IT leadership is now standard across the AEC industry, with 83% of firms employing a full- time IT leader. Only a small share rely on part-time (4%), contract (2%), or outsourced (10%) IT management. Participate in a survey and save on a Zweig Group research publication.

S ometimes I worry. Lately, I’ve been worrying a lot – the kind that keeps looping in the back of your mind even when you’re supposed to be relaxing. On a long drive recently, I decided to do something about it. I queued up an old favorite, Dale Carnegie’s How to Stop Worrying and Start Living , and then an episode of the Glue Guys podcast with Duke legend Shane Battier (and yes, if there’s a Duke guy involved, it’s automatically worth a listen). His guest was Steve Kerr, head coach of the Golden State Warriors. Odd pairing maybe, but both the book and the conversation came back to the same idea: the connection between the mind and the body. Every leader eventually learns that a company isn’t a machine – it’s a living organism. Strategy lives in the “mind,” execution in the “body.” Between them runs a nervous system of feedback, trust, and awareness. When that connection is healthy, work feels like flow. When it frays, worry, fatigue, and noise creep in. Two unlikely teachers – Carnegie and Timothy Gallwey – offer a way to see that connection more clearly. 1. Worry and the corporate mind. Carnegie wrote in a time when anxiety was called “nerves.” His cure was disarmingly simple: live in day-tight compartments; act on what you can control; accept the worst, then improve upon it. Organizations behave the same way anxious people do. We replay last quarter’s misses, project disaster onto the next one, and lose the ability to act cleanly in the present. Endless reports and “what- if” modeling become corporate worry loops – motion without progress. They create the illusion of control while draining real momentum. Carnegie’s message – stop replaying and start deciding – is the mental half of the mind-body connection. The health of a company’s “mind” depends on focus and presence. A calm mind sets the conditions for confident motion. 2. The body at work. Timothy Gallwey’s The Inner Game of Tennis – which Steve Kerr rereads every year – describes two selves: Self 1, the conscious controller that overthinks and criticizes. Self 2, the deeper, instinctive self that actually performs.

Tom Godin

See TOM GODIN, page 2

THE VOICE OF REASON FOR THE AEC INDUSTRY

Chad Clinehens | Publisher cclinehens@zweiggroup.com Sara Parkman | Senior Editor sparkman@zweiggroup.com Tel: 800-466-6275 Email: info@zweiggroup.com Online: zweiggroup.com/blogs/ news

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Translated to business: replace anxious management with adaptive leadership – leaders who sense reality, make small corrections, and stay composed in motion. When the corporate mind is calm and the corporate body trusted, decision-making speeds up, creativity returns, and execution feels natural. The organization starts to play its own “inner game” – performing from confidence instead of compliance. 5. Practicing the connection. A broken mind can literally kill the body. Here are a few ways to prevent that: Hold day-tight reviews. Focus meetings on what can be acted on now, not distant hypotheticals. Observe before judging. When something goes wrong, describe what happened before assigning blame. Trust trained reflexes. Once systems and people are skilled, loosen the grip and let them play. Restore feedback pathways. Make information visible and safe to discuss – especially the uncomfortable kind. Re-center on purpose. Remind the “mind” (leadership) why the “body” moves at all. CREATING THE EMBODIED ENTERPRISE. A well-run company, like an athlete in flow, doesn’t feel forced. Its mind is clear, its body responsive, its energy directed toward a meaningful goal. Carnegie teaches it to breathe; Gallwey teaches it to swing. Together they remind us that success – personal or corporate – is less about control and more about cultivating presence, trust, and rhythm. When the mind and body of a business move as one, work stops feeling like strain and starts feeling like life. Tom Godin is a senior director at Zweig Group and the leader of the firm’s Performance Consulting practice. Contact him at tgodin@zweiggroup.com.

TOM GODIN, from page 1

When Self 1 tries to micromanage Self 2 (“keep your wrist firm, don’t miss!”), tension builds and performance collapses. The fix, Gallwey says, is to trust Self 2: see clearly, quiet the commentary, and let the body play. Companies do the same thing. When leadership can’t stop managing every motion – every deliverable, every email – the corporate “body” tightens up. People stop improvising. Middle managers play not to lose. Innovation becomes risk management disguised as process. Gallwey’s remedy is attention without judgment: see what’s happening, adjust, and trust the system you’ve trained. For leaders, that means creating the conditions for flow – clear goals, minimal interference, fast feedback. 3. The nerve pathways of a company. A healthy mind-body link depends on good feedback loops. In humans, the nervous system instantly reports what’s working and what’s not. In business, those nerves are: Conversations. The emotional synapses between people. Metrics. The sensory data that tell the truth about performance. Culture. The reflexive behaviors that appear under pressure. When those pathways get blocked – by fear, politics, or overload – the company loses proprioception. It can’t feel where it stands. Worry fills the gap. Carnegie’s advice to face facts “promptly and courageously” and Gallwey’s call to observe without judgment both help restore those nerves. Truth, observed calmly, is feedback. Feedback enables motion. 4. From worry to flow. Both authors are pointing to the same transformation: from tension to flow. Carnegie’s path: turn vague worry into specific action. Gallwey’s path: turn self-conscious effort into awareness and trust.

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THE ZWEIG LETTER NOVEMBER 17, 2025, ISSUE 1610

OPINION

ESOP essentials for AEC leaders

I recently had the opportunity to spend three insightful days at the Employee Owned 2025 conference, hosted by The ESOP Association. The event brought together hundreds of professionals passionate about employee ownership, including many from the architecture, engineering, and construction industries. ESOP success in AEC firms depends on financial discipline, clear governance, and treating employee ownership as a lasting cultural investment.

Brad Wilson, CMA, MBA

It was encouraging to see interest in ESOPs continue to grow as firms explore options for ownership transitions and long-term employee engagement. At the same time, I noticed that some of the same questions, challenges, and misconceptions continue to surface, often from firms at very different stages in their ESOP journey. While each firm’s experience is unique, three themes consistently emerged in my conversations regarding implementing and operating an ESOP. I’m sharing them here because they are universally applicable to both firms that are thinking about becoming an ESOP and firms that have had an ESOP for years. 1. Financial discipline is non-negotiable. The initial and annual valuations of the ESOP firm depend heavily on consistent, professional practices that produce timely and accurate financial reports. Firms that lack standardized financial processes

or rely on inconsistent reporting introduce risk into the valuation process, and greater risk leads to lower valuations. All ESOP participants want higher valuations; the culture depends on it. And if the firm is successful and grows, the challenge of evolving financial management practices to match the complexity of a larger firm continues to grow. Whether you are a firm of 50 people or 1,500, this is a common struggle associated with becoming an ESOP and/or thriving as one. 2. Clarifying ESOP governance and roles. Most ESOPs in the AEC industry started as closely held firms with blurred lines among shareholders, the board of directors, and the C-suite. While old habits are hard to break, in an ESOP, it’s critical

See BRAD WILSON , page 4

THE ZWEIG LETTER NOVEMBER 17, 2025, ISSUE 1610

ELEVATE THE INDUSTRY®

TRANSACTIONS GHK CAPITAL-BACKED WSB, A LEADING NATIONAL DESIGN AND CONSULTING FIRM, ANNOUNCES ACQUISITION OF AGBARA ENGINEERING WSB LLC, one of the nation’s fastest growing infrastructure engineering and consulting firms, announced the acquisition of Agbara Engineering, a forward-thinking power delivery engineering firm committed to powering progress and empowering communities. The strategic addition of Agbara enhances the firm’s ability to support the full lifecycle of energy infrastructure for existing and new clients. WSB is a portfolio company of GHK Capital Partners LP, a leading middle-market private equity firm based in Greenwich, Connecticut. “The acquisition of Agbara Engineering marks a pivotal moment in WSB’s journey to build a national energy practice,” said Bret Weiss, WSB’s president and CEO. “Agbara’s deep expertise in transmission, distribution, and substation design

perfectly complements our existing capabilities and allows us to deliver more comprehensive, future-focused solutions to our clients. Together, we’re not just expanding our services – we’re empowering our teams, strengthening our culture, and positioning WSB as a leader in the power/energy space. I’m incredibly excited about what we’ll build together.” The acquisition of Agbara brings more than 50 employees into WSB. Combined, WSB now operates from over 50 offices with nearly 1,600 employees nationwide to serve its clients across the government, commercial and energy markets. “Joining WSB is an exciting step forward for Agbara Engineering,” said Jamil Newell, founder and CEO of Agbara. “We’ve always believed in engineering with purpose, and now we have the opportunity to scale that impact alongside a firm that shares our values and vision. This partnership gives our

clients access to expanded services and deeper resources, while our staff gain new opportunities for growth, collaboration, and innovation. Together, we’re building something bigger – an energy/power practice that’s positioned to lead and evolve with the future.” WSB and Agbara will unify their market strategy as WSB in early 2026. This marks WSB’s fifth acquisition in two years, having recently acquired EST, AE Engineering, Meshek & Associates, and CAS Consulting & Services, expanding WSB’s expertise across transportation, engineering, water resources, and construction management. WSB is a forward-thinking design and consulting firm specializing in engineering, community planning, environmental and construction services. Its staff improves the way people engage with communities, transportation, infrastructure, energy and our environment.

helps refocus attention on what truly drives values: strong financial performance, employee engagement, and a shared sense of ownership. When employees understand and appreciate the benefits of the ESOP, their behaviors naturally align with higher productivity and profitability, creating a positive cycle that benefits everyone – from founders to new employee- owners. LAYING THE FOUNDATION FOR ACCELERATED SUCCESS. While ESOPs can be complex, the rewards are significant. The success stories shared at the conference were a powerful reminder that, when done right, ESOPs can transform both company culture and employee futures. The key is to approach the process with eyes wide open, understanding the structure, discipline, and commitment it takes to make employee ownership truly work. For AEC firms, that means thinking beyond ownership transition and focusing on building the right financial, cultural, and governance foundations today. When those are in place, an ESOP can be one of the most rewarding paths an organization can take for owners and employees alike. If your firm is considering employee ownership, join me and Becky Carlson for our webinar, “Is an ESOP Right for You?” During the session, we’ll be honest: ESOP isn’t the best choice for every firm. We’ll share direct industry lessons on how to determine if it’s the right path for your firm and the steps needed to become ESOP-compatible. Brad Wilson, CMA, MBA, is director of Strategic Growth Advisory at Stambaugh Ness. Connect with him on LinkedIn .

BRAD WILSON , from page 3

to eliminate overlapping roles in favor of governance with clearly defined roles. In an ESOP, the trustee must speak for the shareholders and protect their interests. The board of directors selects the trustee, but the shareholders (represented by the trustee) elect the board members. Often, those board members are also part of the C-suite. This governance can be complicated and is often the main hesitation for smaller firms that haven’t thought about the separation of authority until they consider becoming an ESOP. Even larger ESOP firms struggle with governance as they introduce outside members (usually required) into their board structure. 3. ESOPs: Employee benefit first, exit strategy second. Among AEC firm leaders who expressed some dissatisfaction with their ESOPs, this issue was at the root of their frustration. When firms use ESOPs as a last-minute exit strategy – something that happens frequently – the results fall short. On the other hand, firms that treat their ESOP as part of a broader culture of ownership tend to see stronger engagement, higher productivity, and ultimately, more value for both employees and founders. The success of any strategy depends on the strength of the decision that came before it, and the ESOP is no exception. In the AEC industry, ESOPs are gaining popularity for a variety of reasons, some more strategic than others. Yet, even when initial motivations are imperfect, many firms find that the ESOP structure itself

THE ZWEIG LETTER NOVEMBER 17, 2025, ISSUE 1610

FROM THE FOUNDER

Get out and meet people!

I don’t know about you all, but I am sick and tired of Google Meet and Zoom meetings. Sure it’s convenient to not have to drive or fly anywhere, but they suck the life out of me. After a solid day of online meetings, I get this sick feeling in the pit of my stomach and feel like I lost the day. There is simply no replacement for face-to-face human interaction. Meeting people face-to-face builds energy, strengthens relationships, and creates new opportunities.

Mark Zweig

Let’s face it – there is a reason for the “back to the office” movement. Many people find that they can get more done, are more motivated, learn more from each other, establish better relationships with their coworkers, have more job opportunities, have more friendships, and are more creative when they get together face-to-face. Plus, most people (not all, however) are just happier when they go to the office. Work-life integration is real. But this need for physical meeting goes beyond just the office itself. It also means that one should make more of an effort to go see clients, meet people for lunch and coffees, and get out to professional or trade association meetings. Everything is better when you do. It’s no exaggeration when I say that I have as many as eight to 10 coffee meetings with people every week.

Last week, in spite of going to Los Angeles for a board meeting I could have attended via Zoom if I wanted to, I had three coffees with students – one current student, one former student, and one grad student who isn’t my student but someone I’m trying to help. I met with a job candidate for a company I’m part of, a coworker in another part of The Walton College, taught two three-hour classes face-to-face with my students, and had two one-hour guest speakers in each of my classes, one with someone I only recently met. In Los Angeles, I had two half-day physical board meetings, met for coffee with a new friend who works at a high level in a private equity firm, and had dinner with two old friends from the AEC business along with the CEO and founder of the largest independent film

See MARK ZWEIG , page 6

THE ZWEIG LETTER NOVEMBER 17, 2025, ISSUE 1610

ELEVATE THE INDUSTRY®

BUSINESS NEWS CORGAN ACHIEVES

CARBON

Appalachian Mountain Club Maine Woods Initiative: The oldest outdoor conservation and recreation organization in the United States. Funds support and advance climate resilience and conservation work in Maine’s 100-Mile Wilderness region and beyond. Advanced Refrigeration Systems: Designed to minimize greenhouse gas emissions from day one, completely avoiding the use of traditional refrigerants. Funds will support Publix as it implements advanced refrigeration systems that use climate-friendly, low-GWP refrigerants across its portfolio. IsoHemp: A Belgian company that uses 100% locally sourced lime and hemp to create hemp concrete blocks. The blocks store long-term biomass, lower GHG emissions, and deliver thermal and energy performance comparable to conventional materials. Funds will expand production capacity. Igloo Cellulose: Based in France, the project reduces embodied emissions in construction by transforming 90% recycled paper into high-performance cellulose fiber insulation. Solar Water Pump Project in Kenya: SunCulture develops solar water pumps to replace conventional fossil fuel-powered pumps with the aim of increasing access to water for food productivity.

Earlier this year, the firm formalized and presented the Corgan Climate Action Plan, outlining strategies to advance decarbonization and minimize environmental impact across its operations and work for clients. Key goals outlined in the CCAP include decarbonizing operations, conserving natural resources and ensuring climate resilient operations. To remain transparent in its efforts, align with global institutions and as part of the World Green Buildings Council ‘The Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment’, Corgan will publish its reporting results annually. Corgan also plans to build on its commitment to reduce the environmental impact of its projects, empower its designers and cultivate a culture of responsible design through its sustainability practice, Corgan—Echo. “We believe in putting sustainability at the core of everything we do from daily operations to the projects we design and the services we provide,” said Varun Kohli, principal and director of Sustainability at Corgan. “We are committed to empowering our designers and our clients to achieve exemplary projects that strive to create built environments in harmony with the natural environment through collaboration, consistency and transparency.” Corgan is an employee-owned architecture and design firm with 20 locations and approximately 1,200 team members globally.

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NEUTRALITY GLOBAL OPERATIONS Global architecture and design firm, Corgan, has achieved carbon neutrality across all Scopes 1, 2 and 3. This milestone reflects the firm’s ongoing commitment to measure, report and offset carbon emissions across its global business practice. ACROSS “Achieving carbon neutrality is a significant milestone in Corgan’s evolution. We’ve worked to create a sustainability practice that aligns with our values and with our clients’ aspirations. Meeting this goal reflects our commitment to operate our firm as responsible stewards of the environment,” said Scott Ruch, principal and CEO at Corgan. Corgan’s in-house sustainability team, Echo, led the effort to collect emissions data with external support. Corgan began tracking emissions data in 2023 starting with Scopes 1 and 2 CO2e emissions from its 14 offices. In 2024, Corgan added five offices and over 200 employees; in addition to accounting for Scopes 1 and 2 across those 19 offices, Echo accounted for the firm’s Scope 3 emissions including business air-travel and staff commuting. This work establishes a baseline for the firm as it looks to reduce energy consumption and emissions. Working with CEEZER, Corgan offset its 2024 emissions across all Scopes through a portfolio of carbon credit purchases supporting global decarbonization initiatives in the built environment that align with its priorities:

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I consider myself an “extroverted introvert.” I can be perfectly happy at home doing my own thing, interacting with no one. But I know it’s not healthy. It’s not the way for me to be all I can be. So I clean up, get dressed, and get out. And other than the insane amount of money spent on coffee and restaurant meals, I never regret it! Maybe you should have more face-to- face interactions, too? Mark Zweig is Zweig Group’s chairman and founder. Contact him at mzweig@zweiggroup.com. coffees, and get out to professional or trade association meetings. Everything is better when you do.” “Make more of an effort to go see clients, meet people for lunch and

MARK ZWEIG , from page 5

studio in the country. That’s all just in one week and does not include all of the virtual meetings I was involved with also. This week will be much the same although it starts with a nearly solid day of online meetings that I hope don’t leave me feeling depleted. I’m 67 years old and as busy as I have ever been. I am energized and can get by on four or five hours of sleep day after day. But you know what? If I tried doing everything I just told you about from remotely my home office – even though it’s much more efficient with no travel – I don’t think I could motivate myself to do it. And I don’t think all of the good – much of it intangible and hard to describe – that came out of those face-to-face meetings would be realized, either. Relationships are established and solidified – life courses are even altered because of these meetings.

THE ZWEIG LETTER NOVEMBER 17, 2025, ISSUE 1610

OPINION

The creative void

When the engine stalls, take the pause to reset, refocus, and get ready for what comes next.

F or 30 years, I’ve driven the marketing machine, leading teams, streamlining processes, and polishing proposals until they were bulletproof. Then a few weeks ago, bam! Nothing. No meetings cramming my calendar. No RFPs screaming for edits. No fire drills. Just … quiet.

For someone who’s been working since I was 15, that silence felt like walking out of a crowded theater into an empty one. It shook me. But then, relief hit like a coffee break after a deadline sprint. That was my wake-up call. THE VOID. They call it the void. That empty stretch where ideas ghost you, and your drive hits the brakes. I’m no novelist, but I get why J.K. Rowling holed up in Edinburgh cafés, scratching out Harry Potter when her life felt like a stalled project, or why Stephen King admits to staring at a blank screen for days, waiting for the spark to return. It’s the same for us in the AEC world. Marketers slump after churning out a dozen proposals in a month. Architects stare at blank screens after a client meeting. Engineers go quiet after a multi-year plant

expansion wraps up. We grind through 60-hour weeks, merger fatigue, tight budgets, and endless change orders. Then the engine stalls. Maybe it’s a job change. Burnout. Something you can’t name. Suddenly, you’re asking: Who am I without the daily chaos? Take me, for example. I had a box in my office filled with old proposals and recordable CDs (remember those?). One was from a major airport’s new parallel runway proposal in 2002 that took three all-nighters to polish. We won it, and the template and boilerplate I built for that pitch became the firm’s go-to for a decade. Those folders are my scars and wins, proof of a life spent making things work behind the scenes. When the grind stopped, I thought I’d lost my edge. Spoiler: I didn’t. I’m still in my prime.

Kraig Kern, CPSM

See KRAIG KERN , page 8

THE ZWEIG LETTER NOVEMBER 17, 2025, ISSUE 1610

ELEVATE THE INDUSTRY®

MY PAUSE. Stepping back from an industry I’ve poured half my life into stings. But this break doesn’t erase what I built. Late nights perfecting workflows. Cancelled vacations to update a database. Vendors who became friends. Young coordinators I coached into leaders. Those wins and scars are mine. This is a pit stop, not a full stop. For the first time in years, I get to draft my own future. I get to decide what’s worth carrying forward, what I’m done ignoring, and what ambition looks like when boundaries, clarity, and meaning shape it. A WORD TO ANYONE IN THE VOID. If you’re stuck in that in-between, no job, no ideas, or no fire in your gut, don’t kick yourself. You’re not done. You’re catching your breath. The void feels brutal, but it’s where you sharpen the tools for your next climb. I’ve led marketing teams through impossible deadlines, talked coordinators off the burnout ledge, and mentored staff who thought their spark was gone. Every time, it came back. Yours will too. So, what’s one thing you’ve been ignoring in your own void? Maybe now’s the time to face it. This pause isn’t wasted. It’s where you stop running on fumes and start writing the next chapter on your terms. Kraig Kern, CPSM is innovation and integration lead at The Wooten Company. Contact him at kkern@thewootencompany. com.

KRAIG KERN , from page 7

THE CULTURE OF OVERDRIVE. In AEC, pausing feels like admitting you’re not tough enough. We treat burnout like it’s in the job description. I worked with a guy who skipped vacations for three years, bragging about it like a badge of honor. The U.S. Travel Association says over half of Americans don’t use their vacation days. I even had a mug that read: “Deadlines Are My Cardio.” Funny until it wasn’t. It’s

still in my box of office junk, mocking me. WHAT I’VE LEARNED IN THE SILENCE.

The void isn’t a dead end. It’s a slow burn. A place where resilience rebuilds, and you stop defining yourself by your inbox. Creativity starts to whisper again, like an old idea you jotted down years ago on a Post-it note, begging for another look. I’ve seen project managers go quiet after another relentless proposal cycle; their brains fried from endless drafts and edits. I’ve coached coordinators who felt numb, wondering if the next long-shot pursuit was worth it. I’ve watched architects crash post-charette, unsure if they’ve got another unique design in them. These aren’t failures. These are signs we need to stop sometimes.

THE ZWEIG LETTER NOVEMBER 17, 2025, ISSUE 1610

PROFILE

Cultivating culture: Jean-Alix Peralte President and co-founder of Peralte-Clark, LLC, a firm that specializes in managing, planning, designing, and implementing public and private infrastructure projects.

By LIISA ANDREASSEN Correspondent

I n 2017, Jean-Alix Peralte’s more than 30-year career culminated in the co-founding of Peralte-Clark, LLC (Arlington Heights, IL). At the start, he and his co-founding partner, John Clark, leveraged their expertise in a variety of disciplines in transportation engineering. At keys points in Peralte’s career, he was offered opportunities for advancement that he could not refuse – one of which led him to meeting Clark at an international corporation. While there, the two forged their partnership, often discussing their shared dream of starting their own firm. They wanted to create a workplace where people genuinely wanted to work – an environment centered on collaboration, growth, and personal fulfillment. Now, with a combined experience of more than 50 years with large consulting firms, primarily working directly for public agencies, and partnering with smaller firms, today, their company has a design capacity of almost $5 million, and IDOT prequalification in 12 categories.

LET THEM EAT PIE. Peralte-Clark has worked to redefine civil engineering into three key areas: people, integrity and engagement (PIE). Most recently, the company received the number one slot for Zweig Group’s Best Firms To Work For award in the civil engineering category and Peralte says that’s largely due to the way they treat their people. “While this includes our competitive and flexible benefits, our transparent principle-based culture, and our interesting and rewarding projects, what truly makes the company shine is our inclusive approach to management,” he says. “From the top down, each individual is not only aware of the context of decision making, but they also have direct input. That fosters a feeling of ownership in the company.” One of the ways that this approach is manifested is in the formation of a Business Strategy Committee where all levels of the organization are represented.

See CULTIVATING CULTURE , page 10

THE ZWEIG LETTER NOVEMBER 17, 2025, ISSUE 1610

ELEVATE THE INDUSTRY®

HEADQUARTERS: Arlington Heights, IL

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 34

Peralte-Clark LLC staff getting together for the firm’s annual picnic

YEAR FOUNDED: 2017

OFFICE LOCATIONS:

Over the years, Peralte says he has learned how to assess staff based on their individual goals and pace as opposed to comparing them to his own career expectations. As a company owner, he says he once assumed that everyone aimed to move upward or toward an ownership position, but that’s not always the case. “I now know it’s important to align roles with each person’s aspirations,” he says. And, of course, while everyone is enthusiastic about their work, staff also actively participate in mentoring, training, and volunteer involvement. Leadership empowers their staff to support causes near and dear to their hearts and to become engaged in the communities where they work, live and play. From participating in local advisory groups, community service efforts, industry committees, and mentoring youth and colleagues, to bringing clean water access to thousands across the globe, they are working to make a positive change in the world. Some organizations they have worked with include: Haiti Outreach, One Warm Coat, ACEC, Emory University, Together We Rise, Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois, and more. Overall, Peralte and Clark are incredibly proud of what they’ve built and the culture they’ve cultivated. Their shared dedication to improving the civil engineering field and to providing meaningful careers for their team has already made a profound impact, and they remain committed to continually refining their vision for the future.

CULTIVATING CULTURE , from page 9

Arlington Heights, IL

At Peralte-Clark, leaders are picked because they model and show an unwavering commitment to the company’s core values. The evaluation process includes thorough training and mentoring and their management and leadership skills are further sharpened by Peralte himself through a mentoring program. Managers are mentored to uphold the company’s three cultural pillars – people, integrity and engagement (PIE). When employees join based on shared principles and see those commitments practiced, turnover remains low. In fact, fostering a great work environment is what has the co-founders most excited. Both leaders revel in the enjoyment that their colleagues get from their work. “The company started with the goal of creating a great work environment, and while there’s room to improve, we’ve made strong progress, including earning our Zweig Group Best Firm To Work For recognition, Peralte says. “Now, our challenge is to maintain this success.” Peralte admits that making new hires is a little challenging. “With a limited pool of mid- to senior engineers in the industry, we face the universal challenge of delivering quality products in the most efficient way. This shortage also increases pressure on senior managers to oversee reviews and quality control while still fulfilling their leadership and management duties,” he shares.

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Chicago, IL

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MARKETS: Transportation engineering SERVICES: Planning, design, and construction management of public and private infrastructure projects, including highways and streets, bridges, transit systems, storm and sewer systems, and other facilities. Key areas of expertise include Phase I (preliminary) and Phase II (final) engineering, traffic and safety studies, maintenance of traffic, traffic design, geometric design, drainage and hydraulic studies, construction management, and public involvement.

THE ZWEIG LETTER NOVEMBER 17, 2025, ISSUE 1610

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