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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®
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