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TZL: Trust is essential. How do you earn the trust of your clients? LS: We earn and keep the trust of our clients by truly working to embody our core values – expertise, quality, leadership, trust, and respect – in everything we do, every day. What we find is that it is not just the technical knowledge and expertise that you bring to the table, but it’s about relationships. Being fair, going above and beyond, and looking out for your clients’ best interests go a long way in keeping long-term working relationships with our clients. They know what they’re getting when they hire DRMP. “The best part about this job is the people I work with on a daily basis. When you surround yourself with fantastic people, your job is fun.” TZL: You joined DRMP in 1987 and became managing principal in 1999. What advice would you give to someone who looks to grow into a leadership position? What’s the best plan of attack, so to speak? LS: Learn as much as you can early in your career; that is key. I’ve always told people if you want to be successful you need to learn how to do something and do it better than someone else. That is what elevates you into opportunities. Also, being kind, humble, and checking your ego at the door are all important. I’ve always told my kids they can get more in life with honey rather than vinegar. TZL: What role does your family play in your career? Are work and family separate, or is there overlap? LS: My family understands my role as the president of DRMP and that it’s a 24/7 job. There’s a separation, but there’s a tremendous amount of overlap. At the end of the day, I’m not neglecting them and I’m not neglecting the firm. My wife and kids are understanding; the grandkids and the dogs – not so much. TZL: What’s happening at DRMP that you’re really excited about right now? LS: The opportunities that will continue with our controlled growth with the support of our partners, the Trilon Group. There’s a buzz around our firm and the firms that have been brought on so far. Our staff is getting to know our partners and we have started connecting the dots in our service offerings. With every step in this process, I grow more and more
excited about our future and what it could mean for our employees. TZL: What skills are required to run a successful practice? What do you wish you knew starting out that you know now? LS: To be successful in this industry you need to have maturity in the business. Being an engineer, I wish I had the opportunity to learn earlier how businesses operate and the psychology of people. That’s where maturity comes into play, in knowing the flow of business and why people think the way they do and truly listening. Over time, I’ve learned both and I’m still learning. TZL: Diversity and inclusion are lacking. What steps are you taking to address the issue? LS: Establishing our Diversity, Equity & Inclusion committee was our first step, then taking steps to provide training at the leadership level first in laying the groundwork. Also, understanding that we must remain open-minded to learning and seeking to understand. Along with race, sexual orientation, gender equality, and other important topics, as a firm we must consider diversity as it relates to DRMP. That includes employees who work in the field and office, those who work in our regional offices versus headquarters, those who work in support departments, and learn how we all can come together for DRMP’s shared success. At the end of the day, we want the best and brightest working for us, and having this committee is one of the tools to make sure there is inclusion for future and current staff. TZL: In your opinion, what’s one of the greatest challenges facing the industry as a whole in the next 10 years? LS: The greatest challenge is finding good, qualified people to do the work, and I don’t see that changing soon because of the job market. All of us in the AEC industry have to focus on creating an industry pipeline, possibly even as early as the elementary school level to spark interest. TZL: Ownership transition can be tricky, to “All of us in the AEC industry have to focus on creating an industry pipeline, possibly even as early as the elementary school level to spark interest.”
HEADQUARTERS: Orlando, FL NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 500 YEAR FOUNDED: 1977 19 OFFICE LOCATIONS IN THREE STATES: ■ ■ Florida ■ ■ Georgia ■ ■ North Carolina MARKETS: Southeast U.S. SERVICES: ■ ■ Alternative delivery ■ ■ Construction services ■ ■ Ecological services ■ ■ Federal services ■ ■ Geographic information systems ■ ■ Land development ■ ■ Structural engineering ■ ■ Subsurface utility engineering ■ ■ Surveying and mapping/geospatial ■ ■ Trails/parks and recreation facilities ■ ■ Transportation ■ ■ Utilities engineering ■ ■ Water resources/ stormwater management ■ ■ Visualization services
See LARRY SMITH , page 8
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ULY 25, 2022, ISSUE 1450
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