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PROFILE
Sustainable momentum: Jesse Kropelnicki CEO of No. 1 Hot Firm Verdantas (Tampa, FL), an integrated environmental science, engineering, and consulting firm.
By LIISA ANDREASSEN Correspondent
W hen Jesse Kropelnicki learned his firm placed No. 1 on Zweig Group’s Hot Firm List this year, he was only a little surprised. “Of course, anytime you hit the top spot, it’s a thrill, but based on our trajectory over the past few years, we knew we had a shot,” he said. “We’ve made steady progress, placing sixth a couple of years ago and second last year – so this recognition feels like the culmination of a lot of hard work.” For most companies, rapid growth can be challenging, especially when you’re bringing multiple firms together like at Verdantas. But Kropelnicki says when everyone is aligned around a shared purpose and vision, the journey becomes something people genuinely enjoy. “It’s not just about acquisitions, plenty of companies can grow that way,” he says. “What matters is how we build trust rapidly, and what opportunities our growth brings to our people after a deal closes. For us, the key has been creating something greater than the sum of its parts that our staff sees value in, and that comes down to culture, alignment, and ownership.” At Verdantas, its ownership model is somewhat unique. Nearly 25 percent of staff has equity in the company, despite being
a private equity-backed firm. That ownership mindset fuels passion, patience, and a long-term commitment to their mission. Verdantas also prioritizes clear communication and transparency to ensure that the culture is a place where trust building is inevitable. “That’s the glue that holds it all together and it’s why we’ve been able to grow with integrity, momentum, and with voluntary attrition rates well below industry norms,” he shares. Over the past three years, Verdantas’ growth has been well over 20 percent and it’s been a healthy balance of organic and acquisitive growth. “What’s important and somewhat rare is that even with a very active acquisition strategy, we’ve maintained robust organic growth,” Kropelnicki says. “Many firms see organic growth stall or even decline when they focus heavily on M&A, but we’ve been disciplined from the start to only acquire firms that we believe will further fuel organic growth. We’re very intentional and look for healthy, growing companies with strong leadership – leaders who are excited about our vision and eager to continue growing as part of our team.”
See SUSTAINABLE MOMENTUM , page 10
THE ZWEIG LETTER JUNE 23, 2025, ISSUE 1591
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