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P R O F I L E

Partnership: Ron Hilgart & Darrell Wilson Founders of HILGARTWILSON (Phoenix, AZ), an exemplary multidisciplinary firm that was formed in the middle of the Great Recession.

By LIISA ANDREASSEN Correspondent

H ILGARTWILSON was co-founded by Hilgart and Wilson to provide exemplary consulting services in civil engineering, land use planning, surveying, and construction management. Formed in 2009, both partners faced economic uncertainty, but had an unwavering commitment to their clients and projects. A decade later, they’ve grown the company into a leading Arizona firm. When founding the firm, both Hilgart and Wilson committed to focusing on the spirit of partnerships that, in addition to its clients, extended to sta ff and community too. It’s this partnership philosophy and culture that promotes individual excellence in a team environment and provides personal growth opportunities for its talented and professional sta ff . In the spirit of partnership, Hilgart and Wilson tag-teamed this conversation to divide and conquer. A CONVERSATION WITH RON HILGART & DARRELL WILSON. Th e Zweig Letter: What are the three to four key

business performance indicators that you watch most carefully? Do you share that information with your sta ff ? Ron Hilgart: We closely watch profit margins, WIP, and receivables on a per team basis and utilization rates on a per individual basis. Th is information is reviewed with project managers monthly, with action items noted, which are followed up on throughout the month. New projects under contract are reviewed on a monthly basis, with the goal being for contract amounts of new projects to consistently exceed the corresponding monthly amount invoiced. Cumulative backlog is also tracked. Project managers and directors see all of their financial metrics with a comparison to the company average, but do not see the individual performance of other project teams. Company performance metrics, including revenue growth, are shared with the entire sta ff at our annual meeting. TZL: What, if anything, are you doing to protect your firm from a potential economic slowdown in the future?

THE ZWEIG LETTER Novem

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