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RH: Historically, the vast majority of our clients have been in the private sector. Over the last few years, we’ve worked diligently to create a better balance of workload and have successfully grown our share of public sector projects, which will help us during an economic slowdown. In addition, we constantly work on fostering new client relationships – even when we don’t have the bandwidth to work for them today – by being a resource and providing expertise in small ways at no cost. Th is shows the value we can bring and creates a larger potential pool of clients in the event there is an economic slowdown. “Our closeness to the details of each facet of our work has been significant in distinguishing us from our peers, and we believe, contributed to our success.” TZL: Are you using the R&D tax credit? If so, how is it working for your firm? If not, why not? RH: We’ve been using the R&D tax credit since 2011, and it’s reduced our tax liability by a significant amount. Other than the consultant fee and some internal accounting and project manager time, this savings goes straight to the bottom line and becomes part of our profit and bonus pool. Any profitable design firm that is not taking advantage of the R&D tax credit is leaving money on the table. TZL: Does your firm work closely with any higher education institutions to gain access to the latest technology, experience, and innovation and/or recruiting to find qualified resources? RH: We work closely with Arizona State University, which has been named the No. 1 most innovative university in the country, and has an excellent engineering program. I have been the chair of the ASU Friends of Civil and Environmental Engineering for the past several years, which helps create relationships with ASU faculty and gives us an early look at students for internships and full- time positions upon graduation. Local community colleges are another great resource for recruiting designers and CAD technicians. By partnering with them at career expos and STEM outreach programs, we’ve been able to meet potential candidates and fill numerous
positions by those students trained in the latest technology. TZL: How many years of experience – or large enough book of business – is enough to become a principal in your firm? Are you naming principals in their 20s or 30s? RH: Last year we added three new principals, who were all in their mid to late 30s. Th e size of the book of business is a consideration, however the candidate’s expertise, leadership, management, and other soft skills are important too. Th eir client following is also considered along with whether they fit our culture. TZL: A firm’s longevity is valuable. What are you doing to encourage your sta ff to stick around? RH: First of all, we believe providing a great work environment with significant training and mentoring opportunities will keep our sta ff engaged and committed to sticking around. With our significant growth, we’re also able to provide fast- paced career advancement opportunities for those who demonstrate they have the capabilities and are deserving. With our firm’s position in the market, we’re able to provide excellent benefits and bonuses to all employees. We also target our median salary by position to be at the 75th percentile of those provided by other engineering firms in the Phoenix metropolitan area, with top performers significantly exceeding the 75th percentile. TZL: How much time do you spend working “in the business” rather than “on the business?” Darrell Wilson: Ron and I both came up heavy in the details and it’s hard to change who we are. As such, we are both still in projects every day – probably between 50 percent to 65 percent billable. Th ere is an argument to be made that much more of our time should be spent “on the business,” but at the same time, “We are very proud of our young leaders and we see some of ourselves in them. We believe they have learned well and best by working alongside us.”
HEADQUARTERS: Phoenix, AZ
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 153
YEAR FOUNDED: 2009
NUMBER OF OFFICE LOCATIONS: 2 offices in Phoenix
SERVICES:
z Engineering
z Planning
z Surveying
z Managment
z Environmental
TRAINING HOURS: In 2018, HILGARTWILSON invested 765 training hours in its employees. IN THE COMMUNITY: In 2018, the firm contributed to 25 charities. PARTNERSHIP: When founding HILGARTWILSON, both Darrell and Ron committed to focusing on the spirit of partnerships that, in addition to its clients, extends to its people and community. HILGARTWILSON’s partnership philosophy with its staff creates a culture that promotes individual excellence in a team environment and provides personal growth opportunities for its talented and professional staff.
See PARTNERSHIP, page 8
© Copyright 2019. Zweig Group. All rights reserved.
mber 18, 2019, ISSUE 1321
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