1261

P R O F I L E A sterling year

One-two punch of growth, big incentives for 2018 Hot Firms and Best Firms to Work For.

By RICHARD MASSEY Editor

E ach year, Zweig Group names the 100 fastest growing Hot Firms in the country, as well as the top Best Firms, across multiple AEC categories, where people want to work and build their careers. These lists always yield a trove of eye-popping statistics, and this year, the 19th for Hot Firm, is no different. Mete- oric growth, both in percentage value and in dollar value, huge bonuses, opportunities for professional development, and generous benefits for employees are once again the hall- marks of Zweig Group’s Hot and Best firms. This year, attendees of the annual conference will convene in Dallas at the Fairmont Hotel on Sep. 20-21. Prior conferenc- es have been held in Boston, Phoenix, and Seattle. The Hot Firm list was modeled after the Inc. 500 list, and was founded to bring an element of fun and celebration to the otherwise straight-laced reality of succeeding in the compet- itive AEC industry. If you work hard, you also need to play hard, and the annual Hot Firm conference, filled with smiling faces and plenty of good will, is a great way to generate posi- tive exposure for the industry. The Best Firm list is all about what a firm can do for its most important asset – its people. Based on employee surveys that annually generate as many as 1.6 million data points, Best Firm captures the evolution that is taking place in many AEC companies as they strive to acculturate and mold three gen- erations of workers – baby boomer, Gen X, and millennial – into a cohesive and productive whole. In total, 242 firms are being honored this year, and that’s not counting the firms recognized for marketing excellence. Con- ference organizers agree that the most meaningful aspects of the conference are the friendships that are made, the busi- ness partnerships that are formed, and the education to be had through speakers, sponsors, and intense break-out ses- sions. For Chad Clinehens, president and CEO of Zweig Group, the professional calendar revolves around the annual conference and the firms it celebrates. “Hot Firm recognizes the firms that are achieving a real met- ric of business success and growth, which fuels job creation and builds the communities they serve,” he said. “Best Firm awards companies with a powerful endorsement of great cul- ture and workplace conditions. In this historically competi- tive labor market, this award arms companies with an incred- ibly powerful differentiator that empowers their recruiting efforts.”

THE ZWEIG LETTER August 20, 2018, ISSUE 1261

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