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TZL: The talent war in the A/E indus- try is here. What steps do you take to create the leadership pipeline need- ed to retain your top people and not lose them to other firms? TB: We try to keep our leadership in- formed on the overall company sta- tus and mission, and letting manage- ment take the lead role in developing the growth of the company – either organically or through acquisition. By growing and expanding, additional management and technical opportu- nities are provided for leadership. We try to appeal to everyone in the firm for these new endeavors. “We encourage [entrepreneurship]. If staff has a good idea or suggestion, we listen. As senior management, we are open to different ideas/ changes.” TZL: As you look for talent, what po- sition do you most need to fill in the coming year and why? TB: While I like to say we’re like the Marine Corps and are “always looking for a few good men,” finding talent- ed employees is difficult. We actively seek individuals who can help us grow, sometimes even when an in-house po- sition is not available. We believe most of our needs in the upcoming year will include project engineer level person- nel with an experience range of four to eight years in the transportation engi- neering-related fields. TZL: While plenty of firms have an ownership transition plan in place, many do not. What’s your advice for firms that have not taken steps to identify and empower the next gen- eration of owners? TB: I am in somewhat of a unique po- sition. I have three children who have actively taken positions within the company. Each of them has worked for the firm, at various positions, for sev- eral years. The experience they have learned will lead to the next genera- tion of ownership. TZL: Zweig Group research shows there has been a shift in business development strategies. More and

more, technical staff, not marketing staff, are responsible for BD. What’s the BD formula in your firm? TB: In general, our marketing depart- ment typically contracts with procure- ment officials. Our senior and proj- ect management staff work directly with technical personnel. It would be rare for someone from the market- ing department to attend a technical meeting. The marketing department also develops written RFPs or compa- ny presentations, but anything that would involve technical engineering applications would be prepared by the management engineering staff. TZL: Diversifying the portfolio is never a bad thing. What are the most recent steps you’ve taken to broaden your revenue streams? TB: A few years ago, we decided to get into construction management and construction inspection. We have al- ways provided these services, but on a small, part-time and as-needed basis. We were able to build upon those qual- ifications, and with help from a small inspection staff, we began to pursue those types of contracts, either on a prime or joint-venture basis. After nu- merous procurement failures, we fi- nally got a break for full-time inspec- tion services. Using that contract, we were able to build on other CM/CMI avenues. Today, we have nearly 20 full- time on-site inspection personnel. We’re also developing and implement- ing capture plans and strategies as we take on new locales and disciplines. TZL: The list of responsibilities for project managers is seemingly end- less. How do you keep your PMs from burning out? And if they crash, how do you get them back out on the road, so to speak? to make sure they have the right tools to do it. If a PM gets overloaded, we discuss options for workload sharing, available staff, etc.” “Let the project managers do their job. We are there

YEAR FOUNDED: 1992 HEADQUARTERS: Baltimore, MD OFFICES: 7 offices in 4 states NO. OF EMPLOYEES: 90 SERVICES OFFERED:

❚ ❚ Traffic engineering and signal design ❚ ❚ Bridge and structural engineering ❚ ❚ Hydraulic/hydrology ❚ ❚ Highway/roadway ❚ ❚ Asset management ❚ ❚ Water resources ❚ ❚ Land use and site development ❚ ❚ Traffic counts ❚ ❚ Transportation planning and modeling ❚ ❚ CI/CM and claims analysis Their values: ❚ ❚ Quality ❚ ❚ Growth ❚ ❚ Professionalism COOL TOOL: Most experienced traffic engineers agree that establishing consistent advisory speeds can reduce unexpectedly dangerous situations. To assist in determining uniform advisory speeds for horizontal curves, BAI Instruments, a division of Brudis & Associates, Inc. developed the CurveRite 1200 Advisory Speed Meter, a product that is the result of significant research on employing modern instrumentation, microprocessor, and custom software technology.

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uly 23, 2018, ISSUE 1257

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