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MB: We could easily grow 20 percent in the coming year. Right now we have about 30 requisitions out there. Mid- level engineers with about 10 years’ experience are the most difficult to re- cruit. We have to convince them that working here is better than anywhere else. We’re also looking for project managers with client-facing skills and people who can help us to grow geo- graphically – regional leaders. “The responsibility of the management team is to identify high potential employees and then help them to create an individual career plan for the future. We look to see who is ready to step up.” TZL: Monthly happy hours and dog friendly offices. What do today’s CEOs need to know about today’s workforce? MB: Today’s workforce is very talent- ed and we have some great talent at Burns. They desire flexibility and need a lot of communication. They need to be engaged and to know that we are working with them to develop a career for the future. They challenge manage- ment to do what we should do. They want to be part of a high performance team – that’s the most important thing. And of course, we have those other perks like happy hours and such. Most recently, we had an office Olym- pics – curling specifically – and award- ed bronze, silver, and gold medals. 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? MB: We have a seller/doer model. The advantage of that is that the person in front of the client understands the technical needs and this can be reas- suring to the client. They understand their concerns. We’re organized by market sector so thought leadership in the different areas is also key. We work to educate the client on how to solve problems. The downside of the seller/doer model is that staff often likes the doing more than the selling.

TZL: Diversifying the portfolio is never a bad thing. What are the most recent steps you’ve taken to broaden your revenue streams? MB: It’s very important to be diversi- fied. We’re diversified by market sec- tor and geographic region. Right now, we’re working to grow geographical- ly in Florida, California, and the New York metro area. Every few years we also look at new market sectors to off- set any decline in other areas. Cur- rently, we’re doing a lot of work in the micro-grid and niche energy markets. TZL: What is the role of entrepre- neurship in your firm? MB: It’s very important to our busi- ness. We always seek new offerings and need people with entrepreneur- ial skills to help us grow and meet our goals as opposed to helping us to maintain and establish. We are thought leaders. TZL: In the next couple of years, what A/E segments will heat up, and which ones will cool down? MB: I see infrastructure and trans- portation heating up. I’m not so sure about cooling down – perhaps com- mercial retail. A lot of work has been deferred over the past few years and it’s all finally catching up. “Our culture is one that encourages working across department lines. We have a strong team culture and keep backbiting at bay.” TZL: Measuring the effectiveness of marketing is difficult to do us- ing hard metrics for ROI. How do you evaluate the success/failure of your firm’s marketing efforts when results could take months, or even years, to materialize? Do you track any metrics to guide your marketing plan? MB: The ultimate metric is, “Do we meet our sales goals?” Like many firms, we keep track of opportunities and look at hit rates. How much of those opportunities convert to sales? We also do customer follow up and have a third party call to find out how

YEAR FOUNDED: 1957 HEADQUARTERS: Philadelphia, PA OFFICES: 10 offices in nine states NO. OF EMPLOYEES: 220 SERVICES: ❚ ❚ Aviation ❚ ❚ Facilities and Infrastructure ❚ ❚ Higher Education ❚ ❚ Railroad and Transit MAJOR CLIENTS: ❚ ❚ Air France ❚ ❚ Boeing ❚ ❚ Penn State University ❚ ❚ JFK International Airport ❚ ❚ New York City Department of Transportation ❚ ❚ Kraft Foods NEWS:

Burns is serving as the technology and engineered systems engineer for several capacity enhancements at the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority. FAST FACTS: ❚ ❚ Avg. number of active projects in a year: 200 ❚ ❚ Avg. tenure of employees: 8 years ❚ ❚ Avg. annual revenue growth over past four years: 18.4 percent ❚ ❚ Avg. age of staff: 43.7 years

See CONFERENCE CALL, page 8

pril 16, 2018, ISSUE 1244

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