TZL 1284

T R E N D L I N E S W W W . T H E Z W E I G L E T T E R . C O M F e b r u a r y 1 8 , 2 0 1 9 , I s s u e 1 2 8 4

Project manager salaries

Having a real exit strategy

Zweig Group’s 2018 Salary Survey of Mountain & Pacific Engineering Firms provides yearly base salary trends for engineers of all levels from states on the West coast. Looking at the average growth per year can help firms determine what future salary increases may be necessary for certain positions. For example, median base salaries for project managers in structural , mechanical , and civil engineering were analyzed over a five-year stretch from 2014 to 2019. In that period, civil engineering project managers rapidly surpassed their peers in base pay. F I R M I N D E X BSA LifeStructures................................12

O ne of the things they teach you about entrepreneurship in business school is that you should have your exit strategy in mind as you start and grow your company. While I realize most of our readers probably didn’t start the companies they work in, many are owners and top managers, and that means you better be thinking about an exit strategy as you run your business. And with a new year underway, business plans are being created and implemented. If you haven’t talked about it with your partners and fellow managers, now is the time. Some people have the misconception that “exit strategy” somehow equates to “failure” or “going out of business.” Nothing could be farther from the truth. “Exit” in this context merely means getting the value out of your years of sacrifice growing the business when you do eventually cash out. Entrepreneurial ventures should provide TWO sources of income for their owners – what they extract every year in terms of salary, benefits, and profit distributions, and what they earn in equity appreciation upon exit. So, getting the most for the business when you exit is an important part of your financial rewards. Generally speaking, an external sale will yield the highest value for your ownership stake. Internal sales usually have some sort of discount associated with them for “lack of control” (controlling interest in an internal sale may be another matter but we won’t get into that now). That said, what makes your firm more valuable in an external sale will also make it more valuable in an internal sale, should you decide to go that route when the time comes.

“One of the things they

teach you about entrepreneurship in business school is that you should have your exit strategy in mind as you start and grow your company.”

Mark Zweig

David Chipperfield.................................10

HNTB Corp...........................................10

Ken Fulk..................................................4

MORE COLUMNS xz GUEST SPEAKER: Real perceptions Page 3 xz GUEST SPEAKER: Youthful exuberance Page 9 xz GUEST SPEAKER: Death by meeting Page 11

Modjeski and Masters.............................2

Partner Engineering and Science, Inc......6

Robins & Morton...................................10

Rockefeller Kempel Architects...............12

T H E V O I C E O F R E A S O N F O R A E C F I R M S & M A N A G E M E N T C O N S U L TA N T S Decision-making: Joe Derhake See MARK ZWEIG, page 2 Summit Engineering Group.....................2 Page 6

TRANSACT IONS SUMMIT ENGINEERING GROUP COMPLETES INTEGRATION WITH MODJESKI AND MASTERS Modjeski and Masters , a nationwide leader in the design, inspection, and rehabilitation of all bridge types, including long-span and movable structures, announced the full integration of Summit Engineering Group . Modjeski and Masters first acquired Summit Engineering Group in 2015. The firm’s specialty in concrete bridge design and construction has enhanced Modjeski and Masters’ ability to better serve its clients and strengthen the

nation’s infrastructure. Following the complete integration, Summit Engineering Group will now officially operate as Modjeski and Masters. “Over the past three years, we have successfully leveraged the collective expertise of our two firms for the benefit of multiple infrastructure projects across the country,” said Mike Britt, President and CEO at Modjeski and Masters. “With expanded services, and broader and deeper expertise in key areas, we are positioned to offer clients an even greater level of service – as one firm.”

MARK ZWEIG, from page 1

So, here are my thoughts about how to increase your value – whether you exit through an internal or external sale. And these are important strategic matters either way: 1)Revenue growth rate. Many so-called experts tout multiples of EBITDA as the most important value drivers but the fact is high revenue growth rate affects value probably more than anything. If you don’t believe me, look at the public markets where some companies never make a profit yet have multi-billion dollar valuations. And consistent growth is valued more so than sporadic, up and down growth. 2)Profitability. One would be naïve to say profitability doesn’t matter to any buyer of any business. Of course, a buyer needs profitability to pay back their investment. But what really matters is what the buyer’s projections are for post-sale profitability. There are many addbacks and deductions to consider. Many highly profitable companies in this business are that way because the owners underpay themselves salary-wise. That jacks up profits. Another reason for better than normal profits may be a lack of investment in marketing, technology, facilities, or people. These would be deductions, then, from a buyer’s standpoint. Addbacks include things such as excess salaries and benefits for owners, reduced overhead from insurance sav- ings and duplicate outside professional service providers, and/or overhead staff. We have worked with some companies where the buyer’s view of post-transaction profit- ability was one that more than tripled what the company was currently doing. It is important to understand “profitability” in a privately-held company is rarely reflected accurately on an income statement. 3)Brand name. A good brand is worth a lot of money in this business. CH2M-Hill was a great brand at one time. HOK Sport was an amazing brand. EDSA is a real brand. I could go on. These companies are worth more because clients chase them down to do their work, rather than the other way around. They also have higher fees. It is like “Mc- Donald’s” versus “Joe’s Burgers.” If you open a McDonald’s, cars will line up the first day. Customers know what to expect and will pay a premium for it. But you have to be care- ful. You don’t want that brand name to be tied only to your star or stars, or it won’t be perceived by potential buyers as something that they can actually buy. 4)Management and staff. You need good people there and depth in the ranks for all positions. If the only “good” people are the owners, your value will go down. Buyers want to know there are others who are trained and capable at every level to not only do the work that comes in but also carry on running the place as the post-transaction demotivated owners (they got theirs) move on or prepare to move on. This takes a real succession plan, training, and mentoring (yes, I despise the word but it is meaningful in this context!). 5)Systems. Having a great file system where everything can be found increases your val- ue. So does a widely shared and up-to-date client and potential client database. No one wants to buy a business where all of the history or marketing information or business development contacts are stored in the brains of those no longer with the company or on portable rolodexes that can be picked up and carried off à la Mad Men . So, hopefully by now you can see how all of this stuff is important and intimately tied to your firm’s strategy. And it all makes you worth more, whether the sale is internal or external. MARK ZWEIG is Zweig Group’s chairman and founder. Contact him at mzweig@zweiggroup.com.

1200 North College Ave. Fayetteville, AR 72703 Mark Zweig | Publisher mzweig@zweiggroup.com Richard Massey | Managing Editor rmassey@zweiggroup.com Christina Zweig | Contributing Editor christinaz@zweiggroup.com Sara Parkman | Editor and Designer sparkman@zweiggroup.com Liisa Andreassen | Correspondent landreassen@zweiggroup.com

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Email: info@zweiggroup.com Online: thezweigletter.com Twitter: twitter.com/zweigletter Facebook: facebook.com/thezweigletter Published continuously since 1992 by Zweig Group, Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA. ISSN 1068-1310. Issued weekly (48 issues/year) $250 for one-year print subscription; free electronic subscription at thezweigletter.com/subscribe © Copyright 2019, Zweig Group. All rights reserved.

THE ZWEIG LETTER February 18, 2019, ISSUE 1284

O P I N I O N

Real perceptions

Your clients have definite ideas about what your firm is and isn’t, but if you don’t take the time to ask, you’ll never know what they’re thinking.

P erception is reality. Do you know how clients perceive your firm? Knowing what the perception of your firm is helps build your business and increases your profits. It gives you insights that help your firm be more focused and intentional. Asking questions about the experience clients have had with your firm and your differentiating factors directs your marketing message.

Lindsay Young GUEST SPEAKER

across industries and geographic areas gives you a good cross section of data. It confirms or denies your strengths and weaknesses, and reveals the areas of your business that you need to focus on. If multiple clients share their positive experience about your programming or process and how “Knowing what the perception of your firm is helps build your business and increases your profits. It gives you insights that help your firm be more focused and intentional.”

Knowing what your clients think about the work you perform, the people they work with on projects, and their opinion to hire you again, or give you referrals, is important data. Most firms never ask, or just assume. There is no reason not to ask, because many times clients are happy to talk about the experience they have had with your firm. They are impressed that you would even ask and that your firm would make the investment. I’m not talking about sending out an email survey, either. The types of surveys conducted are completed face-to-face or over the phone, so additional questions or details can be collected or deciphered. It allows your client to share their story. Gathering this data from a wide array of clients

See LINDSAY YOUNG, page 4

THE ZWEIG LETTER February 18, 2019, ISSUE 1284

BUSINESS NEWS BELLAGIO DEBUTS SADELLE’S OVERLOOKING ICONIC RESORT CONSERVATORY Bellagio is proud to welcome Sadelle’s, SoHo’s popular vintage- style restaurant from Major Food Group and one of the most desired reservations in New York City, to the resort’s award-winning culinary portfolio. In a coveted location overlooking the exquisite Bellagio Conservatory, Sadelle’s brings an elevated perspective to all-day dining in Las Vegas through culinary craftsmanship forging a new identity for approachable cuisine normally found in cafés and bakeries. The restaurant’s stunning locale, Ken Fulk design, fun vibe, and legendary menu will make it a destination experience for tourists and locals. The 10,000-square-foot space envelops guests in a timeless combination of colorful pastels and bespoke touches transporting diners back in time to a grand café along an old European boulevard. “We are taking everything great about Sadelle’s in New York and taking it to the next level in Las Vegas,” said Major Food Group Managing Partner Jeff Zalaznick. “The incredible space, overlooking the Bellagio Conservatory, along with an elevated menu focused on quintessential classics allow us to create a one-of-a-kind culinary experience from early morning through late night. I think if we do our job, we’ll set a new standard in the city for what the all-day dining restaurant is all about.”

MGM Resorts International Senior Vice President of Food and Beverage Strategy Ari Kastrati said, “Sadelle’s delivers a bold personality and next-level craftsmanship to the all-day dining experience that simply does not exist in Las Vegas right now. We are grateful for this partnership and look forward to their beloved NYC restaurant delivering memorable dining experiences to our Las Vegas guests.” To create a theatrical stage for Sadelle’s service befitting of Bellagio’s grandeur, Major Food Group worked with designer Ken Fulk, the visionary architect who brought the original SoHo location to life. For the Las Vegas iteration, Fulk took the core elements of Sadelle’s in New York City and augmented them in a stylized manner inspired by the exuberance of Belle Époque Paris. Design highlights: ❚ ❚ Extravagant Entrance – Upon arrival, guests encounter a beautiful bakery cart, accented by a crystal chandelier and herringbone parquet floors, and surrounded by paneled blush walls. Moving into the space, the wall palette shifts to Sadelle’s signature cerulean hue as a whimsical lacquered pastry cart, enamel-topped bistro tables and woven café chairs set the tone for the boulangerie experience throughout the lower level. ❚ ❚ Main Dining Room – With welcoming banquettes, upholstered seating, and intricate floors featuring five types of stone in a bold herringbone pattern, the dining room

is refined and glamorous. Intimate lighting, expertly attuned for leisurely brunches, late- night suppers and everything in between, complements soft furnishings, wood tables, brass accents, mirrored walls, and coffered ceilings, allowing the space to seamlessly shift from a bright and airy brunch spot to an intimate evening destination. ❚ ❚ Elevated Bar and Lounge – Rounded lines, like the demilune bar, clamshell lounge chairs, and serpentine sofas set the bar and lounge at Sadelle’s apart from the rest of the restaurant. Softly upholstered furnishings invite parties of all sizes for cocktails and late-night lounging, while spacious cocktail tables can accommodate guests seeking appetizers, bar snacks, or sensational sips. ❚ ❚ Private Dining Room – Like many of Fulk’s hospitality projects, the private dining room offers its own evocative experience. In a nod to Art Nouveau, the carpet undulates into a radiating starburst pattern and the upholstered walls feature a feathery botanical print. Ken Fulk is a designer of experiences big and small. He is renowned for elevating the daily lives of his clients, not only designing their homes, jets, restaurants and hotelsbut also directing their birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, and family getaways. Leading a team of 60 architects, designers, artisans, branding, and event specialists in both San Francisco and New York, Fulk has expanded his impact around the globe.

LINDSAY YOUNG, from page 3

recommended, they know you truly care about them and their business. They trust you and know you are listening to them. Because you have built this relationship and trust with your client, you can charge a higher fee and don’t have to spend as much money acquiring new clients. There is value in what you deliver to them. You are taking care of existing clients and building those existing relationships. (It’s seven times more expensive to acquire new clients than retain existing clients!) Clients want to know that you care about their firm and their project. Conducting these surveys gives you another reason to build that relationship and show them you care. Whatever your clients’ perceptions are of your firm is the reality. Confirming what that perception is can put you ahead of your competition and allows you to be more focused with your marketing spend. Making the investment in this research makes you focus on the things your clients care about most. Knowing your clients’ perception increases your profits and builds those relationships. If you want to know more about brand perception surveys and how they can benefit your firm, I’d love to talk to you. LINDSAY YOUNG is president and founder of nu marketing. She can be reached at lindsay@numarketingllc.com.

it’s different than that of your competitors, then we’ve just discovered a differentiating factor that we can use in marketing messages. If one client complains about the technical staff and all the other comments were positive, then you know that’s an anomaly in the survey. Regardless of industry or geography, the collected data is useful in forming a conclusion about your firm. “Whatever your clients’ perceptions are of your firm is the reality. Confirming what that perception is can put you ahead of your competition and allows you to be more focused with your marketing spend.”

Once the surveys are completed, you can see the consistencies or inconsistencies in marketing,

administration, and operations within your firm. It allows you to confirm assumptions or discover new ones in order to focus on the client and improve inefficiencies. If you thought your close-out process was spectacular, but then discovered through these surveys it was lacking, then you can focus on improving your close-out process. When clients see you have implemented changes they have

THE ZWEIG LETTER February 18, 2019, ISSUE 1284

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THE ZWEIG LETTER February 18, 2019, ISSUE 1284

P R O F I L E

Decision-making: Joe Derhake CEO and founder of Partner Engineering and Science, Inc. (Hot Firm #9 for 2018), a 700- plus person engineering and environmental due diligence consulting firm.

By LIISA ANDREASSEN Correspondent

“T here’s no boundary between entry-level and senior- level staff,” Derhake says. “Good ideas come from all over and we’re constantly reaching into the organization to ask and listen for those ideas.” A CONVERSATION WITH JOE DERHAKE. The Zweig Letter: A firm’s longevity is valuable. What are you doing to encourage your staff to stick around? Joe Derhake: Our mission is internal – to be the best home for talented professionals in our field. Our core strength comes from those who are a part of our team, and we be- lieve it’s imperative that we grow from within whenever possible. To fulfill this mission, we provide competitive ben- efits, opportunities for training and certification for verti- cal advancement, and a supportive, collaborative peer en- vironment. For example, three times a year we fly recent new hires to our headquarters for a New Hire Summit for training, and more importantly, to get connected to each other, senior leaders, the culture, and our mission. We also have a robust

“Partner University” training program that includes cross- training and career advancement events throughout the year, as well as more than 400 on-demand training assets. We encourage mentoring at all levels. Since we spend so many of our waking hours at work, we try to foster an environment where people want to work hard together, and then celebrate together. Each office is empow- ered to do different things to inspire people to have fun. For example, birthday and holiday celebrations, wellness programs like yoga, weekly fruit day, and Habitat for Hu- manity build day are all things that bring people together. Peers give each other awards and recognition each month for teamwork, expertise, accountability, and other values. There are also a few corporate philosophies that I think shape our culture into a place people want to stay. They in- clude: ❚ ❚ Accessible leadership. There’s no boundary between entry- level and senior-level staff. Good ideas come from all over and we’re constantly reaching into the organization to ask and listen for those ideas.

THE ZWEIG LETTER Febru

maintain a good reputation with manage- ment, as well as their peers. TZL: Internal transition is expensive. How do you “sell” this investment op- portunity to your next generation of principals? How do you prepare them for the next step? JD: Our model gives principals stock op- tions in more of the dot-com model. The options/stock is reasonably liquid, as we are a privately-traded company. On trade day, stockholders and option holders can cash in for any reason. TZL: When did you have the most fun running your firm, and what were the hallmarks of that time in your profes- sional life? JD: Now. I enjoy entrepreneurship. When we started as a team of nine, the challenge was surviving the Great Recession, build- ing strong relationships, attracting clients, and laying down the foundation for our firm. That was a hard and exciting time, but I wouldn’t exactly describe it as “fun.” Now, we have the resources and staff to do entrepreneurship the right way! And it’s working. We’ve had a couple misses, but many more wins. Twelve of our most suc- cessful practices started from one person’s entrepreneurial idea and efforts. TZL: Describe the challenges you en- countered in building your management team over the lifetime of your leader- ship? Have you ever terminated or de- moted long-time leaders as the firm grew? How did you handle it? JD: In the past five years, we’ve been add- ing one person from the outside to the executive board per year. I’ve been able to add outside engineering professionals with success as I have known these people for a long time – even though they were competitors. I’ve struggled to hire func- tions outside of my network, positions like a CIO. I have relied on recruiters for these types of hires with mixed results. TZL: In one word or phrase, what do you describe as your number one job respon- sibility as CEO? JD: Decision-making. TZL: What happens to the firm if you leave tomorrow? JD: It would be fine. All of the original founders of the company are still working here today, a decade later – that speaks to See DECISION-MAKING, page 8

❚ ❚ Profits are important, but in a lot of ways we put people before profits. ❚ ❚ We have a “no jerks” rule for hiring and fir- ing. It’s a constant effort, but it’s working. Part- ner has a very low turnover rate compared to industry norms – maybe by half. TZL: Do you tie compensation to perfor- mance for your top leaders? JD: Yes. I try to make incentivized com- pensation nurture teamwork. However, I think it’s sometimes possible to have the opposite effect if you aren’t careful. TZL: What actions do you take to address a geographic office or specific discipline in the event of non-performance? JD: I try to give constructive feedback and then have the patience to wait for improve- ment. Sometimes, the issue comes down to fit, so we need to redefine roles. “Our core strength comes from those who are a part of our team, and we believe it’s imperative that we grow from within whenever possible.” TZL: Have you ever closed an underper- forming office? If so, tell us about it. JD: Attracted by big dollars, we tried to get into contracting. The dollars were big, but we struggled with operations and hiring; ultimately, we failed. We are better at man- aging engineering and consulting busi- nesses. 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? JD: There are three ways to become a prin- cipal at Partner Engineering and Science, Inc.: 1) Develop a book of business. 2) Be a technical expert in your practice with exceptional ratings year after year, while also contributing in some way to growth. 3) Be a corporate executive with exemplary performance. We nominate 12 people for principal posi- tions and then their peers get to vote for which seven make it. This creates a process where every would-be principal needs to

YEAR FOUNDED: 2006 HEADQUARTERS: Torrance, CA (West Coast); Eatontown, NJ

(East Coast) OFFICES: 44 NO. OF EMPLOYEES: 742 SERVICES:

❚ ❚ Environmental consulting ❚ ❚ Environmental remediation ❚ ❚ Building assessments ❚ ❚ Building engineering ❚ ❚ Energy and sustainability consulting ❚ ❚ Construction risk management ❚ ❚ Site civil engineering ❚ ❚ Landscape architecture ❚ ❚ Land surveying and mapping ❚ ❚ Industrial hygiene ❚ ❚ Health and safety compliance ❚ ❚ Geotechnical investigation ❚ ❚ Telecom ❚ ❚ Water resources

❚ ❚ Policy writing MARKET SECTORS: ❚ ❚ Automotive ❚ ❚ Energy ❚ ❚ Government ❚ ❚ Healthcare ❚ ❚ Education ❚ ❚ Hospitality ❚ ❚ Industrial ❚ ❚ Infrastructure

❚ ❚ Mixed use ❚ ❚ Multifamily ❚ ❚ Office ❚ ❚ Recreation ❚ ❚ Residential

❚ ❚ Retail and commercial ❚ ❚ Telecommunications

CULTURE: A collaborative culture where one success often leads to another. Partner encourages out-of-the-box thinking and welcomes new ideas to stay relevant in a changing world.

uary 18, 2019, ISSUE 1284

Partner employees at a Habitat for Humanity build in California.

DECISION-MAKING, from page 7

faster and cheaper. We invest in in-house custom solutions and have a room full of programmers innovating and test- ing solutions in real time. TZL: The seller-doer model is very successful, but with growth you need to adapt to new models. What is your program? JD: The seller-doer model is only about one third of our business development team. The rest of our BD staff are pure sellers. TZL: Diversity and inclusion is lacking. What steps are you taking to address the issue? JD: Five of the first nine principals were women and Part- ner is a majority women-owned business. Our two highest paid employees are women – I am number three. We’ve al- ways been a gender-balanced meritocracy and have not fo- cused on any gender centric hiring, but starting out very female has propagated that culture. If we were a case study, the conclusion would be that talented females are more in- terested in joining a very co-ed firm like ours rather than trying to pioneer in some firm where management has been a boy’s club for 50 years. TZL: Tell us about the last time you named a new princi- pal from outside the firm. JD: We would consider a person joining the firm as a prin- cipal if we were very familiar with them, knew them via an- other partner, and they brought in significant business.

the commitment and dedication of Partner’s executives to its continued success. I think three people in our C-suite could do my job. TZL: With technology reducing the time it takes to com- plete design work, how do you get the AEC industry to start pricing on value instead of hours? JD: We do a lot of lump sum work – we win when we can template our designs and do them over and over again. New challenges and original designs are great for learning but not for profit – of course, learning is important, too. “If we were a case study, the conclusion would be that talented females are more interested in joining a very co-ed firm like ours rather than trying to pioneer in some firm where management has been a boy’s club for 50 years.” TZL: If the worker shortage continues, do you see wag- es increasing to encourage more talent to enter the AEC space, or will technology be used to counter the reduced workforce? JD: We need to use technology to do everything better,

THE ZWEIG LETTER February 18, 2019, ISSUE 1284

O P I N I O N

Youthful exuberance

A s a younger engineer, I occasionally spent time doing the wrong things. My eagerness caused me to accept work with unconfirmed assumptions. This led to repeat work and disappointment from my managers. My focus was on activity, not results. In the early rush to make our names in the AEC business, we often overlook the basic building blocks for a great career.

“As a younger engineer, I occasionally spent time doing the wrong things. My eagerness caused me to accept work with unconfirmed assumptions. This led to repeat work and disappointment from my managers. My focus was on activity, not results.”

Kyle Cheerangie GUEST SPEAKER

Keeping a journal helped me learn that I was spending much of my time doing tasks that did not contribute to my team. The best engineers perform the necessary work and delegate or eliminate the unnecessary. For example, spending weeks to create a report with multiple iterations for comments and changes, when a simple technical memorandum would suffice. Young engineers typically go through this problem and most managers don’t have the heart to say, “Stop! This is not what I want.” Learn these following skills to improve: ❚ ❚ Allocate your time effectively. ❚ ❚ Think of results, not activity. ❚ ❚ Produce results through your strengths, not your weaknesses. ❚ ❚ Pursue excellence in your work.

❚ ❚ Make the right decisions.

Record your time. Eliminate time wasters. Consolidate your tasks. To make it to the highest brackets of engineering, your time must be worth

See KYLE CHEERANGIE, page 10

THE ZWEIG LETTER February 18, 2019, ISSUE 1284

BUSINESS NEWS ROBINS & MORTON RECEIVES NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF LABOR’S BUILDING STAR AWARD North Carolina Commissioner of Labor, Cherie Berry, presented Robins & Morton with the Building Star Award for their work in Raleigh, North Carolina. The Building Star Award is part of the North Carolina Department of Labor’s Star program, administered through its Education, Training, and Technical Assistance Bureau of the Occupational Safety and Health Division. This specific award recognizes construction worksites and companies that have quality safety and health programs that meet the Carolina Star requirements. Some requirements include: management commitment and leadership, employee involvement and participation, hazard identification and evaluation, hazard prevention and control, safety and health training. “Because of all of you and the way you work so safe and healthy every single day, you’ve helped North Carolina achieve the lowest illness and injury rate for our workers in the history of the state,” Berry said. Out of 250,000 companies working in North Carolina, only 155 have been inducted into the Star program. Of those 155, only 23 are Building Star recipients. “The North Carolina Department of Labor Star program is associated with top-notch safety. Seeing the Building Star flag hoisted up the flagpole at our jobsite is a testament of Robins & Morton’s commitment to safety,” Robins & Morton Division Safety Manager, Sheldon Monroe, said. “The comprehensive application process served as a validation of Robins & Morton’s safety management systems

and as a reminder that we must embrace a collaborative, continuous improvement mentality for our employees. This Building Star achievement belongs to every employee that walks through the project gate and will be a daily symbolic reminder of our dedication to their safety.” Founded in 1946, Robins &Morton is a privately held construction company that consistently ranks among the 100 largest U.S. builders in Engineering News-Record Magazine and one of the best companies to work for in America. A commitment to client satisfaction, excellence in execution, and providing the best environment for Robins & Morton’s employees’ growth. People make the difference – and Robins & Morton’s people share a commitment to client service, safe behaviors, quality performance, integrity, and respect. PARK TERRACE HOTEL NOW OPEN FOR RESERVATIONS IN NYC’S BRYANT PARK The newly-built Park Terrace Hotel opened its doors last week in one of New York’s most visited destinations, Bryant Park. Known as The Bryant 16 West 40, the project was funded in part by U.S. Immigration Fund, through the EB-5 Program. The new Park Terrace Hotel is part of the first-ever residential condominium built on the illustrious Bryant Park. Designed by internationally renowned architect, David Chipperfield , the EB-5 project is Chipperfield’s first ground-up residential tower in the United States. Bryant Park is located between Fifth and Sixth Avenues and between 40th and 42nd Streets and is conveniently situated 17 blocks south of Central Park. Located in the heart of midtown

Manhattan and Bryant Park, the contemporary Park Terrace Hotel, is only two blocks from Grand Central and Park Avenue and only one block from Times Square. With impeccable views of Bryant Park, the hotel has a total of 226 new guestrooms. The Park Terrace rooms are designed by Stonehill & Taylor and all the rooms are described as “bright, fresh and airy with a décor inspired by natural harmony.” The hotel’s stunning Terrazzo Lounge features views of the city’s iconic skyline and landmarks – Bryant Park, the American Radiator Building, The New York Public Library and the Empire State Building’s ever-changing colorful lights. The project embodies thoughtful and efficient design and unmatched centrality in the city, the landmark is slated to become “one of the most desired park front addresses in all of Manhattan,” and units are estimated to sell out in the next six months. Availability can be viewed on The Bryant’s sales website. “We are thrilled to have played a part in financing this project to add more vibrancy to the midtown neighborhood around Bryant Park,” said Nicholas Mastroianni III, president of U.S Immigration Fund. “With a location convenient popular destinations in New York including Times Square, Broadway and Fifth Avenue – there is something for everyone, and The Bryant is beautifully central – whether visiting for business or exploring the city’s entertainment.” The Bryant 16 West 40 soars 32 stories high, with 226 Park Terrace guest rooms, 2,500 square feet of retail space, 25,500 square feet of restaurant space and 57 luxury residential condominiums.

KYLE CHEERANGIE, from page 9

Excellence is of utmost importance for a young engineer. Everything that leaves your desk should be excellent. Also, don’t get knocked off course when you miss that mark. Excellent work is your best reputation builder. Make it your moniker. The top person in any organization is a decision maker. Practice taking advice and making decisions. The world is full of advisors. Observe a room of 10 people. Of those 10, eight are incapable of making decisions, possibly due to fear of responsibility. However, these same eight will surely have an opinion on what should be done. Learn to assess their opinions and make a decision. Early on, your decisions will carry less weight so practice this skill while the price for failure is low. Memorize the following and practice: Proper time allocation; think results; think strengths; think excellence; be decision oriented. KYLE CHEERANGIE is a project manager at HNTB Corp. and is the founder and director of content for the blog Engineered Journals. He can be reached at kyle@engineeredjournals.com.

upward of $200 per hour. What do you currently do with your time? And how much is it worth? When working, you should be thinking of results. How is your effort going to produce a product and what is the desired result of that product? “Excellence is of utmost importance for a young engineer. Everything that leaves your desk should be excellent. Also, don’t get knocked off course when you miss Learn what you do well. Keep volunteering for those tasks. One way of learning your strengths is to record the results of your efforts. Did your manager have to comment heavily on your work? Was your assignment completed easily? Record the outcomes. that mark. Excellent work is your best reputation builder. Make it your moniker.”

THE ZWEIG LETTER February 18, 2019, ISSUE 1284

O P I N I O N

Death by meeting

We all know meetings are a necessary evil, but do we have to let them wreck our productivity?

D id you know that a typical American professional attends more than 60 meetings per month? That is more than two meetings per day. With that many meetings, and all the emails we find ourselves responding to, it’s a wonder we get any work done at all. To make matters worse, on average, 50 percent of the time spent in those meetings is waste! Researchers from Harvard Business School and Boston University surveyed 182 senior managers across industries, and 65 percent said that meetings prevent them from completing their work, and 71 percent found them to be unproductive and inefficient.

Chase Miller GUEST SPEAKER

Meetings have an adverse effect on productivity in a number of ways. Between the time spent in meetings, and working in a collaborative way outside of meetings, very little time is left to accomplish solo work. Many employees dedicate themselves to coming in early and staying late to get everything done, resulting in burnout. Furthermore, time in between meetings becomes unproductive. In an Ohio State University Fisher College of Business Study, researchers asked participants how long they could spend reading in the hour before a meeting for which they were fully prepared. Respondents said they had 50 minutes

available, but it felt like they only had 40 minutes. Participants were also told that they either had five minutes to kill or that they had five minutes to spare before an upcoming task or meeting. Those not reminded about the upcoming task/ meeting (five minutes to spare) carried out 30 percent more than those thinking about the upcoming task/meeting (five minutes to kill). It’s clear that the mere thought of an upcoming meeting makes us less productive with the time we have available. You may be thinking, “So, what! Meetings are a necessary evil of our industry.” That may be true,

See CHASE MILLER, page 12

THE ZWEIG LETTER February 18, 2019, ISSUE 1284

BUSINESS NEWS U.S. GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL RECOGNIZES ROCKEFELLER KEMPELARCHITECTS FORADAPTIVE REUSE OF HISTORIC FORD MOTOR FACTORY IN DOWNTOWN LA Rockefeller Kempel Architects has been awarded the Sustainable Innovation Award in the Sustainable Site category by the Los Angeles Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council for its creative architectural solutions and restoration work in the adaptive reuse of the historic Ford Factory in downtown Los Angeles, which was completed in March 2017 and achieved LEED Gold certification. Each year, the U.S. Green Building Council recognizes project teams who exemplify having a commitment to a sustainable built environment, and who reflect the Chapter’s focus on energy and water savings, air quality, good design, community engagement and equity. “We’re honored to receive this award for our work on the rebirth of the old Ford Factory,” said Christopher Kempel, AIA, Rockefeller Kempel Architects Partner. “Adaptive reuse of historic buildings like this one are incredibly fun and rewarding. Not only do they pose design challenges and push our thinking, but we have the privilege of using our expertise to preserve or restore history while dreaming up modern solutions for a sustainable site.” The original concrete and brick building was

one of six factories designed by Parkinson & Bergstrom and built by the Ford Motor Company to assemble Model A and Model T automobiles from 1913 to 1929. The site consists of a five-story factory (Tower) built in 1913, a two-story factory (Assembly Plant) built in 1923, a single-story storage facility (Annex) built in 1984, and a cold storage facility built in 1996 (and then demolished in 2015 to make room for the Paseo and parking structure). Rockefeller Kempel Architects was careful to protect the history of the structures and restore character to the decaying buildings while modernizing the site for future use. ❚ ❚ The beautiful façade was restored to its former glory by revealing the historic brick and displaying the original expanse of glass. ❚ ❚ The original mushroom column capitals in the Tower building, which can be seen today in a restored fashion, support the extremely thick floor plates that once held the machinery used to build the original Ford automobiles. ❚ ❚ The clerestories in the Assembly Plant and Tower building were given new life while still meeting strict LEED and Title 24 standards. These gigantic linear skylights bring abundant natural light into the workplace, not only cutting down on the need for

artificial lighting, but adding to the healthy atmosphere that natural light provides. ❚ ❚ 83 percent of the existing structure and envelope elements like the steel window frames and skylights were used in the redevelopment. ❚ ❚ A 15,000 square foot linear park or Paseo was added as a communal space between the office and the new parking structure. It provides shade, landscaped views, and an escape from the urban surroundings while welcoming visitors to the site and serving as a delineation between the structures. Established in 2002, Rockefeller Kempel Architects is a highly skilled and talented team of architects and designers who specialize in modern residential, commercial, and mixed-use projects. Rockefeller Kempel Architects provides comprehensive architectural services to transform space from conceptual design and strategic planning to construction administration and post- occupancy evaluation. The team is known for their expertise in modern design, attention to site context, and focus on details. With over 75 years of experience between the partners Rocky Rockefeller, AIA and Christopher Kempel, AIA and a distinguished list of clients and design accolades, few architecture firms compare.

outside of the meeting. Constraints can make you more cre- ative. ❚ ❚ Take the chairs away. Standing leads to greater excitement about the creative process and allows for better collaboration on ideas. The longer you stand, the more uncomfortable you get, which speeds the meeting along. ❚ ❚ Limit the number of attendees. Keep meetings to less than 10 people. Jeff Bezos of Amazon refuses to attend a meeting if two pizzas don’t feed the entire group. The more people in attendance, the less productive the meeting. ❚ ❚ Keep meetings to a maximum of 20 minutes. This helps to prioritize the important items and forces attendees to be pre- pared to discuss the topic at hand. Richard Branson, founder and CEO of the Virgin Group, keeps his meetings to 10 min- utes or less, noting that it is rare for a meeting on a single topic to take more than five to 10 minutes. ❚ ❚ Use email. If it’s a meeting that can be completed just as ef- fectively over email, cancel it. CHASE MILLER is a project manager and planner at BSA LifeStructures. He can be reached at cmiller@bsalifestructures.com. “Many employees dedicate themselves to coming in early and staying late to get everything done, resulting in burnout. Furthermore, time in between meetings becomes unproductive.”

CHASE MILLER, from page 11

but even so, they should be managed to provide the most value possible to the organization or project. For years meeting agendas and meeting minutes have been the key tools to get more out of our meetings, but it’s more than that. In the extreme, Mark Cuban refuses to meet with anyone unless they are writing him a check, and Elon Musk will walk out in the middle of a meeting when he is no longer adding value. This is probably not the right strategy for you, but perhaps you can eliminate half of your recurring meetings in favor of email communication or send out pre-reads and homework to make a meeting more productive. “Meetings have an adverse effect on productivity in a number of ways. Between the time spent in meetings, and working in a collaborative way outside of meetings, very little time is left to accomplish solo work.” As you begin to take a critical look at your meetings, you may want to consider the following hacks to improve your productivity and remove waste from your organization and projects. ❚ ❚ Set a timer. When the alarm sounds, the meeting is over. Pe- riod. Anything not addressed will have to wait or be resolved

THE ZWEIG LETTER February 18, 2019, ISSUE 1284

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