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DL: If you haven’t started planning for ownership transition, you’re behind and you should start today. It’s the most criti- cal issue facing growing firms and especially companies of first and second generations. These two steps are imperative: 1) Communicate to your next generation of leaders that their future with the company is vital and equip them with tools to learn and grow. 2) Fund ownership transitions and the commit- ment on both sides (sellers and buyers) with significant overlap and handoff. The critical key to this step is maintaining the financial health of the entire company throughout. 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? DL: Our company vision calls for us to be entrusted by the communities we serve. To achieve this vision, communities must, without a doubt, know and trust our proj- ect managers and project teams to deliver what they expect. Equally important, how- ever, is the leadership our business develop- ment staff provides in the community. All in all, both professional and marketing staff are responsible for the positive experience of every client. “Our purpose as a collective company is serving for the greater good, providing opportunities and paths to what employees are passionate about, and allowing for autonomy in many roles.” TZL: Diversifying the portfolio is nev- er a bad thing. What are the most recent steps you’ve taken to broaden your reve- nue streams? DL: We’ve been providing a large percent- age of our services to Texas Department of Transportation projects. Since TxDOT expe- rienced a near shutdown of projects in 2008 due to funding issues, we diversified our cli- ent base and added services to meet city and county civil and transportation needs as well. In 2015, our Construction Engineering & Inspection group blossomed and now ac- counts for nearly half our revenue. Moving forward, we continue to expand our service See CONFERENCE CALL, page 8

of team cooperation while team-oriented support and integrity equals success for our clients, the public, our employees as well as the company. “Our goals are guided by consistently allowing fluid workshare across offices with shared responsibility, care and success.” TZL: What’s your policy on sharing the firm’s financials with your staff? Weekly, monthly, quarterly, annually? And how far down into the org chart is financial in- formation shared? DL: The financial health of the company is shared with all on a quarterly basis via top and bottom line revenue as well as annu- ally at our all-hands company meeting. We believe that transparency is empowerment and provides clear feedback on financials as it relates to each area of the company. We encourage all to embrace and educate them- selves about business financials and ask questions to grasp the bigger picture of the company’s financial progress. TZL: The talent war in the AEC industry is here. What steps do you take to create the leadership pipeline needed to retain your top people and not lose them to oth- er firms? DL: Above all, we focus on finding and re- taining professionals whose personal pas- sions align with our collective purpose. We hire people with character, competence, and consistency who want to be part of a pur- pose-driven organization and operate as a collective team. Our purpose as a collec- tive company is serving for the greater good, providing opportunities and paths to what employees are passionate about, and allow- ing for autonomy in many roles. We have also recently created a Leadership Academy for our inaugural class of 2018 to help con- tinuously identify and equip our next gen- eration of leaders within the company. To maintain and develop high levels of exper- tise and professionalism, we encourage pro- fessional and educational activities and pro- vide time off with pay for taking E.I.T. or P.E. examinations and other certifications. TZL: While plenty of firms have an owner- ship transition plan in place, many do not. What’s your advice for firms that have not taken steps to identify and empower the next generation of owners?

YEAR FOUNDED: 1999 HEADQUARTERS: Houston, TX DAVE LUBITZ: Since joining the transportation structure group in 2009, Lubitz has worked on many projects including bridges, tunnels, parking structures, wireless communication facilities, water and wastewater facilities, and municipal facility management. At the same time, he helped to revamp the firm’s budgeting, scheduling, and strategic business development plan. In 2016, he became one of the company’s five owners. OFFICES: 3 in Texas: Austin, Fort Worth, and Houston; and one in Oklahoma City NO. OF EMPLOYEES: 120 and growing SPECIALTY AREAS: Civil and structural engineering and construction management services for transportation projects, including highways, bridges, water and wastewater structures THEIR CULTURE: Aguirre & Fields seeks to develop employees’ leadership skills through promoting character in the workplace. Leadership results in not only excellent engineering and a strong business, but also strengthened families and communities. This is a tremendous benefit to each of their employees, who have to balance major responsibilities at home and at the office. Problem solving skills developed through character training enable employees to be more productive and advance their careers more rapidly while still maintaining a healthy home life.

ober 29, 2018, ISSUE 1270

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