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BUSINESS NEWS CLAYTON & MCKERVEY ANNOUNCES NEW SERVICES FOR ARCHITECTURE AND ENGINEERING FIRMS Clayton & McKervey, a certified public accounting and consulting firm helping growth- driven companies compete in the global marketplace, is pleased to announce two new services for architecture and engineering firms: FAR audits and Deltek accounting services. “We’re pleased to expand our service offerings for architecture and engineering clients,” said Kevin Johns, Architecture & Engineering Leader for Clayton & McKervey. “Providing FAR audits and Deltek accounting support allows us
to continue growing this practice while responding to the needs of the A&E industry.” Architecture and engineering firms performing government work may be required to have an independently audited overhead rate in accordance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation if they exceed their state’s threshold. Clayton & McKervey’s FAR audit team helps ensure firms are compliant with Federal Acquisition Regulations by performing detailed testing over high-risk areas and reviewing allocated project costs (direct or indirect) to ensure all costs are allowable under the FAR.
The firm has also expanded its client accounting services team with dedicated resources to support AEC firms with outsourced accounting for Deltek. Through this service, clients using Deltek with bill pay, month-end close, invoicing, expense management and a range of other accounting needs have a reliable resource so they can focus on growing their businesses. Clayton & McKervey is a full-service CPA firm helping middle-market entrepreneurial companies compete in the global marketplace. The firm is headquartered in metro Detroit and services clients throughout the world.
many ways in this area – from simple shout-outs through Teams, to appreciation lunches, and most importantly giving back through company events like weekend getaways. Breaking bread and singing karaoke (or at least listening to others try) build these relationships that endure for entire careers. “Work hard, play hard” is a standard cliché we live by, but it is absolutely spot on, from the top of the organization to the college interns. Firms and leaders have to dedicate time and resources to make this happen. What may appear as an added expense or time away from productivity is really an investment in the stability and growth of the firm. ■ Wearing multiple hats. In a growing firm, leaders have to play many roles. There is a constant effort of our managers and leaders to build out our groups, develop staff, and become more efficient in our work. And while it is important to look inward at the company, looking outward to our clients is paramount. Leaders must know and anticipate their clients’ needs and work to support them where necessary. An example and testament to servant leadership is our firm president dedicating part of his week to serve our primary client in a staff augmentation role. When other firms might ask, “How could he find the time to do that?” The question he posed was, “How could I not find the time to help them?” Most of our staff wear multiple hats. PMs are also lead engineers, marketing staff provide public engagement support, and we even have a project engineer flying drones for us (with a commercial license). Doing these things humbly, to serve our clients, to serve one another, makes us all succeed together. As our firm has grown, maintaining the small firm feel has been a priority. It was a topic of conversation at our latest strategic planning meeting to ensure we never lose focus. This focus means developing and promoting staff with the expectations of being servant leaders. No one is “above” the work of others. Developing staff this way ensures succession within the firm will carry the values of the firm for years to come, even if leaders move on or retire. Joseph Lauk, PE, is a vice president and principal at Patel, Greene & Associates, LLC. Connect with him on LinkedIn.
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regardless of perceived importance – who continuously fulfill nontraditional roles and wear multiple hats, who listen and engage with staff, and most importantly celebrate in the wins and learn from the losses. Actions speak louder than words – particularly for young professionals looking for examples to follow. Leaders have to be seen setting the tone for firm expectations. Leaders cannot simply say the things they expect, they have to live and demonstrate it themselves. If leaders preaching culture is just lip service, your staff will figure that out eventually. “Leaders cannot simply say the things they expect, they have to live and demonstrate it themselves. If leaders preaching culture is just lip service, your staff will figure that out eventually.” Let me share some specific examples that promote our culture of servant leadership: ■ Teamwork. No one enjoys an unexpected all-nighter at work, but inevitably they happen. A client deadline gets advanced and the only way to make it happen is to call for all-hands-on-deck. Instead of complaints about why or how it happened, teamwork always outshines the frustration. Some of my better memories are the late nights, working with staff on getting things out the door, with everyone pitching in. True leaders roll up their sleeves and participate when these deadlines hit. Even if their contributions largely entail encouragement and oversight, simply being a part of the last-minute chaos develops deep trust and long-lasting relationships in an organization. ■ Celebration. Taking time to appreciate the wins and recognizing the efforts and support of the team is invaluable to maintaining morale. Our firm excels in so
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THE ZWEIG LETTER JANUARY 30, 2023, ISSUE 1474
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