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Conference call: Alan Dostert President and CEO of EAPC Architects Engineers (Marketing Excellence #3 Website and #1 Holiday for 2017), a 140-person firm based in Grand Forks, North Dakota.
Editor’s note: EAPC, founded in 1967, is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. By LIISA ANDREASSEN Correspondent “T he very things that have made you success- ful at one level may be what has to change to expand and move to the next, without selling out who you are as a corporate culture,” Dostert says. A CONVERSATION WITH ALAN DOSTERT. TZL: Fifty years in business is a big achievement. How did the firm get it done? AD: It’s a mix of things. First, our founding part- ners viewed EAPC as a venture that would outlive them as leaders of the firm. The EAPC acronym is not a collection of names. It stands for Engineers Architects Professional Corporation. It was impor- tant to the original partners that the firm would stand on its own and ownership could come and go without turmoil. To that end, these original in- dividuals wrote a solid buy/sell agreement that
ensured a fair treatment to those both exiting/re- tiring and those buying in. EAPC was an entity that ensured success but did not become an ego block. “For any design firm that wants to enjoy a long, prosperous history, they must remain relevant in services offered, design philosophy, application of technology, and creative marketing.” Secondly, EAPC has always been very diverse and forward thinking. With engineering and architec- ture as the base of services, the original owner- ship offered construction management long be- fore it was in vogue as it is today. Central steam projects and industrial engineering were also part of the service offerings. Forensics were offered as well, developing that science into investigations of combustion source for fires and even vehicular/
Alan Dostert, President and CEO, EAPC
Architects Engineers
THE ZWEIG LETTER Aug
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