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BUSINESS NEWS O’CONNELL ROBERTSON AND ALAMO COLLEGES FOUNDATION HOST 4TH ANNUAL A/E JOB SHADOW DAY On October 13, 68 students enrolled in the architecture and engineering programs at San Antonio College shadowed at 20 participating local firms as part of the Fourth Annual SAC A/E Job Shadow Day. Students were assigned in groups to firms across San Antonio based on career interests. They visited workspaces, took project tours, and participated in project meetings. They observed how the different disciplines collaborate across project phasing, gained exposure to design software utilized, and discussed the skills and education required attain their chosen profession. Daniel, a SAC engineering student stated, “The Job Shadow was an amazing, career- changing event. It made me realize I want to be a civil engineer, and how we can make a big impact in the world.”

profession. Our students return from the day energized. They gain an enthusiasm for their major. Several students remember the day as a turning point on their academic pathway to success after college.” O’Connell Robertson has had projects on the San Antonio College campus since opening their San Antonio office in 2000. Participating firms include: Alamo Architects, Bain Medina Bain, Big Red Dog Engineering, CNG Engineering, Ford, Powell & Carson Architects, HEB Architect/Engineering Department, IES, Lake Flato Architects, LPA Architects, Munoz & Company, Overland Partners, PBK, RVK Architects, Terracon, and WestEast Design. O’Connell Robertson is a full-service architecture and engineering firm whose mission-driven approach creates educational environments that enrich the lives of the people they were designed to serve.

O’Connell Robertson , which hosted the event with the Alamo Colleges Foundation and sponsored lunch, started the program in 2014 with the architecture and engineering program coordinators at SAC and Alamo Colleges Foundation staff. Following the shadow, students and representatives from each firm gathered for a catered lunch on the San Antonio College campus. Leaders from Alamo Colleges, San Antonio College and the Alamo Colleges Foundation were also in attendance. “The Architecture/Engineering Job Shadow Day is an example of experiential learning at its finest,” says Dr. Robert Vela, president of San Antonio College. “Each year, the number of firms which participate has grown, and the companies involved have been very generous with their time and talents in giving our students an up-close look at their

TZL: If there was one program, course, or degree pro- gram that you could take or recommend before becoming a principal or owner, what would it be? MM: In addition to coursework in finance, a minor in com- munications would probably be the most helpful. TZL: What’s the greatest challenge presented by growth? MM: There are a number of managerial and analytical chal- lenges that come to mind, but the single most important thing to get right is to hire the right people. If we get the right people inside our “boat” it ensures that we protect (or even enhance) our company culture; it means we protect our plan quality; and it enables growth of our current team. There are many challenges with growth, but they’re all miti- gated by making sure only the right people are hired. TZL: What is the role of entrepreneurship in your firm? MM: It’s critical – especially for market sector leadership and geographic office leadership. We work to set ourselves apart from other firms because of how we get to know each client’s needs. What can we do differently for them? How can we help them achieve something great? These questions require entrepreneurial thinking. TZL: What’s your prediction for the next five years? MM: Right now we’re on track for 22-23 percent growth for 2017 – all organic. Our vision for the next five years is roughly 20 percent annualized growth through a combina- tion of organic growth and acquisitions for geographic ex- pansion. “The single most important thing to get right is to hire the right people. If we get the right people inside our ‘boat’ it ensures that we protect (or even enhance) our company culture.”

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MM: From the beginning, John McAdams created a cul- ture that focuses on the long-term by maintaining com- pany health and relevancy. Our culture fosters the ben- efits of growth for advancing our careers; for serving the best clients on the best projects; for advancing the careers of the up-and-comers; and for growing wealth in owner- ship. Growth requires cash, and there is no way to achieve that growth and ever-increasing stature of our firm if we sweep the profits out every year. We reward ownership, but we overwhelmingly leave the money in the firm to grow the firm and ultimately grow the owner’s equity when they be- come a divestor. “Marketing is instrumental to our current success, and increasingly more vital for our vision for the future. Our ability to effectively and attractively communicate our story to prospective clients (and prospective hires) is instrumental for our strategic initiatives in growth, diversification, and geographic expansion.” TZL: How does marketing contribute to your success rate? Are you content with your marketing efforts, or do you think you should increase/decrease marketing? MM: Marketing is instrumental to our current success, and increasingly more vital for our vision for the future. Our ability to effectively and attractively communicate our sto- ry to prospective clients (and prospective hires) is instru- mental for our strategic initiatives in growth, diversifica- tion, and geographic expansion. We’re never content. As we continue to have success in new sectors and grow geograph- ically, we will continue to increase our investments in mar- keting.

THE ZWEIG LETTER November 27, 2017, ISSUE 1225

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