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olomeo

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TZL: The A/E market is great right now. What are you do- ing to cushion your firm in the event of a downturn? AB: We’re tracking the market; we’re prepared for any changes. Our wide-range of services and diversely-skilled employees place us in markets from civil infrastructure and energy to sustainability and innovation. We literally build the world around us and never limit ourselves or place our- selves in a position of industry-limitations. We have a stra- tegic growth initiative to constantly look outward for ini- tiatives that we should look to enter in the ever-changing technological fields. TZL: How do you deal with underperforming employees? What are your steps for removal after they have prov- en to be ineffective, or even counterproductive, to your firm? AB: Always a challenge. We work with employees that may be underperforming and try to find ways to improve their skill sets and performance. Sometimes you still have to make the tough decisions. Luckily that is the rare exception. TZL: In the event of failure, how does your firm react? AB: We react as a team. We evaluate the situation from beginning to end and guide each other to a desirable and more productive outcome by recreating the steps we took to achieve success next time around. Following our communi- cation roadmap and prioritizing debriefing, our employees come together and walk away with a positive, hopeful, and action-oriented plan. “New employees have to feel that they are a part of your organization but it’s a two-way street. They also have to work to make sure they understand the culture and how they might best fit in. Those that make the effort will quickly succeed.” TZL: Monthly happy hours and dog friendly offices. What do today’s CEOs need to know about today’s workforce? AB: Today’s CEOs need to know that their employees are their best asset. And they do – that’s why we’re starting to see headlines with companies like Google and Facebook creating and encouraging brighter (and sometimes radi- cal) company culture. They want their employees to feel ap- preciated and to be happy at work. We value our employ- ees’ happiness and time away. As a result, we have summer hours; we’ve created a group called “Network” that empow- ers our junior staff to work on items such as employee re- tention and innovation; and we use “Workplace” to encour- age internal collaboration on items from project updates to new babies and anniversaries along with other similar initiatives.

TZL: Firms that have principals and firm owners that lower their compensation and invest back into the firm perform better, grow quicker, and have higher valua- tions. How do you balance owner compensation with in- vestment in the firm? AB: Our founder, Chuck Pennoni, made the decision many years ago to transition ownership to an ESOP. Ours has been in place for close to 25 years and has been very suc- cessful. As an employee-owned firm all of our employees get to share in the company’s success. “We literally build the world around us and never limit ourselves or place ourselves in a position of industry-limitations. We have a strategic growth initiative to constantly look outward for initiatives that we should look to enter in the ever-changing technological fields.” 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? AB: We are very proud of our marketing group. We pride ourselves on communication – internal and external – whether it be attending conferences, investing in commu- nity events, or simply relaying project and employee news to the public online and in publications. Our marketing ef- forts are a catalyst for our continued geographic and mar- ket/services expansions. We attract top talent and new cli- ents with the help of our marketing and thought leadership efforts such as our digital newsletter, social media, strategic sponsorships, high-profile award wins, and more. Market- ing should increase as a company grows, and since we are still growing, our marketing efforts will grow with us. 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? AB: Whether a technical or non-technical employee, we’re all trained in our profession either through our degree or through experience. One recommendation for leadership in a firm is a better working knowledge in the financial op- eration of our business. Business courses in understanding profit and loss statements, balance sheets, how staff utiliza- tion, and multipliers affect the bottom line – all of these are important aspects that need to be interwoven into a man- agement career path. TZL: What’s the greatest challenge presented by growth? AB: Having the ability to navigate change while fighting to See CONFERENCE CALL, page 8

mber 18, 2017, ISSUE 1228

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