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Abbott

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BA: We are invested heavily on the public side – state, coun- ty agencies – in public works and transportation. We try to diversify within those categories. We have positive business relationships and work to maintain a strong track record with clients so they will keep coming back to us again and again. Repeat business is key. “Our marketing is constantly changing. We’re never content with the status quo. Marketing is a huge part of our success. Every year we create a marketing budget and a plan of pursuit. At the end of the year, we revisit what was spent and what worked.” TZL: Monthly happy hours and dog friendly offices. What do today’s CEOs need to know about today’s workforce? BA: Today’s workforce is so diverse. We have a combina- tion of baby boomers, millennials, X and Y generations, and more. It’s difficult to keep everyone happy. Our philosophy is to try to be open and accepting of all. We slow down long enough to tap into people’s individual skills and really get to know them. We find out what they need as far as a re- sponse goes and then work to give it to them. We don’t have the “Google” types so a lot of those trendy perks don’t re- ally apply. 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? BA: First, we find out why they are underperforming. Is it personal? Do they not have the correct skills for the job at hand? Next, we provide a plan for getting back on track. Our discovery approach is three-pronged: ❚ ❚ Can’t: Why can’t they do the job? ❚ ❚ Won’t: Do they simply want out to do something else? ❚ ❚ Don’t know how: Do they need more training? 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?

BA: Our marketing is constantly changing. We’re never con- tent with the status quo. Marketing is a huge part of our success. Every year we create a marketing budget and a plan of pursuit. At the end of the year, we revisit what was spent and what worked. Typically, we allot about 5 to 8 per- cent of the overall budget to marketing – it depends on the year. 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? BA: How to solve tech problems and simple accounting. I never thought about accounting as an engineer. Also, any- thing legal. TZL: What’s the greatest challenge presented by growth? BA: Assimilation – whether companies are acquired organi- cally or through acquisition, it’s important to keep things moving and to get people to acclimate quickly. TZL: What is the role of entrepreneurship in your firm? BA: It’s encouraged. When we were privately owned, we had a bit of a different mindset than being publicly owned, but we still want to be innovative and think outside the box. Ultimately, I’ll decide if we move forward with an idea and whether we give it a try or not. “Our philosophy is to try to be open and accepting of all. We slow down long enough to tap into people’s individual skills and really get to know them. We find out what they need as far as a response goes and then work to give it to them.” TZL: What’s your prediction for the next five years? BA: Texas is booming. We have about 1,000 people mov- ing here per day. The outlook for transportation is strong. Our limitations are people. We could do more if we could find more qualified people. More and more, we’re look- ing outside the area for staff. For the next five years, we’re focused on manageable growth – about 10 percent per year.

ABOUT TZL’S WEEKLY CONFERENCE CALL Winners from Zweig Group’s Hot Firm and A/E Industry Awards Conference, the industry’s largest and most comprehensive business conference for leaders and aspiring leaders of AEC firms in the U.S., are highlighted

in The Zweig Letter , in addition to being celebrated at the conference. In 2017, Zweig Group offered four awards programs focused on A/E/P and environmental consulting firm achievement: ❚ ❚ Hot Firm List

❚ ❚ Best Firms to Work For ❚ ❚ Marketing Excellence Award ❚ ❚ Jerry Allen Courage in Leadership Award Visit hotfirm.com/our-awards/ to learn more about Zweig Group’s awards.

mber 11, 2017, ISSUE 1227

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