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EP: CEI’s success is based on our incredible staff, their in- novative thinking, and custom client approach. Marketing is easy when you have excellent references and successful projects! However, we’re always trying to find ways to in- crease our marketing to grow the firm, and are continuously improving our strategy and efforts. TZL: What has your firm done recently to upgrade its IT system? EP: We’ve installed state-of-the-art videoconferencing centers. Although videoconferencing has been around for years, these new centers offer our staff crisp audio and vid- eo with a virtual conference room extension from just about any electronic device whether you are in the office, working from home, on a job site, or anywhere in between. These centers have helped us reduce travel time and environmen- tal impacts while maintaining the open communication we feel is essential to a successful project team. We also upgrad- ed our computer system and increased our on-call IT servic- es and security to monitor today’s threats. TZL: What’s the best way to recruit and retain top talent in a tight labor market? EP: CEI provides several incentives to attract talented staff.

who were nearly all promoted from within. These people are the management team who participate in the shareholders’ and board of director meetings. Training and practice are our secret weapon in effective ownership transition. Prin- cipals mentor junior staff, work out backlog, and identify niche areas of marketing that they are interested in pursu- ing. Then the marketing and ownership folks provide them with uniform tools that have proven effective for CEI. The result is a team approach where everyone knows what their role is. The roles may rotate at times, and as a team, there is great coordination and forward movement of the company. Everyone pulls together. One vital aspect is identifying key skills that these talented team members bring to the group and cultivating those skills to help build and grow the firm. “We put our existing clients’ needs first and it’s these clients that provide us with the best opportunity to win new jobs.” TZL: How do you go about winning work? EP: We put our existing clients’ needs first and it’s these cli- ents that provide us with the best opportunity to win new jobs. New work from repeat clients makes up the bulk of our business and while developing effective marketing cam- paigns and establishing technical leadership in our indus- try is important, earning exceptional references and the re- spect of our existing clients is crucial to repeat work and winning new clients. TZL: What’s the greatest problem to overcome in the pro- posal process? EP: Making sure that you aren’t just competitive, but that you’re going to rank number one. Coming up with the best strategy and then turning it into a winning proposal is hard work. The proposal process can involve so many multifac- eted levels of assessment and strategies, it can be easy to get off track. We are constantly checking in to see that we’re progressing as needed, and that our strategy and philoso- phy come through clearly. TZL: Once you’ve won a contract, what are the “marching orders” for your PMs? EP: It’s three-pronged: 1) Establish a good channel of communication with the new cli- ent from the start 2) Identify exactly what they’re looking for and how CEI can be of assistance 3) Be available 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?

They include: ❚ ❚ Great clients ❚ ❚ A solid mentoring program ❚ ❚ A strong sustainability vision and team

❚ ❚ A high degree of technology and innovation ❚ ❚ Advanced learning and opportunities for growth ❚ ❚ The ability to make a difference in the world ❚ ❚ Control over their own destiny ❚ ❚ Encouraging out-of-the-box thinking (it’s even rewarded) ❚ ❚ A kid and dog friendly family atmosphere ❚ ❚ Established pathways to ownership and advancement ❚ ❚ Flexible working hours ❚ ❚ A day-to-day sense of accomplishment “Everyone pulls together. One vital aspect is identifying key skills that these talented team members bring to the group and cultivating those skills to help build and grow the firm.” CEI also offers very competitive benefits and a solid sup- port team at all labor levels. Being ranked as one of the Best See CONFERENCE CALL, page 8

pril 24, 2017, ISSUE 1197

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