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SAMUEL SCHWARTZ , from page 5

“big guys.” Today, we are 115 people and are able to serve as prime on some jobs.

work with you. You must be willing to negotiate. I also took on “lost leaders” where I did not make a profit and even took a loss to build my firm’s résumé. But, all that was not enough to make a big enough splash. NYC was and is a media capital. In 1995 newspapers and television ruled the day. At one point I wrote columns for four newspapers for very low fees. Depending on the paper I was Gridlock Sam, Transit Sam, the Queens Traffic Guru, and Gridlock Shmuel. I made myself available to comment on transportation matters for television and radio. The public has a tendency to think if he’s on TV he must be good. Many clients came forward wanting Gridlock Sam on their team. “My second selling point was that the client would get the CEO in attendance, not a A decade later my firm reached a mass of 50 people and we found it easier to team up for government work with the staffer, for agency meetings, legislative hearings, and community outreach.”

TZL: What’s the last book you read? RH: Leadership by Lieutenant General Russel Honore, Army (ret.). General Honore spoke at our recent Hargrove Foun- dation Gala, and I found his discussion to be moving and in- spiring. If you aren’t familiar with him, he is best known for serving as commander of Joint Task Force-Katrina. TZL: What’s the best piece of work-related advice you’ve ever received? RH: If you think it, do it. You know what to do. TZL: When you’re not working, what types of activities do you enjoy? RH: I’m enjoying the Gulf Coast – boating, running, and biking, spending time with my family, reading, and snow skiing. TZL: Favorite lunch? RH: I usually have a piece of locally-caught blackened grilled fish over a salad or seafood gumbo. “Outside of client projects, I am particularly proud of and love sharing the far-reaching effects of Hargrove’s community service efforts. A recent example of this is the HAT project that was started by one of our Instrumentation Engineers, Michelle Jones.” We are also no longer Sam the ex-commissioner and his students (I was a professor at Cooper Union when I started). Yes, if the client needs to see or hear from the CEO, they will. But, for the vast majority of jobs it is the other 114 people who lead the charge, deliver the product, and make the profit. I’m just 25 percent billable and I like it that way. But the ethos never changed: a satisfied client is considered the low bar; a happy, successful client ready to bring us onto the next job is our goal. We accomplish this with ingenuity, accessibility, and integrity (which also happens to be our tag line). SAMUEL I. SCHWARTZ is president and CEO of Sam Schwartz Engineering . He is the author of Street Smart: The Rise of Cities and the Fall of Cars . He can be reached at sschwartz@samschwartz.com. “The ethos never changed: a satisfied client is considered the low bar; a happy, successful client ready to bring us onto the next job is our goal.”

Q&A , from page 7

vide a single solution for systems integration, process safety management, and IT control network and security support alongside detail engineering, construction management, life sciences, and panel fabrication. TZL: Are you married? Children? Pets? RH: My wife, Kimberly, is a mechanical engineer. We also have a recently married son and a daughter who has blessed me with two grandchildren. TZL: What’s one thing most people at the firm don’t know about you? RH: I’d love to be doing what they do. TZL: Best vacation spot? Dream destination? RH: One of my favorite vacations was my trip to the Isle of Skye, in Scotland, where I have family ties. While we were there, we visited the Dunveagan Castle, also known as Cas- tle McLeod, which was really special since my late mother is a McLeod. One day I’d love to visit the Strait of Magellan/ Patagonia, and the Outer Hebrides. a positive impact on the community is integral to our measure of success.” “Leaders understand the importance of hard work and quality, as well as their role in the community. At Hargrove, having

TALK TO US Do you have an interesting story to tell? Is your company doing things differently and getting results? Let us know. We’d love to contact you and feature you in an upcoming case study. If interested, please email rmassey@zweiggroup.com.

THE ZWEIG LETTER February 13, 2017, ISSUE 1187

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