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OPINION
Healthy rivalries fuel collaboration and innovation, ultimately benefiting communities and strengthening the AEC industry. Courage, confidence, and competition
I n the world of water and wastewater engineering, where the stakes are high and the challenges are complex, competition often gets a bad rap. It’s easy to view rival firms as obstacles to success – barriers to winning bids, securing funding, or gaining recognition. But in truth, healthy competition is one of the most powerful forces driving innovation, collaboration, and ultimately, community benefit in the AEC industry.
Brian Shannon, PE
As engineers, we are trained to solve problems. We thrive on constraints, on pushing the limits of what’s possible, and on delivering solutions that are not only functional but sustainable and resilient. When we compete – especially in a healthy, respectful way – we sharpen those skills. We challenge each other to think bigger, design smarter, and build better. And in doing so, we elevate the entire industry. COURAGE TO COMPETE. It takes courage to enter a competitive arena, especially when the outcome is uncertain or if you’re a smaller firm going up against a bigger one. Whether it’s a design-build proposal, a public-private partnership, or a municipal infrastructure upgrade, the process of competing demands vulnerability. We put our ideas, our
reputations, and our values on the line. Some firms won’t compete on certain projects because they’re afraid of losing. But while losing is never fun, it makes the wins even better. We’ve proven that at Garver. We’ve gone up against the biggest firms in the country, and we’ve beaten them. That’s the kind of reward worth the risk. The truth is competing isn’t easy but most good things in life do not come easy. Courage is what fuels progress. It forces us to ask hard questions like, “Can we do this more efficiently?” This doesn’t just lead to better proposals – it leads to better projects. CONFIDENCE IN OUR ABILITIES. Healthy competition
See BRIAN SHANNON, page 8
THE ZWEIG LETTER OCTOBER 6, 2025, ISSUE 1604
ELEVATE THE INDUSTRY®
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