Editorial: By Mark C. Zweig It seems to me that many – if not most – companies in our business today have given up on the idea that they can grow in this economy. Instead, they are all focusing on making a profit and maintaining their cash position – even if that means no growth. [...]
By Christine Brack Principal, Business Planning Consulting ZweigWhite Our Best Firms To Work For Summit, held in San Diego in late September, celebrated the firms with the best work environments, commitment to strong values, dedication to professional development, and consistent leadership through these tough times. Part of my job is to scour through the survey [...]
Press Release: October 28, 2011 FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (October 28, 2011) – To recognize philanthropic efforts and acknowledge those in the A/E industry who are making a difference for the greater good, ZweigWhite and Deltek, Inc. announced WK Dickson, a multi-disciplined consulting firm specializing in community infrastructure solutions, based in Charlotte, N.C., as the winner of [...]
Press Release: October 27, 2011 FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (October 27, 2011) – H. Kit Miyamoto Ph.D., S.E., often comes to face with death, emotional devastation, cholera, hurricanes, earthquake aftershocks and an array of dangerous situations – all in the name of his personal mission: to save the world. His outstanding accomplishments and personal courage make him [...]
Press Release: October 21, 2011 FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (October 21, 2011) – Goodbye to that swanky Midtown office space? Architecture, engineering, planning and environmental firms are spending less than previous years on rent and utilities. These “living expenses,” calculated per employee and as a percentage of the total budget, decreased from 2010 to 2011, reveals the [...]
By Mark C. Zweig Founder & CEO, ZweigWhite We are talking more and more about the importance of good project management in boardrooms these days. There isn’t much more you can do to increase your profitability and reduce your risk than improve the quality of your PM efforts. So what can you do – now [...]
Press Release: October 18, 2011 FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (October 18 , 2011) – The fastest growing firms in the design industry are relying on traditional methods to achieve marketing results. According to the ZweigWhite’s 2011-12 Successful Firm Survey of Architecture, Engineering, Planning & Environmental Consulting Firms, both “fast-growth” and “very high-profit firms” rely on more traditional [...]
By Jeremy Clarke Director, Executive Search Consulting ZweigWhite Getting top talent is still a critical priority… even in this economic environment. How so? Well, because business needs are still evolving, and employee turnover is still an unavoidable reality. All of this creates a demand for talent; albeit at a lesser level than four years ago. [...]
ZweigWhite knows… and can help you learn them. Architecture, engineering, planning and environmental firms often lament the amount of money spent on training. According to the ZweigWhite 2011 Proceedures, Policies and Benefits Survey, employee training is the second greatest Human Resource related expense, accounting for 22.5 percent of total HR spending. Mark Zweig, management expert [...]
Press Release: October 7, 2011 FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (October 7, 2011) – It’s impossible for a firm to be successful without great employees, and to have great employees, a firm has to be an excellent place to work. The Best Firms To Work For Summit, an annual event held by ZweigWhite, publisher of CE News and [...]
By W. Hobson Hogan Principal, Investment Banking ZweigWhite Owners often ask me when is the best time to sell their firms. It’s a common question. The answer that they are seeking typically hinges on valuation and the strength of M&A markets. The fact of the matter is that timing markets is difficult, especially considering that [...]
Press Release: October 04, 2011 FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (October 4, 2011) – Tired of jumbled, jargon-laden “mission statements” that are filled with platitudes and megawords? A firm’s motto should embody what it is about and encapsulate its mission and capabilities. In the A/E/P and environmental industry, where many creative types work together under the same roof, [...]
Press Release: September 26, 2011 FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (September 26, 2011) – Attracting new business is a serious task, and who would be better for the job at architecture, engineering, planning and environmental consulting firms than those who interact with clients on a daily basis – project managers! ZweigWhite’s 2011 Project Management Survey reveals the most [...]
By Tracey Jeffers Principal, Valuation Consulting ZweigWhite I have found that the A/E/P and environmental consulting industry has many unique qualities, but one I find intriguing when compared with other industries is the longevity of careers at a single firm. ZweigWhite’s 2011 Principals, Partners & Owners Survey reports the median time with a firm is [...]
Press Release: September 21, 2011 FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (September 21, 2011) — It’s no big news that a rough economy has taken its toll on many architecture, engineering, planning and environmental firms, but this situation isn’t a be-all-end-all. For all the firms that used to be on the fast track of high growth but aren’t anymore, [...]
By Ed Friedrichs Chairman, ZweigWhite As architects and engineers, we’re in a long-cycle business. That means we work on long duration assignments, often with extended start/stop cycles— waiting for a public hearing, an EIR to be certified, funding to be secured. Arguably, our greatest value contribution to our clients is the continuity of knowledge and [...]
Press Release: September 19, 2011 FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (September 19, 2011) —ZweigWhite, the nation’s leading consulting, publishing, and training firm for the architecture, engineering, planning, and environmental consulting industry, just released the names of firms making The Zweig Letter 2011 Hot Firm List. Despite this year’s challenging economy, ZweigWhite was able to honor a total of [...]
Press Release: September 14, 2011 FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (September 14, 2011) — Architecture, engineering, planning, and environmental consulting firms that have successfully navigated through the recession have done so by walking a budget tight rope. An article in the September 19 issue of The Zweig Letter explains how some finance and accounting departments have managed the [...]
By Mark Zweig CEO, ZweigWhite We’ve had a rough three years. And although there have been some bright spots and encouraging moments, it could get a whole lot worse. I read one gloom and doom forecast calling for 50% unemployment in the not-too-distant future (I don’t agree!). That said, the Federal Reserve tells us they’ll [...]
Press Release: Sept. 9, 2011 FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (Sept. 9, 2011) – In recognition of exceptional marketing efforts of architecture, engineering, planning, and environmental consulting firms in the United States and Canada, ZweigWhite announces the winners of The Zweig Marketing Letter 2011 Marketing Excellence Awards! A panel of judges composed of industry practitioners and ZweigWhite’s own [...]