Engineering Influence from ACEC

Ken McGill with Rockport Analytics joined the program to preview the newly updated Economic Assessment of the Engineering and Design Services Industry. This is the second annual release of the report, which measures the economic impact of the engineering and design industry and forecasts its growth over time.

On Wednesday, December 8th, the ACEC Research Institute will host a roundtable discussion which delves into the specifics of the report.  The event, which is free to attend, will review the new five-year forecast, explore the impact of the Federal Stimulus programs and infrastructure bill, and also discuss insights from the Institute's new Engineering Business Sentiment study.

Register here for "Understanding Engineering's Future Impact on the U.S. Economy (a live roundtable)" on December 8th at 12:30pm.

Steve Hall joins the program to discuss the new ACEC action alert on the PPP FAR credits clause focused on Senate action on the National Defense Authorization Act.

The Mergers & Acquisitions market continues to be a dominant trend within the A/E/C industry and is a popular topic for our podcasts.

In this episode, we talked with one of the more active participants in the market. 

Gary Bowman is the Chair and CEO of Bowman, which is headquartered in Reston, Virginia. The firm has more than 900 employees in more than 30 offices around the country.

In May of this year, Bowman completed a $53 million initial public offering and in the ensuing months has completed four acquisitions.

Gary came on the program to tell us about going public, his firm's recent acquisitions, and his thoughts on the market going forward.

Indications are that firms will be working in a remote or hybrid model for the foreseeable future. While firms have learned a lot about how to manage in this environment, it remains problematic.

Randy Anderson of E3 Professional Trainers came on the program to talk about how managers can make the most of remote work. In his previous career as a sales manager for various regional TV stations around the country, Randy gained a lot of experience in managing salespeople remotely. He has since applied that knowledge to the design-services industry.

Click here for more information about Randy Anderson.

Diana Alexander and Erin McLaughlin joined the program to preview their first ever Private Market Brief on the K-12 and Higher Education market.  If you think there's nothing to explore in education, you don't know what you're missing!  Read the brief and get the inside information in this episode.

In the coming weeks, the ACEC Research Institute will release the findings of a new study, "Future of Technology and Its Role in Engineering" which will detail the adoption of technology by engineering firms. 

In this episode, Bentley Systems' Lori Hufford, Vice President, Design and Engineering, Enterprise Systems and Dustin Parkman, Vice President, Mobility, Industry Solutions discuss the study and share their perspectives on how technology is changing the A/E space.

Listen to our summarized economic update from the ACEC Private Markets Team for the month of November, 2021.

Professional liability costs are among the largest expenditures for engineering firms. Effectively managing that expenditure is not necessarily just a case of shopping for the lowest rates. 

On the program, Darren S. Black and Kriton Pantelidis of Risk Strategies share their thoughts on how firms can take a strategic approach to their professional liability coverage.

Erin McLaughlin, our VP of Private Markets Resources joined the show to talk about ACEC's upcoming symposium on the intermodal and logistics market taking place in Charleston, SC on December 2-3.

The event will bring together leaders in business, trade, and real estate to discuss the future of the Port of Charleston, new developments in supply chain and logistics, and many other topics critical to the regional economy. 

Here are the details:

Intermodal and Logistics Symposium 

Hosted by the American Council of Engineering Companies

December 3, 2021, from 8 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Francis Marion Hotel in Charleston, S.C.

Early bird registration ends Nov. 12

 

Speakers at the event will include:

Walter Kemmsies - Economist, focusing on global trade, logistics, and real estate with JLL and the Kemmsies Group

Chris Novack - Senior Director, Engineering Facilities Maintenance with the Georgia Ports Authority

Walter Lagarenne - Senior Director, Engineering & Facilities with the South Carolina Ports Authority

Stephanie Few - Attorney with Womble, Bond Dickinson, focusing on economic development and land, former City of Charleston Director of Economic Development

Brian Gwin - Industrial Development Manager with Norfolk Southern Railway

Lynette Cardoch, PhD - Director of Resilience and Adaptation with Moffatt & Nichol

Sarah Cox - Project Manager of freight and intermodal planning with BCD Council of Governments

The event includes an optional tour of the Hugh K. Leatherman Terminal at the Port of Charleston following the day’s discussions. 

Early Bird Member Rate (Valid until 11/12): $395 

Member Rate: $450

Non-Member Rate: $795

Learn more at: https://programs.acec.org/private-market-symposiums/

ACEC Vice Chair John Rathke, Midwest Transportation Business Unit Leader with Mead and Hunt, came on the program to discuss his work on AASHTO's Joint Technical Committee which is developing standards on digital project delivery.