Preparing our companies for the future

While history does occasionally repeat itself, the next wave of engineering firms will set itself apart by staying on the leading edge. Share your ideas and future outlook with the Consulting-Specifying Engineer audience.

By Amara Rozgus October 20, 2014

In September, we honored both the 2014 MEP Giants and the 2014 40 Under 40 winners. With each year, you’d think that the awards would become de rigueur, and everyone would find the programs old and stale. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

The MEP Giants awards honor the top mechanical, electrical, plumbing (MEP), and fire protection engineering firms in the United States. This year, representatives from the 102 firms (there was a three-way tie) Consulting-Specifying Engineer honored were thrilled to accept their award on behalf of their firms. While each engineering firm has its own engineering specialty or geographic area, it also competes directly with every other firm in the room. The competition is fierce, and yet each individual representing a firm knows that he or she might wind up at the next table—representing a different firm—in a couple of years. The camaraderie and professionalism among honorees are amazing, and they know not to take themselves too seriously. Read about these companies at www.csemag.com/giants.

The 2014 Commissioning Giants are highlighted in October in our special research coverage. Much like the MEP Giants, these are the leaders in commissioning, retro-commissioning, and recommissioning, and make a good percentage of their design billings in one or all of these specialties. Revenue from commissioning edged up 1% this year over 2013, which doesn’t seem like a big deal, but it represents a large portion of design revenue when you take all 102 firms into account.

The 40 Under 40 program, now in its seventh year, honors the best and the brightest engineers age 40 or younger. While this is a slightly rowdier crowd when it comes to accepting their individual awards at the event, the professionalism and friendly competitiveness are still apparent. Each of these Generation X or Y winners will likely change jobs several more times before retirement, and they know how important networking at events can be. Read about the winners at www.csemag.com/40under40.

The challenge is now on your shoulders: How will you move your firm into new and expanded markets and ideas in 2015? How will you ensure your company remains at the top of the heap, like the MEP Giants? How will you ensure up-and-coming individuals in your firm are prepared for the newest engineering technology and legislation? I invite you to share your forward-looking ideas with me. The best movers and shakers’ ideas will be shared with this audience in a “future engineering trends” article, which launches in January. Send me your ideas at arozgus@cfemedia.com


Author Bio: Amara Rozgus is the Editor-in-Chief/Content Strategy Leader