BL Companies’ Vice President of Operations
As BL enters 2026 following another strong year, Vice President of Operations Derek Kohl, PE reflects on the firm’s strategic priorities, evolving market dynamics, and what inspires him as a leader in an employee-owned organization.
Looking Ahead: Strategic Focus for BL
As we move into 2026, I’m especially energized by the opportunity to grow our people and our business in very intentional ways. A major focus for the year ahead is recruiting, employee development, and targeted geographic expansion – all designed to strengthen BL’s long-term foundation.
From a market perspective, we are building momentum in several key areas. This includes expanding our Retail, Commercial, and Residential (RCR) work in the Southeast, increasing our public infrastructure presence in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and continuing to grow our Energy and Renewable Energy markets in those regions as well. These efforts are supported by key hires we’ve made over the past year and now give us the depth to expand and diversify our client base.
In parallel, we are taking a thoughtful look at how emerging technologies – particularly AI – can responsibly enhance how we work. Our goal is not simply to adopt new tools, but to explore how they can improve analysis, design efficiency, and strategic decision-making while upholding our standards for quality, client expectations, and compliance with our company AI policy.
What’s Energizing About the Year Ahead
We closed out 2025 on a strong note, and as we begin 2026, there’s a real sense of momentum across the organization. Several strategic business development initiatives are gaining traction, and we are seeing encouraging indicators of upcoming opportunities in the markets where we’ve chosen to focus.
I’m also excited about the continued investment we’re making in our people and workplaces. In 2026, our offices in Canton, Hartford, and Wilmington will be moving into new environments designed to better support collaboration and growth. We’re also expanding our Charlotte office into adjacent space following recent growth, and we’ve begun evaluating options for our Corporate Headquarters in Meriden as we approach the end of our current lease.
Industry Trends We’re Watching
Digital transformation continues at a rapid pace. Tools such as AI, Building Information Modeling (BIM), laser scanning, and UAVs are becoming increasingly integrated into project workflows. Firms that adopt these technologies thoughtfully will be better positioned to deliver value and efficiency.
Recruiting remains a challenge industry wide. While we’ve seen improvement in hiring activity compared to prior years, there is still a noticeable gap in the mid-career talent range. At the same time, the pipeline of early career professionals coming out of colleges and universities appears strong, reinforcing the importance of mentorship, training, and long-term development.
Opportunities for Clients in 2026
We see significant opportunities for our clients across three key sectors:
Retail, Commercial, & Residential: Despite mixed economic forecasts, many of our national Retail, Commercial, and Residential clients continue to move forward with expansion plans. We’re also seeing cautious but continued activity among small to mid-size developers and growing interest in data center projects. Our national programmatic retail and commercial clients continue to move forward with steady momentum. We anticipate good to strong activity across the overall market throughout the year.
Public Infrastructure: We anticipate continued activity in 2026 as we enter the final year of the IIJA federal infrastructure funding bill. To meet this demand, BL is actively expanding our footprint and strategic pursuit of work within the New Jersey and Pennsylvania markets, helping state agencies and municipalities maximize this critical funding window in the delivery of their projects and critical infrastructure programs.
Energy & Utilities: We remain focused on supporting our utility and renewable energy partners. Our 2026 strategy centers on diversification, bringing our specialized engineering and geospatial services to new clients in targeted geographic locations to support the evolving energy landscape.
A Personal Note
On a personal level, 2026 is a milestone year for our family. My daughter, Amber, will graduate from the University of Connecticut as a civil engineer focused on bridges / structural engineering, and my son, Dalton, will graduate from high school and begin his own engineering journey in mechanical engineering. We’re also planning a meaningful family trip to Hawaii to celebrate – returning to a place my wife and I last visited on our honeymoon. Professionally, my focus remains on supporting our teams and helping our employee owners achieve their individual and collective goals. Being an effective coach, mentor, and leader is something I take seriously. I’m also grateful for the strong partnership I share with our senior leadership team as we guide BL forward.