As Co-Vice President what are some specific goals you have for BL moving forward? One of the specific goals I have for BL is growth. We’ve done a great job over the past few years of expanding our reach across the country in terms of providing services to our clients. In parallel, we’ve expanded our office locations and the hiring of employees. We now want to really grow in the areas we’ve expanded into and where we see great potential. From client expansion, hiring of employees and brand awareness, our goal is to expand in Florida, North Carolina, Nashville, Pittsburgh and Warwick while, at the same time, continuing our growth in our more established offices and areas. It’s all about positioning BL for the future and building on what we’ve already done.
What gets you most excited about the new year? I used to really dread January and February. In the northeast, it’s dark in the morning and late afternoon and it’s cold! But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve begun to love these two months as I take this time as a reset. We do several “Back to Basics” programs across the company in the new year. We focus on safety, quality assurance, hiring best practices, supervisor back to basics, and many of our different disciplines hold “Back to Basics” conversations and trainings. I always want to make sure our employee owners are clear on expectations and what’s being asked of them. I think the new year is always a good time to do that.
What trends are you seeing in the industry? Happily, we’re seeing more demand for our work and an uptick in clients wanting to move forward with projects. Whether that’s due to interest rates stabilizing and possibly starting to come down remains to be seen, but our backlog of work has increased, and we are busy – which is a great thing! Clients that we’ve worked for in certain areas of the country for years are now expanding into other areas and are coming to us to help them with their projects. That is exciting. We’ve seen an uptick in brownfield projects due to more money flowing to towns and counties from the federal government, and I see that work continuing to grow as public clients release requests for proposals and qualifications.
Where do you see an opportunity for clients in 2024? The opportunity for clients is limitless. Over the last decade, we’ve increased our photovoltaic work at a significant pace. The need for a multitude of services – environmental, structural, electrical, and civil engineering and survey on PV projects speaks to the full-service firm we are and what we can provide to our clients. This work is growing at a rapid rate and the number of clients we’re assisting has grown exponentially. I see that as only increasing in 2024.
Another opportunity is with the new focus on replacing aging systems, energy efficiency and improved air quality, schools now are investing in upgrades to their heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. Our mechanical engineers are doing a terrific job in assisting school districts with these projects. I see this market as continuing to grow for us in 2024 as well.
Do you have any personal 2024 bucket list items/or resolutions for yourself? On the work front, I want to continue to visit as many of our offices as possible and connect with employees face to face. I believe there is no substitute for sharing a meal with teammates or simply working in the office alongside them. Getting out and visiting all our offices each year is always my goal. Last year I made it to 8. This year I hope to do better! On the personal side, I want to continue to travel. With our three children scattered up and down the East Coast, my husband and I have the privilege of visiting them and some great cities. But we’re also looking at some farther-flung trips as the year progresses. I’ll let you know when they’re booked!