MAY/JUNE 2013 INC. www.acec.org ENGINEERING AWARD-WINNING BUSINESS MAGAZINE ● PUBLISHED BY AMERICAN COUNCIL OF ENGINEERING COMPANIES >> Member Firms Embrace Power of Mobile Computing >> ACEC Submits Tax Reform The Principles to Congress >> Water/ Reviews Wastewater Market Shows Steady Are In Growth Arup’s Kauffman Center For the Performing Arts Headlines Remarkable 2013 Class of EEA Winners WORKING TO MAKE THE CONSULTING ENGINEERING INDUSTRY THE HEALTHIEST IN THE UNITED STATES INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY DECREASE ABSENTEEISM IMPROVE MORALE CONTROL HEALTHCARE COSTS Learn more about this program during our webinar May 21 H[UVVU*+;;VYLNPZ[LYNV[V^^^>LSSULZZ>LIPUHYPUMV +LZPNULK>LSSULZZPZH\UPX\LS`JYLH[LKPUP[PH[P]LHPTLK[VPTWYV]L[OLOLHS[OWYVK\J[P]P[`HUK ^LSSILPUNVMV\YTLTILYÄYT»ZLTWSV`LLZ-YVTIPVTL[YPJZJYLLUPUNZ[VLJVHJOPUNL_LYJPZL WSHUULYZ[VVUSPULJVTWL[P[PVUZ^L»]LJYLH[LKHJVTWYLOLUZP]L^LSSULZZZVS\[PVU+LZPNULK >LSSULZZPZVMMLYLKH[UVHKKP[PVUHSV\[VMWVJRL[JVZ[[V(*,*3PML/LHS[O;Y\Z[4LTILY-PYTZ DESIGNEDWELLNESS*64 *HSSVYLTHPS\Z[VNL[Z[HY[LK[VKH`!^LSSULZZ'HJLJSPMLOLHS[O[Y\Z[JVT ENGINEERING INC. MAY / JUNE 2013 ● VOL. 24 NO. 3 8 33 25 Features ANNUAL CONVENTION WRAP-UP 25 TIMOTHY HURSLEY TIMOTHY Annual Convention sets record, serves as catalyst Cover Feature for business, legislative progress. 2013 ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE AWARDS 8 MOBILE POWER 33 Honoring the year’s most remarkable engineering Engineering firms embrace the enhanced control achievements. and reach of mobile computing. Departments FROM ACEC TO YOU 2 BUSINESS INSIGHTS 44 4 Robust Convention lobbying effort right Study shows steadily improving financial on time. picture for firms; COPS provides seven baselines for business practices; engineers MARKET WATCH 4 explain complex technical issues in judicial Slow but steady increases for proceedings. water/wastewater market. MEMBERS IN THE NEWS 46 LEGISLATIVE ACTION 6 Dan Meckes named chairman and CEO of President’s budget proposes national Crawford, Murphy & Tilly, Inc.; T. Baker infrastructure bank; ACEC submits tax Smith celebrates 100th anniversary; Pennoni reform principles to Congress; Senate poised to Associates honors former Congressman clear ACEC-backed water legislation. Bud Shuster. GUEST COLUMN 40 MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS 48 Know your negotiating strategy before Canadian firms become enticing signing a personal guarantee for a loan. M&A targets. COVER PHOTO: TIMOTHY HURSLEY Engineering Inc. promotes the advocacy and business interests of ACEC by offering news, legislative analysis and business practice information to member firms, clients, opinion leaders and policy makers. The articles and editorials appearing in this magazine do not represent an official ACEC position or policy unless specifically identified as doing so. From ACEC to You ENGINEERING INC. THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE AMERICAN COUNCIL OF ENGINEERING COMPANIES Robust Convention AMERICAN COUNCIL OF ENGINEERING COMPANIES CHAIRMAN Gregs G. Thomopulos Lobbying Effort Right on Time PRESIDENT & CEO David A. Raymond VICE PRESIDENT, Mary Ann Emely OPERATIONS VICE PRESIDENT, Steven Hall he Annual Convention’s record-breaking 1,300-plus turnout translated GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS into an aggressive “citizen lobbyist” effort on Capitol Hill to support VICE PRESIDENT, Marie Ternieden new water infrastructure funding mechanisms, a national energy policy BUSINESS RESOURCES T AND EDUCATION and the next surface transportation program. DIRECTOR, COMMUNICATIONS Alan D. Crockett The timing of the effort couldn’t have been better. The Senate is considering and MEDIA a new Corps of Engineers water bill, the House is expected to vote soon on the STAFF EDITOR Andrea Keeney Keystone XL Pipeline, and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Com- [email protected] 202-682-4347 mittee is deeply immersed in paving the way for a new transportation bill. SENIOR COMMUNICATIONS Gerry Donohue At a Convention fundraiser for House Transportation and Infrastructure WRITER Committee Chairman Bill Shuster, the Pennsylvania lawmaker emphasized that all funding options were “on the table” in the reauthorization of MAP-21. How- ACEC PUBLIC RELATIONS AND EDITORIAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE ever, he also noted that more work needs to be done to build public support for CHAIRMAN Jackie Fox greater investments in infrastructure. The Convention also included a new international business focus highlighted by McMURRY/TMG, LLC a joint ACEC/National U.S.-Arab Chamber of Commerce program that brought MANAGING EDITOR Corey Murray U.S. engineering firm leaders, Arab ambassadors and embassy officials together to ART DIRECTOR Jeff Kibler discuss infrastructure opportunities in the Middle East and North Africa. PROJECT MANAGER Katie Mason The Engineering Excellence Awards (EEA) Gala had more international attendees this year than ever before. EEA winners included Arup, which received ADVERTISING SALES Leo Hoch the 2013 Grand Conceptor Award—signifying the year’s most outstanding engi- ACEC neering achievement—for its design of the Kauffman Center for the Performing 1015 15th Street, NW, 8th Floor Arts in Kansas City, Mo. Washington, D.C. 20005-2605 202-682-4341 For complete coverage of the 2013 Engineering Excellence Awards and the [email protected] Annual Convention, see pages 8 and 25. Engineering Inc., Volume 24, Number 3 (ISSN 1539-2694), is published bi-monthly by the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC), Gregs G. Thomopulos David A. Raymond 1015 15th Street, NW, 8th Floor, Washington, D.C. 20005-2605. Periodicals ACEC Chairman ACEC President & CEO postage paid at Washington, D.C., and at additional mailing offices. Annual subscriptions are $24 for members (included in dues as a non-deductible amount); $45 for U.S. non-members; $65 for institutional subscriptions. Back issues are $15. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Engineering Inc., c/o ACEC, 1015 15th Street, NW, 8th Floor, Washington, D.C. 20005-2605. © 2013 American Council of Engineering Companies. All rights reserved. This publication may be copied, downloaded from the ACEC website, stored in electronic or hard-copy format, and disseminated to third parties for educational and information purposes. ACEC expressly disclaims any liability for damages of any kind in connection with such copying, downloading, storage, and/or dissemination. By copying, downloading, storing and/or disseminating this publication, the recipient of this publication expressly agrees to defend, indemnify, and hold ACEC, its officers, directors, employees, volunteers and agents harmless from and against any and all losses, damages, claims, causes of action and liabilities, including reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs, arising out of or resulting from the recipient’s use of this publication. 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MarketWatch BY GERRY DONOHUE Slow but Steady Increases for Water/Wastewater Market or firms in the water/ Climate change is also affect- wastewater market, the ing the industry. “We have F projected 3 percent severe drought in some places, annual growth in 2013 is cause like Texas and parts of Califor- for enthusiasm. nia, while at the same time we “I’ve been in the water busi- have severe flooding