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MAY 2019 csengineermag.com 15 Andrew Holt has been in the engineering business for 33 years, and 23 of them have been with Suburban Consulting Engineers. At 52, Holt said the time has come to make his mark, to experience the payoff for all that time spent in the trenches. A graduate of Montana State University with a bachelor's in civil en- gineering, and with a master's in environmental engineering from the New Jersey Institute of Technology, it would seem that Holt's school days are over. But that's not the case. He's currently enrolled in Cen- tenary University, where he's pursuing an MBA. During the course of his business studies, he wrote a personal mission statement which, Holt said, serves as a constant reminder to hold himself accountable to his ideals. The statement, he said, is working. Suburban Consulting Engineers has just started an ambitious, five-year plan to double revenue, double the number of employees, and increase profitability by as much as two to three times the industry average. To implement this plan, Holt and the firm knew they had to bring more people into the fold rather than employ a narrow, top-down approach. The firm is focused on three areas: Growth/Profitability; Business De- velopment; and Technology. SCE has doubled in size in the last five years, and Holt says the firm can do it again. Out of a firm of about 110 people, only six are owners, or about five percent. And that's about right. To become an owner, someone has to exceed expectations, not just a few times, but over a career. The litmus test is tough, but ownership awaits those who can deliver at the highest level year-in and year-out. In terms of retained earnings, SCE is committed to driving profits back into the firm or, as Holt likes to say, taking care of the "golden goose." Part and parcel of that effort is to make sure everyone is pulling their weight around the office. "One thing we continually work to overcome is the feeling of entitle- ment that some develop after putting in the time without necessarily achieving the results," Holt said. "We are a results-based organization, and advancing into management requires demonstrated results and teamwork, regardless of the amount of time spent learning at our firm." A Conversation with Andrew Holt Do you tie compensation to performance for your top leaders? Currently, compensation levels for top leaders is not directly tied to performance, but performance is one of the criteria we evaluate when considering compensation amounts and adjustments. Performance must be accurately and fairly measured and reported to the individual throughout each evaluation time period. As a growing company, we are continuing to perfect and improve on performance monitoring and reporting systems. Until such time, as these systems are reliably operating, we defer to a committee review process where the senior leadership compares and prioritizes the roles and responsibilities of each leader. Additionally, we invite top leaders to positions of owner- ship and as such, their compensation includes distribution of company profit. All top leaders have a direct influence on their total compensa- tion through improved performance. What actions do you take to address a geographic office or specific discipline in the event of non-performance? Non-performance in any organization is an issue, especially when introducing the complexities of geographic distance or unique service disciplines. The critical action is to be aware of the non-performance issues through measurement and reporting (whether it be profitability, adherence to core values, or marketing and sales). Once identified, immediate dialogue must occur with those accountable for that area of performance or office, preferably in face-to-face meetings where corrective action plans can be developed, implemented and monitored. We typically find that serious performance issues require corrective action plans lasting up to one year. However, that level of investment and attention is warranted for the long-term health of the company. Have you ever closed an under-performing office? If so, tell us about it. The decision whether to close an underperforming office is not one that can be taken lightly. Earlier in my career, I was responsible for managing a regional office of 13 employees, and the corporate leader- ship decided to close the office due to the economic downturn and the higher than average overhead burden. In the end, it was the right decision as it realigned the corporate structure, facilitating a smooth Executive vice president, CEO & CFO of New Jersey-based Suburban Consulting Engineers By Liisa Andreassen, Correspondent Creating opportunity: Andrew Holt

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