Engineering Inc. - Winter 2020 - 39

NAVIGATE THE CHANGING
LANDSCAPE

"I love the spirit of collaboration we have in
the industry-big and small firms-to help
us meet the needs of clients and help our
companies grow."
BRANDON CLABORN
CEO
MESHEK & ASSOCIATES

But the relationship now faces another
transition, according to Hepp. As leadership retired from ODOT and the
Oklahoma Turnpike Authority, many went
to consult for regional engineering firms
that are now vying for the same work. At
the same time, state agency vacancies have
been replaced with new leadership.
"We are now finding ourselves in the
position of having to rebuild trust all over
again as some do not fully understand how
our businesses operate," Hepp says. "What
is needed is a 'restatement of vows' that
were initiated through ACEC nearly 20
years ago through its partnering document
with ODOT, and from there determine
what problems we need to solve that are
specific for our industry."
Meshek & Associates' Claborn credits
ACEC OKLAHOMA with helping him

Since its establishment, ACEC
OKLAHOMA has strived to help
Member Firms navigate the changing
engineering landscape. That help includes
educating firms and the community on
industry-impacting legislative issues and
being a primary source for tools and
resources to help members take
advantage of market trends and
Phase one of Scissortail
grow their business.
Park, a 70-acre, $132
million urban oasis that
One Member Firm success
stretches from downtown
story is CEC Corp., which in the
Oklahoma City to the
Oklahoma River, opened in
early to mid-2000s had between
September 2019.
30-35 employees working on
small transportation and municipality projects when it witnessed
an increase in out-of-state firms
coming into the state in pursuit
of the larger projects.
"With the help of ACEC
(OKLAHOMA), we were
able to really start developing
a relationship with our main
transportation client, ODOT.
It became one of the enviable
relationships between contractors, engineers, and the
transportation owner in the
entire nation," Hepp says.
Today, CEC employs about
215 professionals with three
offices in the state and one in
Texas.

navigate his new role as a principal at his
firm through "Leadership for Engineers"
training. "They do not teach engineers
about business in engineering school, and
the class proved tremendously valuable,"
he says.
ACEC OKLAHOMA also provided
Claborn with guidance on how to, and
the importance of building relationships
and networks with fellow statewide engineering professionals.
"I love the spirit of collaboration we
have in the industry-big and small
firms-to help us meet the needs of clients
and help our companies grow," he adds.
Sullins explained how ACEC OKLAHOMA's prominence has paralleled with
the maturation of the state's engineering
industry.
"We are seeing individuals who were
design engineers or project managers 20 years ago now leading
their firms," Sullins said. "Since
we got them involved earlier in
their careers, they already know
of ACEC OKLAHOMA and
our importance to their firm's
continued success even before
they have their name over the
door.
"In my 32 years, we have
groomed a new generation of
leaders who have taken over from
the previous 'founding' generation," Sullins continued. "And
now, through our 'Leadership for
Engineers' program and other
ventures, we are helping groom
and train yet a third generation of
leaders, who in the next 10-15
years will be taking over leadership positions in their firm and in
ACEC OKLAHOMA." n
DOUG HOKE

for FY 2019. The funding
of transportation projects
slowed a bit as a result.
"Funds to make up that
deficit were taken from
ODOT [Oklahoma Department of Transportation]
and other state agencies that
would employ consultants,
engineers, and architects,"
Sullins says. "Luckily, it
appears that we are now back on track,
and the future is looking brighter."
At the same time, regional and national
engineering firms are flocking to Oklahoma looking for a piece of the lucrative
transportation pie and a chance at the
MAPS projects. "There used to be 10
firms putting in for the job, and now
there are 50," Hepp says. "It is just a different market, and so we have to adapt."

Stacy Collett is a business and
technology writer based in Chicago.

WINTER 2020

ENGINEERING INC.

39
Engineering Inc. - Winter 2020

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