In an interview with Invest:, Stephen Girard, vice president of East Region sales at NRG, said the Pittsburgh energy market is navigating a period of significant transition, shaped by rising prices and soaring demand from new technologies. “Energy affordability has become a major focus as clients work to navigate the higher costs they’ve faced over the past 12 months,” said Girard. 

What recent changes have had the greatest impact on NRG’s Pittsburgh operations? 

We’ve seen a few key trends this year. Energy prices have risen across eastern U.S. markets, driven not only by the energy component of customer bills, but also by demand charges needed to support grid growth. These increases stem primarily from the fact that we’re seeing a massive surge in electricity demand from three things: the electrification of transportation, large-scale industrial onshoring, and data center and AI development. 
My team and I manage sales in Pittsburgh and across Pennsylvania for commercial and industrial customers, so it’s an interesting time. Energy affordability has become a major focus as clients work to navigate the higher costs they’ve faced over the past 12 months. 

How is NRG positioning itself to seize opportunities and manage risks from trends like decarbonization, digitization, and grid modernization? 

At NRG, we focus on expanding generation and participating in key markets, including working with developers and data centers. My role involves partnering with complex customers to build tailored energy strategies and assess their growth and load needs from new facilities. We create comprehensive energy plans that help customers buy energy strategically — using hedges, timing purchases and selecting the right contract terms, which have recently trended longer because of higher prices. This approach allows customers to take advantage of opportunities in the energy supply curve while minimizing risk. 
 We also help customers reduce demand through both formal demand response programs offered by utilities or independent system operators (ISO) and informal systems that send signals to cut usage on high-demand days, such as during extreme summer heat. Our goal is to manage risk and limit surprises for procurement teams, CFOs or CEOs. Recent events — from cold snaps in Texas and the Northeast to rising AI and data center demand — show just how critical these strategies have become. 

What is NRG doing to recruit, train, and retain skilled workers in Pittsburgh? 

We’ve had a strong presence in Pittsburgh for more than 25 years, starting as Strategic Energy, then Direct Energy, and now NRG. We’ve long been a leader in retail choice for gas and electricity, with a focus on attracting top talent. As a Pittsburgh native, I’m proud of our team of energy professionals who work closely with customers on their energy needs. 
We recruit from local universities like University of Pittsburgh, Penn State and Carnegie Mellon, bringing in interns to introduce young talent to our organization. While we initially focused on engineers and finance professionals, we’re now tapping into university energy management programs to attract passionate individuals who understand the industry. This talent base supports NRG’s commercial and industrial customers. 

We also focus a lot on talent acquisition and retention, ensuring employees have opportunities to grow both professionally and personally. As some of our best team members move into new phases of their careers, we’re committed to developing the next generation of leaders at NRG, especially here in Pittsburgh. 

Today, our office is working on data center projects both locally and across the country, and developing AI tools to improve employee and customer outcomes. These efforts help us grow and engage our talent — and ensure NRG remains a leader in the market. 

Beyond education and workforce programs, how does NRG support the Pittsburgh community through philanthropy or environmental initiatives? 

With nearly 200 employees in Western Pennsylvania, our team is highly engaged and prioritizes volunteering and giving back to the community. A flagship effort is NRG’s Choose to Give program with UPMC’s Children’s Hospital Foundation. Customers on this electricity plan contribute $50 upon enrollment, plus 1% of their annual supply charges, supporting children’s health while receiving a predictable 12-month electricity rate. We’ve donated more than $2.8 million since January 2023, surpassing $2 million in March 2025. 

 We also support UPMC’s WDVE Rocks Children’s Radiothon, the Walk for Children’s Celebrity Cares Fest, and local charity golf outings benefiting organizations like Bike Pittsburgh, Beverly’s Birthdays, Hannah Topia, Lower Valley Community Food Bank, Carson Soap and the Pittsburgh Advocacy Center with Pump. Recently, we packed more than 40,000 meals for the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, with nearly 100% employee participation — a recurring effort our team truly loves. 

What are NRG’s main goals and priorities for Pittsburgh over the next two to three years? 

We aim to grow our business and help customers and partners navigate any energy challenges they may face. Face-to-face conversations — whether on Zoom or Teams, in conference rooms, or even at a Steelers game — are what drive real impact on the local economy. We prioritize being in front of customers so we can help them manage their energy spend effectively. 

Community engagement is also essential. Even as a national company, we succeed by being deeply involved in local communities like Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Columbus and elsewhere. By helping customers, retaining strong talent, and giving back, we will meet our goals and continue to grow. 

In an interview with Invest:, David Price, president of engineering at Allen + Shariff Engineering, said, “our goal is to have ten offices by 2030,” as he detailed the firm’s strategic international expansion, its approach to navigating a competitive talent market, and how sustainable design is now inherently baked into standard building codes. 

Over the past year, what have been the most important changes for Allen + Shariff Engineering, both locally in Pittsburgh and across your broader operations?

Over the past year, one of the most important developments for Allen + Shariff Engineering has been the establishment of a new office in Mexico City. This office was opened approximately one year ago to begin addressing market opportunities in that region while also providing support for our various offices throughout the United States. I am pleased to report that this initiative has evolved successfully over the last twelve months. We currently have seven people stationed there, plus one individual leading the operations, bringing the total to eight team members. Their consistent growth has been incredibly positive. Another significant development over the past year involves our offices in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. For the last fifteen years, these offices have primarily focused on project management, specifically specializing in mega hospitals. Approximately two years ago, challenges with certain contracts prompted a strategic shift toward diversification beyond pure project management. This led them to begin pursuing architectural and engineering work, similar to the core operations we conduct in the United States, though excluding the architectural component. As with any new venture, gaining traction requires time and patience. However, November 2024 marked a major turning point when they secured a substantial volume of new work. This influx of projects has catalyzed significant growth and momentum for those offices, which has been fantastic to witness. Additionally, the project management segment of their business is beginning to rebound. Overall, everything is progressing in a positive direction.

How have these shifts shaped your priorities? 

These expansions have significantly influenced my role as president overseeing all United States and Mexico operations. The offices in Dubai and Abu Dhabi are managed by a separate director, so my involvement there is limited. For our domestic offices, the greatest challenge has been maintaining our existing workload within a market that has demonstrably slowed. While we strive to retain our current employees, we simultaneously face the difficulty of recruiting new talent in this highly competitive environment. This challenge is particularly acute as our offices, such as the one in Chicago, continue to grow and require additional staff. Our foremost priority, therefore, is identifying and attracting quality employees to join our organization.

What are some projects that showcase your team’s expertise in advanced healthcare environments, and what does it mean for the growth of your Pittsburgh office?

Regarding our expertise in advanced healthcare environments, the recent completion of the new laboratory for UPMC Hillman Cancer Center serves as a prime example. It is important to note that while every office at Allen + Shariff Engineering handles a broad spectrum of built-environment engineering, our Pittsburgh region has been significantly strong in the healthcare market. This team has been a solid and dedicated part of our organization for fifteen years, with UPMC being their number one client. The specialized nature of healthcare engineering, which encompasses critical aspects like life safety, demands a focused expertise.Concurrently, Pittsburgh has also completed significant work for UPMC, primarily focusing on office and tenant fit-outs. For instance, our team executed the engineering for over twenty floors of corporate tenant fit-out for UPMC in the UPMC Tower, which is the tallest building in Pittsburgh. Our association with UPMC spans nearly twenty years, underscoring a deep and sustained partnership.

What are some examples of projects where the firm has best showcased sustainability practices, and how has clients’ appetite for sustainability methods evolved?

Sustainability continues to be a critical focus for our firm. Over the last fifteen to twenty years, sustainability has transitioned from a frequent topic of discussion to an integral component of standard design practice. This evolution is largely due to building codes becoming progressively more stringent every three years, continually raising the baseline for efficiency and environmental performance. Consequently, we are observing a trend where fewer clients actively seek formal sustainability certifications for their projects. This is not due to a diminished commitment to sustainability, but because so many sustainable practices are now inherently baked into the standard design and construction process. By default, we are already operating at a high level of efficiency. That said, certain projects still pursue certifications. For example, we provided all engineering services for a new large entertainment venue across from the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, which is pursuing LEED certification. We have successfully met the targeted energy efficiency goals for that project with relative ease by applying these principles early in the design. Furthermore, we are engaged in numerous affordable housing projects. As these are often government-driven, they come with stringent requirements for energy efficiency ratings and frequently aim to meet passive house standards. This represents a significant investment in long-term sustainability. While the data might suggest a decline in certified projects, the reality is that sustainable design is more pervasive than ever, as it has simply become a standard expectation integrated into all our work.

How are you building on the strength of the firm’s diverse and multicultural workforce to attract and retain engineering talent in Pittsburgh’s competitive labor market?

Our approach to attracting and retaining engineering talent in Pittsburgh’s competitive labor market, and in our other operational areas, is multifaceted. As a well-established company, our reputation is a strong selling point. However, beyond technical engineering skill, we place paramount importance on cultural fit and the values a prospective employee brings to our organization. We seek individuals who integrate well with our team and contribute to a collaborative environment. Our company values, which include integrity and fun, are central to our identity. We believe that enjoying one’s work is essential, so we actively foster engagement through group outings, shared lunches, and participation in community events, such as a recent cornhole tournament where our teams performed exceptionally well and received strong support from the office. We also host events with architectural firms to build camaraderie and strengthen professional relationships. By creating an enjoyable office environment with appealing amenities and views, we strive to make engineering an engaging lifestyle rather than just a job. This comprehensive approach is crucial to our recruitment and retention strategy.

How have you seen trends such as mixed-use development and C-PACE financing evolve over the last year, and what new opportunities are you preparing for?

Mixed-use development is still occurring. There are still projects popping up in Pittsburgh, and I am speaking from Pittsburgh because that is where I live. Those opportunities are still happening. In our Columbia market, they are also happening. There is more of a push towards multifamily residential, which, when those get built, commercial and retail uses often grow up around them. In the Pittsburgh market, it is still progressing well. In the Columbia, or the Baltimore-Washington DC market, those projects are out there, but they are slow to get started. We are still stuck in this economy where the market rates have not dropped. So, everybody is still hanging out there waiting to go. Just describing that, it is a pent-up energy, and at some point that dam will burst, and we will all be busy. 

Regarding multifamily and C-PACE, I do not feel C-PACE has grown the way I thought it would. It is still available. I just do not see people taking advantage of it, and I am not sure why. Maybe if I were a building owner and more involved in the finances, I would understand. To me, it seems like a fantastic way to make long-term improvements to your building that do not affect what you want to do with the property later on.

You also previously mentioned seeing the bus rapid transit system, which will connect Oakland to downtown Pittsburgh, as a significant opportunity. Has that come to fruition?

Fortunately, we have seen a ton of growth in what is called Uptown. That is the area between Oakland, where the University of Pittsburgh is, and downtown Pittsburgh. Old buildings, old housing, old everything, have been torn down to build new. We have four to six projects in that small area alone that are ongoing right now, either in design or construction. There is a lot of growth in the residential sector, and it is going to draw the two areas together better, which is beneficial to the city.

Taking a broader look at the economy, how have ongoing changes in the market and labour force impacted your organization, if at all? 

The current opportunity landscape presents a unique challenge. While recruiting recent college graduates is relatively straightforward, finding seasoned professionals with more experience is exceedingly difficult. This shortage can be traced back to the market downturn of 2008, which profoundly impacted the engineering and architectural sectors. During that period, many students switched their college majors away from these fields, and a significant number of experienced professionals were laid off and left the industry entirely. This has created a substantial gap in the talent pool, specifically affecting professionals with approximately eleven to seventeen years of experience. These individuals are exceptionally scarce and are often already content in their current roles, making them reluctant to transition to a new company. This makes the market for experienced talent extremely competitive. This reality is a key driver behind our international expansion into markets like Mexico and the UAE. For example, when our Dubai and Abu Dhabi offices secured a large volume of work in November 2024, they needed to hire thirty-five people immediately. They successfully recruited all thirty-five within two weeks, thanks to the abundant engineering talent available in the surrounding regions. Such rapid scaling is simply not feasible in the current United States market. Our goal for the Mexico office is not only to support growth in the United States but also to establish a platform for further expansion southward, potentially into countries like Colombia, as part of our broader strategic vision.

How does Allen + Shariff philosophy of community engagement translate into the firm’s engagement with the Pittsburgh community and regional development initiatives?

In general, we do a lot of that on our own as personal ambassadors. For example, although it is fun, I coach soccer. I don’t have kids on the team; it’s just an outlet to give back. Locally, we have opportunities such as garbage cleanup. We go out and do those things to try to help out. We are involved in different opportunities that benefit various organizations. For instance, I think they do more of this out of our Baltimore office, where Zack Shariff is involved. He is on the board of Johns Hopkins University on its development side. He is involved with the Howard County Leadership program, trying to generate revenues to then help future entrepreneurs, and many other such initiatives. Individual involvement is sometimes more inspiring than just a corporate policy of community engagement, because you can inspire team members to help out the community in many different ways rather than just following one program.

What are your top goals and priorities over the next two to three years, both in terms of project delivery and strengthening the company’s role in the regional market?

For the company, right now we have six offices. Our goal is to have ten offices by 2030. We have these kinds of goals for the growth of the company. We are looking to do a lot of internal improvements for standardization. These are all just efficiencies. We are looking at going into other markets and growing our reach. I am already licensed in half the country, but it would be nice to have offices in other places.

In an interview with Invest:, Chris DiLorenzo, Manager of Business Development at Turner Construction Company, said that adaptability, innovation, and community engagement are driving the company’s efforts in a rapidly evolving construction landscape. “Our goal is to deliver in a way that helps Pittsburgh become the city we all believe it can be.”

Over the last 12 months, what major developments have impacted Turner’s operations in Pittsburgh, and in what ways?

From a Pittsburgh standpoint, we’ve had a longstanding presence in the city — over 100 years. Year over year, Pittsburgh’s construction landscape has been largely driven by a few key sectors, mainly healthcare and higher education, what we often refer to as “eds and meds.” Over the last year, we’ve been navigating the effects of the current economic climate and funding conditions. It’s about determining which projects have the financial legs to move forward and which may be stalled due to broader economic or governmental factors outside of the city’s control.

A big part of our work has been trying to stay ahead of these macroeconomic shifts. That’s not always easy to forecast, but it’s necessary. We’re also seeing a noticeable increase in the focus on technology — AI and robotics — largely driven by partnerships within higher education institutions here in Pittsburgh. They’re teaming up with outside groups, and we’re actively monitoring those developments to stay competitive.

One area generating a lot of excitement is the data center space. There’s a real buzz around that sector, and while it hasn’t fully taken off in Pittsburgh yet, we believe it will soon. We’re preparing by building our expertise both locally and globally to be ready when that market expands here. Data centers have grown to 40% of our work , and once that momentum hits Western PA, we’ll be ready to lead.

Given your 100-year legacy and involvement in shaping Pittsburgh’s skyline, can you highlight some of your recent or ongoing projects in the region?

Over our century-long history, we’ve played a major role in constructing many of Pittsburgh’s most iconic buildings. A lot of us on the Turner Pittsburgh team are locally born and raised here, so there’s a real sense of pride in the legacy we’re continuing.

One of the most prominent recent projects is our work at the Pittsburgh International Airport. But perhaps the most cutting-edge is the cell and gene therapy facility we’re delivering in partnership with Tishman Speyer and the University of Pittsburgh at Hazelwood Green. That project is currently underway and is a major life sciences development for the city.

We’ve also recently formed new partnerships, including a project with Saint Vincent College, about an hour and a half outside Pittsburgh, where we’re building a new athletic facility. Another exciting development is the upcoming headquarters for K&L Gates, which will take up approximately 150,000 square feet. Our team is currently working with them during the preconstruction phase.

In addition to those larger projects, we’ve had steady success in commercial tenant improvement work. While the office market isn’t as robust as it once was, we’ve still managed to deliver high-quality spaces for clients like Federal Home Loan Bank, CBRE, and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) over the past few years. We are also currently delivering new office space in the city for Deloitte and New York Life. We are optimistic that this trend towards rebuilding the commercial market will continue. 

We’ve also had longstanding relationships with major institutions like the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC, as well as Allegheny Health Network. All of these organizations have been great partners, and we’ve completed several impactful healthcare and higher education projects for them in recent years. Those relationships are extremely valuable to us.

How is Turner making the business case for smart, sustainable buildings?

From an ESG standpoint, Turner has always been ahead of the curve. We’ve taken a proactive approach to sustainability across the board. We have ESG professionals embedded throughout the company, and our regional sustainability manager, Kayla Reddington, is actively involved in every project we do here.

What’s unique is that we don’t wait for clients to request sustainable practices — we embed them into our processes. We treat it as a core part of how we operate. That philosophy really resonates with our team because they know they’re contributing to a greater environmental impact.

And just when we think we’ve mastered it, we continue to raise the bar. Our operations and ESG teams are tightly aligned, and we’re always looking for ways to innovate and push sustainability forward. That’s what keeps us sharp and at the forefront of ESG in construction.

How is Turner attracting and training talent in Pittsburgh?

That’s a huge focus for us. We have a dedicated Community and Citizenship (C&C) team, and here in Pittsburgh, we’re fortunate to have two full-time professionals — Patriece and Nia — who concentrate solely on this area. One of our core goals is raising awareness around careers in the skilled trades, particularly in communities that may not be aware of the opportunities available to have a rewarding career in construction.

We work closely with local unions and align our training programs with upcoming projects. The idea is to connect individuals with union training, then place them on real job sites where they can build long-term careers.

These efforts also align with our clients’ goals, as many of them share the same concerns about labor shortages. The results are starting to show. It’s not happening as quickly as we’d like, but progress is there, and we know we need to keep pushing because if we don’t address the labor gap now, it will only grow into a bigger issue down the line. Turner, both locally and globally, is committed to getting ahead of that.

What other challenges are top-of-mind for Turner in Pittsburgh?

One of the biggest issues right now is the uncertainty around construction costs. That’s not unique to Pittsburgh, but it’s definitely being felt here. Clients are wary about where prices are heading. 

As the largest company in the construction services industry in North America, Turner’s  reach gives us an edge in managing global issues such as tariffs and supply chain disruptions. Through our partner company, SourceBlue, we’re able to track and manage lead times across materials and equipment more effectively. That helps our clients get a clearer picture of what to expect and how to plan accordingly.

Another advantage we have is our ability to benchmark. Almost every project we take on in Pittsburgh has a parallel somewhere else in the company. That gives us real-time data on costs and best practices, which allows us to give clients realistic, informed projections from the start.

How is the Pittsburgh office giving back to the community?

Our community work is ongoing. Our C&C team drives much of it year-round, but they partner closely with our project managers and field teams to integrate community support into our job sites. For example, if we’re working in Hazelwood, we prioritize supporting local businesses, whether it’s ordering catering or sourcing supplies locally.

We’ve taken the same approach in Latrobe, at Saint Vincent College. Wherever we go, we want to be more than a builder. We want to be a community partner and leave a positive impact. 

What are Turner’s key priorities in Pittsburgh over the next two to three years?

Our goal is to deliver in a way that helps Pittsburgh become the city we all believe it can be. This region has evolved from its industrial past into a center for healthcare, education, and now innovation. While cities like Boston and San Francisco often get the spotlight as tech hubs, Pittsburgh has all the right ingredients to be in that conversation, especially with its growing focus on AI, robotics, and data centers.

But it’s not something anyone can do alone. It requires collaboration with city leaders, developers, universities, and other partners. We need to support an environment where development is encouraged, so businesses see Pittsburgh as a destination, not just a possibility.

As we do that, we’ll continue to attract companies and talent and create a ripple effect that benefits everyone. I’d love to see what Pittsburgh looks like 10 or 15 years from now because the potential here is real, and I believe we’re on the brink of something transformational.

LEVEL is an organization that recognizes the barriers to equitable homeownership across Allegheny County, including high poverty rates and limited access to financial services. LEVEL combines rehabbing vacant homes with a unique financial education program in order to bridge this gap and create broader economic waves. “At LEVEL, we believe that increasing homeownership will stabilize the market,” Jason Tigano, LEVEL’s CEO told Invest:.

What changes over the past year have had the greatest impact on LEVEL?

Over the past year, our most significant achievement has been seeing the proof-of-concept stage in McKees Rocks come to fruition. Not only are we beginning the construction phase on our homes, but we are extending our education and outreach efforts that get our buyers ready to become homeowners. In the last six months, we activated a physical space called “The HUB” for community members to visit and learn about our programs. It’s a replicable template for meeting residents where they are while providing resources and information. This year hasn’t been without challenges, however. LEVEL is embarking on a unique endeavor, unlike anything else in the country, as confirmed by our own research and independent third-party analysis. We anticipate this spring the houses will be fully rehabilitated, ready for sale or already sold, with families who have begun their journey with us moving in. Our excitement stems from LEVEL implementing a solution years in the making.

How do you increase homeownership in our low-income neighborhoods?

LEVEL believes that if you can pay your rent, you can pay your mortgage. Many hardworking families reside in low-income neighborhoods and contribute to the local economies. However, they lack a permanency-of-place that provides stability to these communities. Increased homeownership is the most effective solution. We aim to engage these residents directly and help them realize that being a homeowner is attainable. Regional studies have uncovered a need for 30,000 to 40,000 affordable housing units across the city and county, which could also include market-rate properties. LEVEL has a multifaceted approach to increasing homeownership, from creating more housing stock to turning renters into confident buyers.

How is the lack of ownership affecting the communities?

As people leave cities and counties due to a lack of affordable housing, both rented and owned, communities face increasing vulnerability. While Pittsburgh’s booming industries make it an attractive hub, we often overlook the struggling communities within its orbit. For example, Hazelwood is experiencing a displacement similar to what East Liberty faced between 2010 and 2012. In the past eight years, Hazelwood has lost more than 1,000 residents. This displacement is largely due to the Hazelwood Green development, where landlords and developers are buying real estate and anticipating market growth. The announcement of a half-billion-dollar investment in robotics and biomed facilities clearly indicates where significant money will be spent. However, this economic boom is displacing long-time residents, forcing them to move to areas like Duquesne and McKeesport. This influx of new, often struggling, residents further strains communities that are already facing challenges. Areas with high percentages of homeowners have higher quality of life indicators including education, health, civic engagement, and financial stability. It’s about time we addressed this issue with a lasting solution. 

How do you approach community engagement and ensure residents have a voice in shaping projects before, during and after the development?

Our initial step involves receiving an invitation from the community before we begin acquiring real estate. We do not arbitrarily purchase properties. In the case of McKees Rocks, this entailed meeting with the borough council and delivering a presentation at a borough meeting. Following a vote, the council welcomed LEVEL’s involvement. Subsequently, we engaged with the Community Development Corporation and its board, who similarly endorsed our efforts. Our approach aligns with asset-based development principles, intersecting these with market realities in real estate. We also partner with community ambassadors who conduct door-to-door surveys and in-person events to collect data from residents. This not only helps identify renters interested in homeownership but also uncovers other community needs, such as food access, education or workforce development, contributing to the holistic well-being of individuals and the community.

How do you turn residents into homeowners?

For those who can comfortably pay their rent, homeownership is within reach. In McKees Rocks, for example, individuals paying a high percentage of their incomes in rent could potentially afford a mortgage. A key component of our process is education — a holistic plan to prepare individuals in obtaining a mortgage and the long-term responsibilities of maintaining a home. The HUB is our most impactful effort where we see the biggest return on investment. Partnering with existing community-engagement infrastructure, like the McKees Rocks CDC, we connect with potential homeowners. We provide these residents with one-on-one support as they complete our LEVEL “Path,” which includes educational milestones and financial achievements. This journey is guided by a LEVEL Health Score, a number that considers several key factors, not just their income. What makes our affordable homeownership model so unique is the relationship we build with our participants. It allows LEVEL to respond to their needs in realtime. As we work with these individuals over six months to a year, we see them progress and become home-ready.  

What are your key goals and priorities for the next two to three years for LEVEL?

Our aim over the next two to three years is to complete around 100 houses. By the end of 2026, we project completing 10 to 15 houses, requiring additional fundraising, but we are committed to at least 10. We aspire to increase this number and scale our operations. We have identified opportunities to acquire 50 to 100 houses, contingent on securing funding and partnerships for real acquisitions. We plan to expand our construction efforts into two or three new neighborhoods, building on our successful invitations and acceptances in two previous communities. Our fundraising goal is between $50 and $100 million for construction, with an additional $3 million to $5 million allocated for operations. Of course, our education and civic engagement efforts are central to our success and are the heart of the LEVEL model.

Global engineering and consulting firm Wood recently expanded its presence in Pittsburgh with a new office in Moon Township. In an interview with Invest:, Christopher Johnson discussed the motivation behind the expansion, Wood’s multidisciplinary capabilities, and how the company is supporting the region’s economic and industrial growth. “There’s a real opportunity for Wood to grow through supporting the energy and materials industries in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and the Northeast,” said Johnson.

What was the motivation behind Wood’s expansion to the Pittsburgh market?

Wood has been executing projects in the Pittsburgh area since 2020. I’ve been managing those projects — initially remotely from our Calgary, Alberta office and then here on assignment in Pittsburgh. We opened our new office in Moon Township, just by the airport, in December 2024. This was part of a strategic move to grow our business in the Pittsburgh and wider Pennsylvania area as well as the greater Northeast region of the United States.

As part of this, I relocated to Pittsburgh permanently and I’ve really grown to love the city. I recently bought a house here, and I have to say, I’m a Pittsburgh Penguins fan now. 

I think Pittsburgh is a fantastic place with a lot of opportunity in the region, with recent announcements including significant investments — from data centers and power station upgrades to new pipelines and major investments in steel manufacturing, along with the established petrochemical facilities. There’s a real opportunity for Wood to support these industries and grow in the region.

How does Wood view its role in supporting Pittsburgh’s evolving economic landscape?

We can support engineering and procurement across multiple disciplines — process, mechanical, civil, structural, electrical, instrumentation and control, and Electric Heat Tracing (EHT). We also have a network of technical experts across the globe, so we can leverage subject matter experts to support our design work as required.

Our Pittsburgh team is very experienced in being on-site for projects. As well as field verification, laser scanning, and 3D modeling for existing facilities, we also perform noise studies and vibration analyses. Our network of technical experts support various design needs, including foundation and structural steel design, equipment and piping design, power system studies, and electrical design, as well as resulting design modifications and control system and instrumentation changes. 

We provide support with equipment and material procurement through all project stages from specification, request for quotation, and technical and commercial evaluation to post PO award expediting and supplier quality surveillance (SQS) through to delivery.

How is Wood approaching recruitment and retention of talent in Pittsburgh?

We’re always looking for local resources. One of our key focus areas when opening this office was to recruit locally, and we are currently recruiting designers and engineers in Pittsburgh.

The projects I’ve managed in this region since 2020 have accumulated over 400,000 hours of engineering and procurement support — through our Pittsburgh and supporting offices — and we’ve achieved this without any incidents, accidents, or lost-time issues. That’s something I’m really proud of.

Our company has a very strong safety culture, whether we’re in the office, on-site, or at a client facility. We care for and look out for each other always — safety is key.

Opportunities for personal development and growth are also important to our culture at Wood. I’ve worked around the world with Wood, and I have been supported in my personal and professional development every step of the way. These opportunities and resources are what brought me here to Pittsburgh. We all have development plans so that we can grow with the business.

What key trends are you seeing in your sector?

The Pittsburgh area is seeing major announcements about data centers. If those investments go ahead, there will be an increased demand for power, so there’s work to do converting older power stations to natural gas facilities. It’s all connected.

We have a specialist team at Wood that focuses on data centers, and we’re working with them to work on how we can support this growth. The recent merger between U.S. Steel and Nippon Steel also presents opportunities for investment in the steel industry here.

What are some of the biggest challenges facing your industry, and how is Wood leveraging its expertise?

My team supports small to medium sized brownfield sustaining capital projects. That might mean going on-site to assess modifications needed for de-bottlenecking or production growth, then completing the design work to support those projects. We’re also experienced in field verification and developing design scopes from early project phases through to detailed engineering and final issued-for-construction deliverables. 

Some of the challenges we face are with existing facilities that may not have fully up to date documentation. That’s where our laser scanning and field verification capabilities come in. We can go onto a facility, perform site surveys, and produce accurate as-built drawings. This allows us to deliver efficient and precise designs moving forward.

How is the Pittsburgh office contributing to community initiatives or philanthropic efforts in the city?

Wood sponsors the Shell Pennsylvania Chemicals charity golf event each year, which supports local non-profits. We also contribute to and volunteer with local food banks, helping with collections and distribution to support the Pittsburgh community.

In addition, our team participates in career fairs at local colleges where we speak with soon to be graduates and look for opportunities to hire local talent. Building local relationships and investing in local talent is important to us.

Looking ahead, what are your main goals and priorities for Wood’s Pittsburgh office over the next two to three years?

Our goal is to grow Wood’s Pittsburgh office and expand our client base in the Northeast region, particularly in Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania but also in neighboring states. Business development is a big part of my role — connecting with new potential clients and building solid relationships.

Another goal we have is to recruit local, Pittsburgh-based resources as we grow. We want to continue building a strong local presence that reflects the community we serve.

Tami Greene, president of IKM Architecture, spoke with Invest: about the firm’s broad strategy that spans across multiple regions and sectors. Greene also highlighted the firm’s involvement with the Tree of Life project, which she believes “shows our power in architecture to bring people together and help them heal.”

How has the recent leadership change shaped the direction of the firm, and what changes or successes from the past year have been most impactful?

Our previous president was a great leader for many years, and is still involved as a medical planner on some of our larger projects. The transition went smoothly, and we now manage things a bit differently. When I came into leadership, I asked the different departments for details that previously hadn’t been reported. I didn’t realize how much of a numbers gal I am, but when I got involved in looking at finances, accounting, projections, and the business development side of things, I realized I like to look at the numbers and see it all written down in a nice, structured way.

I have worked as a project manager in architecture for many years and have over 27 years of healthcare expertise, so moving into the role of president means I am involved in a lot more than architecture.

Now, a little more than a year in, I’m comfortable with this position — interacting with clients and our staff on a different level. Overall, I think the transition has gone very well and am happy with where we are.

For IKM, the past year has brought successes and challenges. One of the highlights was being  asked to partner on an important project for our community. 

We have a long and meaningful history of work at IKM. Our Pittsburgh office has been open since 1911, so the legacy of IKM serving our community has been great, with historic landmark projects like the Buhl Planetarium, which is now a part of the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, Chatham Village, and Phipps Conservatory — we did the Rainforest and Welcome Center projects. That legacy is a great one, and we’re very proud of contributing to the Pittsburgh community.

This year, we continue that with being part of a very important project, which I would say is one of our most notable successes this year — partnering with Studio Libeskind on the Tree of Life.  It’s a project that is deeply meaningful to us. Being selected to be part of such an important project and contributing to the design and documentation of a building that honors the memory of those lost while fostering resilience is a true privilege. We believe this shows our power in architecture to bring people together and help them heal. It is always rewarding to serve others through our work, but this sense of honor and responsibility on the Tree of Life project is profound.

From your perspective, what changes in the local economy over the past year have affected your work?

We’ve seen some larger projects with our healthcare and higher education clients be placed on hold in the past year. We believe some of this is the result of tighter capital budgets and the turmoil around the federal funding of projects. We have been focused on costs on all of our projects, and the clients don’t really know where funding will come from. We have multiple clients who have shared that they are optimistic about projects moving forward in the next quarter or two. For the most part, the projects that have started within the past year are facility improvements with a focus on upgrading infrastructure, replacing medical equipment, or responding to a growing patient caseload. Right now, funding seems to be flowing toward urgent needs, and that’s what’s keeping our pipeline active. Larger, more strategic projects are getting shelved in response to uncertain economic conditions.

What new opportunities are you seeing in different sectors?

We are seeing growth in higher education as well as the workplace. We see trends in higher education towardlistening closely to what students want. Interestingly enough, we have had almost the same number of proposals for higher education in the past year as we had for healthcare. The higher education work we are doing is more in response to improvements in student recruitment. We do work for the University of Pittsburgh, Duquesne University, Carnegie Mellon University, Carlow University, and Slippery Rock University. 

There are really two things from that growth. One is flexible learning spaces to accommodate different learning methods, whether it’s for small groups or large groups. There’s also a technology demand, so making sure we keep up with those needs. 

We’re seeing more collaboration zones integrated into higher education design — spaces where students or faculty can spontaneously connect, whether it’s continuing a hallway conversation or working through an idea together. These informal gathering areas are becoming essential across campus.The other thing with higher education we’re focused on is designing environments that promote wellness. We recently completed the Forbes Beeler apartment complex for Carnegie Mellon, in partnership with Goody Clancy. We designed many of the interior spaces with input from the students. The result was a peaceful and playful space, including mood rooms with color-changing lights, called Everbright walls, for the students to take a break. 

That’s been our focus for higher education, and we’re seeing a lot of growth with our clients wanting to pay attention. It’s very important to our clients and to us.

What changes have you seen in your workforce strategy over the past year, and what are your goals for attracting, developing and retaining top talent in Pittsburgh?

We have faced some challenges around remote work and virtual meetings, with both our staff and our clients. We have some employees who prefer working from home because they want to retain flexibility and work-life balance. Our current model sees employees in the office three days a week, and certain days we require everyone to be in the office. We have some staff members asking for more in-person meetings in addition to our weekly company-wide virtual meetings. Our staff understands the value of being in the room with each other to share ideas and socialize. We also offer flex time. Any staff member who works overtime on a particular day can take time off the following day, to help maintain work-life balance. 

Looking ahead, what are your key goals and priorities for IKM in the next two to three years?

Our priorities over the next few years are making sure IKM connects across markets. We have insights from healthcare that shape higher ed and workplace, and insights from science and technology that bridge into the education and healthcare industry. Civic projects anchor our community and culture. These bridges and connections between the sectors we serve are where we want to grow. We plan to grow in size in Pittsburgh, Columbus, and Cleveland, and grow the expertise we need to serve all those sectors appropriately. We are also looking for more work, and have recently gotten work in Michigan. We have long-standing clients we’ve served for decades in Pittsburgh, and we appreciate the trust we have developed. We will continue to do excellent work for those long-standing clients while building trust with new clients. This past year, we have received repeat work with newer clients. We have proven ourselves as a dependable partner and will continue to do so in the new regions we are reaching.

As an evolving market, Pittsburgh offers the talent, higher education network, and real estate expertise for companies wanting to grow and develop. In an interview with Invest:, Hanna Commercial Real Estate Market Leader, Michael Connor, highlighted how different asset classes are evolving in a post-COVID market. “Overall, the last five years have been insane in different ways. The market dynamics change seemingly every day, especially as consumer demand changes industrial real estate and last-mile distribution, and changes in the housing market lead to robust multifamily development, for example. All of these factors intersect and create new opportunities,” Connor said.

What have been among the most significant changes for your operations in the past 12 months? 

First, our new branding for Hanna Commercial Real Estate has been a significant change. We are under the same umbrella but intentionally different. We have a 13-office platform across the Northeast and Midwest. 

Overall, the last five years have been insane in different ways. The market dynamics change seemingly every day, especially as consumer demand changes industrial real estate, last-mile distribution, and multifamily development, for example. All of these factors interchange and create new opportunities, and demand has been remarkable to witness over the past five years. Within the past 12 months, the general business community and the market were holding their breath to see how the latest  election cycle was going to unfold. We saw companies and investors take a pause, especially after several instances of rate hikes throughout 2023, which stagnated demand and appetite for commercial real estate throughout 2024, especially with the election looming. 

After the election, there was a spur of interest and robust demand based on speculation that would come with the new administration. Tariffs, candidly, threw everyone for a loop. It affected companies in a myriad of ways that we all had to react to, and many decisions were put on pause yet again. The industry was paralyzed because no one was making decisions due to not having all of the information. Whenever the pause button is hit, our industry changes dramatically. It just goes quiet. 

Since April, demand has rebounded in a pretty significant way. Similarly to COVID, people eventually get comfortable with a plan based on the best information they have at any given moment. As more information became available, people adjusted and pivoted on their strategies, but continued moving forward. The past 12 months have been unique, but at the same time, more of the same. We are all reacting the best way we can while we navigate all of this. 

In the midst of the market shifts, what factors are shaping client priorities?

We are a full-service firm. We do industrial, land, office, investment real estate and we have a huge retail team. We see a lot of these transactions and get a good sample of how practitioners in the market are trying to make deals work. Here in Pittsburgh in the past 12 months, we had a lot of speculative industrial development as a response to robust demand, whichwas absorbed quickly at the height of the industrial lease up. We (Pittsburgh) were beneficiaries of that wave. Values and rents went up. As interest rates climbed and those dynamics took hold, demand cooled off significantly. Pittsburgh is not as robust an industrial market as we would love it to be. However, we are starting to see that rebound as the tariffs and interest rate conversation is bending more in the favor of the companies; they’re starting to see market conditions that they can rely on. 

A completely different narrative is the office dynamic and how companies are managing the return to office (“RTO”). RTO has steadily creeped up over a longer period of time, but we are starting to see mandatory return to office. General activity has risen dramatically in line with that trend. It is possible that we do not know the true impact of the COVID pandemic yet, because there is a confluence of cautiously-optimistic tenant demand on the uptick while a lot of these loans are maturing for the office towers that were purchased within the last five to seven years. The maturity dates for the loans are rolling. We are starting to see that wave of office buildings that are going to be sold for the debt, recast, and with a new investment team coming in and creating a better story out of these assets. We are starting to see that reset happen on the office side. 

The retail world is always changing. The big box retail is not nearly as active as previous years. There have been massive store closures and corporate restructuring. Service and experiential retail is huge and QSR demand has been robust. However, it has been a transformative shift in terms of what is considered retail, what those users are, and what consumers really want. All of that directly relates to where investor demand is focused because the investment will try to follow the strongest, and most sound income-producing opportunities are. 

What market sectors are shaping demand across the Pittsburgh market?

Historically, Pittsburgh has gone through several iterations and transformed itself throughout the decades. We are fortunate to have the University of Pittsburgh from which UPMC originated, which is the largest employer in the Commonwealth of PA. Today, UPMC is still a global powerhouse in the healthcare and medical space. We have a robust life sciences demand in terms resulting in the formulation of new companies, which are a direct product of the efforts by the University of Pittsburgh. We have seen many different companies start in the region but also migrate to Pittsburgh from the West Coast because they recognize the strength of the local talent pool and have decided to have a presence in the market as a result of that. Pittsburgh did a great job at being able to deliver quality office, manufacturing, and assembly development projects that appropriately met the quality and standards that these companies needed to accomplish their great work. New projects resulted in record-setting rents, which were still considered a discount compared to other markets on the West Coast. Pittsburgh is the perfect confluence of talent and positive market dynamics (affordable housing, advantages salary ranges, etc.)

There is also a narrative around Pittsburgh to become a world-renowned epicenter for everything tied to AI. There is a great push to accommodate that through public and private investments; however, it is all based on the talent of the institutions that we already have. 

What key opportunities are you keeping a close eye on?

The needs of companies are changing. We are focusing on understanding every company’s pressure points and where they need to execute, and in what fashion or method they need to execute given the current restraints in the marketplace. I know that many of the local institutions in the community would love to foster expansion, growth, build new buildings, and accommodate new divisions, which is incredibly challenging when there is a slash in NIH funding from the Federal Government. When that budget (any budget, really) gets slashed things get pushed and reprioritized. The third-party institutions that want to partner with the universities also have their own goals and growth strategies. As such, we are trying to figure out what is most important to our clients, supporting their overall strategy, of which real estate is a small part but can make a big impact. We aim to be receptive to what companies think their strategy is and then outline how this aligns with a real estate strategy. 

What are your priorities and goals for the next few years?

I don’t think that we have enough people in our industry. As a real estate community, we could have done a better job at training and bringing in newer talent to be able to support the quality of service that these companies need in a sustainable way. One of my company goals is growth and training. There is opportunity in the market; however, our clients need top quality service. If you have the best people curating real estate strategies it has to be done by the best people that we have to offer on that front. Beyond that, and in terms of market dynamics, I’d like to see an alignment between business savvy and acumen but also strategic policy making that aligns with the general health and growth of the region, and hopefully having a hand in helping Pittsburgh take more steps in a positive direction.

In an interview with Invest:, Andrew Moss, president of Moss Architects, said that Pittsburgh is experiencing a period of optimism, transformation, and growth, despite rising construction costs and market uncertainties. “Pittsburgh is in a really good place right now. Despite the construction cost challenges, there’s a lot of positive momentum.”

What changes over the past year have most impacted Moss Architects, and in what ways?

One of the most positive impacts for us this past year was being named by the American Institute of Architects Pennsylvania as the recipient of their Firm Award. This award is given annually by the state chapter to one firm that stands out for its body of work, which must span at least 10 years. In our case, we’ve been in business for nearly 20 years, so it was a comprehensive recognition of our portfolio, our impact on the community where we practice, and the culture we’ve built within the firm. It was a tremendous honor, especially since we’re the first Pittsburgh firm ever to receive this award, which has traditionally gone to firms in Eastern Pennsylvania over the 12 or 13 years since its inception. We were proud to represent Pittsburgh in that way.

It’s hard to gauge the direct impact this award has had. While those in the architectural community recognize its significance, it doesn’t receive broad public attention. Nonetheless, we are as busy as ever. Our workload has remained strong this year and looks set to continue. Whether that’s due to the award is hard to say.

Beyond that, we’ve faced the ongoing challenge of managing construction costs, which seems to get more difficult every year. Clients expect us to design beautiful, functional buildings that meet their needs, but they also come to us with budgets that we’re expected to meet. The unpredictability of construction costs makes this increasingly challenging. Since the pandemic, pricing has fluctuated considerably, and factors like tariffs under the current federal administration have added uncertainty. Contractors tend to protect themselves by inflating estimates, which makes it difficult for us to manage costs during the design process. It’s far easier to plan when costs are predictable, but that’s not the environment we’re in right now.

What other market trends or design demands, such as increased interest in adaptive reuse or steel-based residential structures in Pittsburgh, are you seeing right now?

As a firm, we’ve always handled a wide variety of project types, both commercial and residential. What’s been particularly interesting lately is the substantial growth in our residential work. We’re typically a firm of 12 to 15 people, and we usually work on one or two sizable residential projects at a time. Right now, we have more than half a dozen substantial new residential projects underway. There’s definitely an increased demand for larger single-family homes, particularly just outside the city, though we continue to work on more modest residential projects within the city limits.

We also do a significant amount of commercial office work, and while that sector slowed significantly during the pandemic, it has begun to recover. We’re seeing clients recognize the importance of quality spaces for their workforce, though commercial demand hasn’t quite returned to pre-pandemic levels. Another key sector for us is hospitality, which has remained steady overall, though we’ve seen a shift toward smaller-scale projects.

What innovative approaches or materials is Moss Architects experimenting with to meet evolving client needs?

We’ve always had a strong interest in sustainable design, whether clients specifically request it or not. That includes carefully selecting products and materials, but also ensuring that homes are energy-efficient. One area we’ve been focusing on is designing very intentional building envelopes, managing moisture, air, and insulation performance effectively. We’re being thoughtful about the products and assemblies we use to achieve these goals.

For example, we have a house under construction, and we moved away from traditional wood framing in favor of masonry and metal framing. This decision was driven by both energy efficiency goals and the desire for higher-quality construction. Wood framing inherently comes with irregularities that masonry and steel avoid, allowing for truer finishes and better performance.

We’re also seeing increasingly sophisticated mechanical systems in single-family homes, including geothermal systems and, depending on the client, solar power. Even when clients aren’t ready to install solar immediately, we’re designing homes so that solar can be easily added later. 

Which projects are particularly notable in showcasing your firm’s success and culture?

It’s really about the body of work we’ve produced over the lifetime of the firm. That said, there are a few recent projects that stand out.

One is a mixed-use building near our office in Pittsburgh called Penn Atlantic, located at the corner of Penn Avenue and Atlantic Avenue. It’s a four-story building that combines gallery space, workspaces, and a residential component, all focused on the arts. Many of our projects engage with art or artists, sometimes because the client has that focus and other times because we intentionally integrate art and craftsmanship into our designs.

Another notable project is a restaurant called Pusadee’s Garden in Pittsburgh’s Lawrenceville neighborhood. The restaurant has created an environment quite unlike other spaces in the city; many people have told us that when they dine there, they feel transported — they no longer feel like they’re in Pittsburgh but in a restaurant of international caliber, like in New York. The design centers around a lush courtyard, providing a deliberate departure from the surrounding urban environment. It has garnered a lot of attention in recent years, and the food is excellent too.

What is your outlook for architecture and design in Pittsburgh’s commercial and residential sectors over the next three years?

Pittsburgh is in a really good place right now. Despite the construction cost challenges, there’s a lot of positive momentum. While Pittsburgh is an old city with a rich history, it has transformed significantly over the past 20 years. New companies are bringing new people to the city, and there’s a sense of optimism and energy, particularly among younger residents.

We’re seeing growth on both the commercial and residential sides. There’s a concerted effort to revitalize downtown Pittsburgh and attract more residential development back into the urban core, which I appreciate as an architect. Pittsburgh’s topography, with its rivers and hills, naturally limits sprawl and keeps the urban center compact, which is a good thing. The cultural district has always been a strength and continues to develop and improve, adding to the vibrancy of downtown.

Our commercial clients still want to be downtown, which is encouraging. For example, we completed a major office project for the Pittsburgh Foundation, a nonprofit that wanted a space reflecting the city’s character. Their offices overlook the rivers, cultural district, and ballpark — key elements of Pittsburgh’s identity.

We’re also seeing a shift in how people value their homes, especially after the pandemic. With many working remotely, clients are investing more in making their homes as beautiful and comfortable as possible, which has led to a noticeable increase in residential projects.

What are Moss Architects’ key goals and priorities for the coming year?

We’re not looking to scale up the team — we’ve found that our current size of around 12 to 15 people suits us well and allows us to do the kind of work we want to do. Our primary focus for the coming year is on advancing sustainability. We’re committed to educating our team and growing our expertise so that we can consistently deliver better, smarter, and more enduring buildings. Beautiful design is always a focus for us, but it’s equally important that our buildings are well-constructed and sustainable, both in terms of materials and energy efficiency. We’ve made a point of holding in-house sessions where staff share new knowledge and ensure the entire team is well-educated on sustainable practices.

What is your outlook for Pittsburgh?

My personal wish for Pittsburgh’s future is that the city continues to rediscover its rivers as an amenity for residents. Historically, as an industrial city, Pittsburgh has tended to overlook its rivers as a public resource. Over the next 10 to 20 years, the city has a huge opportunity to reclaim its riverfronts as vibrant public spaces. Organizations like Riverlife are already doing important work to reimagine these spaces, learning from other cities around the world that have successfully integrated waterfronts into the urban fabric. It’s a cultural shift, especially for long-time Pittsburghers who have viewed the rivers as industrial spaces, but we’re making progress. I hope that becomes a priority as the city continues to evolve.

Brandon Enochs, CEO of integrated engineering, architecture, and consulting firm Stratus, sat down with Invest: to discuss how the firm is scaling through aggressive M&A and strategic hiring, integrating its recent acquisitions, leveraging AI and technology to boost efficiency, and prioritizing workforce development and leadership training. “Part of being in professional services is that you must be very client focused. For us that starts at the top. My clients are our employees and I work for our employees. That servant leadership mindset is permeated down the organization,” Enochs said.

Over the past year, what changes or developments have had the biggest impact on Stratus, and how have you adapted as a company?

Acquiring talent is always demanding. The job market for architects and engineers remains highly competitive, so we’ve needed to be proactive and strategic in our approach to recruiting. We have built out a full recruiting team. We have been very aggressive and have seen much success with that approach. 

From an economics standpoint, we operate across six — soon to be seven — unique markets. One of the key developments this year has been our effort to mobilize our workforce across regions to better align with client needs. Previously, our teams operated more independently, but we’ve worked to create greater integration and flexibility across markets.  We do this by leveraging technology.  We’ve continued to be forward-leaning and innovative, particularly in how we leverage AI across multiple areas of our business.  

With the recent acquisitions of ESI, Killian Engineering and BREC, how are you working to integrate these teams and systems, and what impact do you expect?

We focus on the projects first and foremost. We try to get our teams working together. On day one, we were already working on projects together with BREC and Killian. When we start by focusing on the work itself, integration becomes smoother because trust and relationships are built through shared success. Our back-of-house services really focus on systems and processes, things like benefits and IT infrastructure. 

Each of those companies offer unique opportunities for us. We outsource a lot of MEP (mechanical, electrical, and plumbing) engineering, but now Killian allows us to insource more of that. BREC is in a really great market in stream restoration in North Carolina, and we are able to take that service and apply their work in other parts of the country. ESI has extensive demand in the Atlanta metro area’s wastewater management sector, complementing our existing work there and expanding our wastewater treatment expertise into industrial and other markets. 

Our goal is to unite teams quickly, leverage their strengths, and create new growth opportunities for our partners and employees alike. 

How is Stratus approaching workforce development, and what qualities do you value most in new team members?

Part of being in professional services is that you must be very client-focused. For us, that starts at the top. My clients are our employees, and I work for our employees. That servant leadership mindset is carried down throughout the organization. Recruiting top talent is competitive, but developing and retaining that talent is even more important. We have a leadership training program that teaches our employees more about themselves and how to be leaders. This has been a powerful tool for us. We are also rolling out a full career development program across all of our services to show employees how they can progress throughout their careers with us. As we acquire firms and grow, there is more opportunity for upward mobility within the company. Only about 40% of firms in our space have a structured approach to career development, and we want to be among the best at it. 

What trends are shaping the architecture, engineering, and construction space today, and how are you positioning Stratus to stay ahead?

M&A is having a large effect on the sector. As a private equity-backed firm, we’ve been deliberate and forward-thinking in our M&A strategy. 

We’ve also seen a significant increase in compensation across the industry, and we’re staying proactive in how we reward our people. At the same time, clients recognize the value of quality service and are willing to invest accordingly. 

Knowing what the market will bear for our services and compensating employees competitively are critical, as is using technology to improve efficiency. We remain focused on all of these areas while continuing to grow our talent base and service offerings through M&A. 

Community engagement is often tied to company culture. How does Stratus give back to the communities where it operates?

We strive to be involved both nationally and locally. At Stratus, we encourage our employees to get involved in different organizations and charities that matter to them and their communities.  We value the impact of national organizations, but we believe the greatest difference is often made locally. While we proudly support national partners such as the United Way, we’re especially inspired by the causes our employees care about and the organizations they’re already involved with in their own communities.. That bottom-up approach empowers our teams to support the organizations they care about and helps us stay genuinely connected to the communities we serve. 

Looking at the Pittsburgh market specifically, how would you describe the role Stratus plays in the local economy and development landscape?

While we don’t currently have a large project footprint in Pittsburgh, we’re actively pursuing M&A opportunities in the region and would love to welcome local firms into the Stratus team.

We already work extensively in natural gas, healthcare, commercial, and industrial sectors, and Pittsburgh, and Pennsylvania more broadly, offers tremendous opportunity across all of them. We’re committed to expanding our presence in the region in the near future.

As you look toward the next year, what are your key goals and priorities for Stratus, both nationally and here in Pittsburgh?

No. 1 is ensuring that we are taking care of our employees and clients. We want to do excellent work that our employees and their families can be proud of. Stratus remains focused on growth, both organic and growth through M&A. Partnering with firms that are client- and employee-focused with great culture is key for us. As we grow, our guiding principles remain clear: purpose, culture, and people come first. When those are strong, everything else falls into place. 

In an interview with Invest:, Christopher Brown, Chief Operating Officer at PVEDI, talked about the firm’s decision to unify and rebrand its services, the importance that they place on building a great work environment, and the challenges created by increasing competition in mergers and acquisitions across the industry. “You create a space where people enjoy the work and then the rest can happen organically”, he said.

Over the past 12 months, have there been any changes in the firm?

For the last 12 months, we have been working on creating a new Design Professional Corporation, a DPC, which allows us to provide all of our services under one brand called PVEDI. This is a combination of our two former brands, PVE, our engineering division, and EDI, our architecture division, which has allowed us to operate on a multi-state level under one entity. I’ll give a shout-out to our Chief Compliance Officer, Jessica Lakomy, who’s also an attorney in our Pittsburgh office. She did the majority of the heavy lifting.

How does pulling all the brands under one umbrella set the firm up for success or growth going forward?

The greatest advantage is that we can write one contract that includes all our services. It streamlines processes and makes it easier for clients to understand. We can also cross-sell services a lot more easily. PVEDI gave us a platform to share all the various services that we offer with existing clients. We’ve had many situations where clients hired us exclusively for architecture services having no idea we offered the other service lines, which include Civil Engineering and Land Development, which also includes our Land Survey Group; the Architecture services group, which focuses primarily on Multifamily Residential in addition to some Hospitality, including Hotels, Clubhouses, and Interior Design; our Structural Engineering group, which has some other subsets including Geotechnical and MEP engineering; and Environmental services, which is my group, focusing on Remediation and Compliance. 

Are there any trends in environmental services?

There have been some recent consolidations and acquisitions in the convenience store market that have started to drive some work for us. We have a series of projects that involve convenience store upgrades including fuel storage and tank management.

Our activity in the Act 2 Program has increased, and developers are more willing to take on contaminated real estate in denser populated areas. But the biggest hurdle with that program is that there are no significant tax incentives. The pressures on real estate in Pittsburgh aren’t exactly the same as in other places like New York, for example, but they are increasing, especially in the hotter markets like Lawrenceville and the Strip District. There’s pressure from the City of Pittsburgh to increase affordable housing construction.

In the last couple years there has been a bigger push to being back in office, so how has your firm approached that?

We don’t have a hybrid work schedule, and flexibility is evaluated case by case and remains a regular topic of conversation among senior leadership. Collaboration between employees drives the success of our day-to-day work. As soon as we had the opportunity to safely get people back in the office after the pandemic, we did, which created a lot of value. Actually, we had signed a lease for new office space in New York City at the end of 2019, with the goal of combining two existing offices into one. And when we were able to put people back in offices in July of 2020, we had a brand-new office space ready to go, and that worked out really well for us.

It seems that Pittsburgh would like to mix business and residential areas to emulate what happens in cities like New York, wouldn’t you say?

Yes, that would drive part of the downtown economy, if you had locals dropping into hotel bars and restaurants. Pittsburgh has some sections that are relatively dense in residential with some restaurants and other stores or commercial components in the fringes, but not a lot of residential in the downtown space. I think there are lots of opportunities for residential development and maybe office-to-residential conversions. While it’s a lot more costly to convert an office building to a residential one, it can help drive an economy, and older buildings seem to be better suited for it. I think that local governments need to get behind it and start to push it by creating some incentives and rezoning, in addition to modifying some of the more stringent building codes and offering financial assistance with streetscape improvements to help offset costs.

Last year the firm was ranked a top workplace by The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, how do you build a culture like that within the firm?

Our philosophy is to create a great work environment. If you create a space like that, employees create good work and they make the clients happy. And then, when clients are happy, they refer us or give us more work. So, the growth of the firm is a function of the first piece: you create a space where people enjoy the work, have autonomy to be productive, and then the rest can happen organically.

What are some challenges that you see on the horizon?

We are actively pursuing acquisitions, and it has been a challenge. Some firms are willing to pay higher multipliers than traditionally seen in the AEC (Architecture, Engineering, and Construction) world, driving up pricing and creating a value imbalance. At the end of the day, what it really boils down to is the people, whether you have good employees who are well trained and dedicated to the work that they do and enjoy it.

What would you like to see the firm accomplish over the next five years?

We’d like to grow, but there’s a lot of uncertainty in the market space in the AEC world. Interest rates started to come down a little bit. There’s not going to be an immediate impact, but 80% of our work is tied to private-side land development, so that needs to soak in. Our clients have started to engage in new projects, and I think that the tariff situation has started to stabilize a little bit. All of those things point to the economy still being strong. So, we will keep an eye on things and hope to be expanding our team within the next few years.