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Executive Corner: Despite Indicators, A/E Sector May Avoid a Looming Economic Recession

June 5, 2023 - in Articles, Column

All the usual warning signs point to a potential U.S. recession, beginning as early as Q3 of 2023. We have an inverted yield curve with short-term interest rates significantly exceeding long-term rates due to aggressive monetary policy actions by the…

Executive Corner: Inside the Latest A/E Business Valuation and M&A Transaction Study

March 24, 2023 - in Articles, Column

With economic growth slowing and interest rates rising, it’s not surprising that A/E firm valuation multiples have ebbed from their post-pandemic…

Executive Corner: Plowing through the Economic Headwinds

September 29, 2022 - in Articles, Column

Like any good New Englander, I always await the release of the Farmers’ Almanac this time of year to help plan for the upcoming winter.…

Executive Corner: A Peek Inside the Latest Data-Valuation Trends

April 28, 2022 - in Articles, Column

The latest valuation statistics from the recently released “A/E Business Valuation and M&A Transactions Study” reveals some interesting trends, including significantly higher valuation multiples for larger firms and higher equity values across the…

Executive Corner: Newly Released A/E Business Valuation and M&A Transactions Study Shows Peak Performance

March 31, 2021 - in Articles, Column

The latest edition of Rusk O’Brien Gido + Partners’ “A/E Business Valuation and M&A Transactions Study” was released on Jan. 12, 2021, showing that industry firms reached peak financial performance levels and valuations multiples immediately…

Executive Corner: You Just Revalued Your Share Price as of the Year-End, Then This Happened …

May 29, 2020 - in Articles, Column

So 2019 was your firm’s best year EVER, and with the stock market soaring and the economic outlook for 2020 looking strong, your share price also hit an all-time high. And then this happened: A viral pandemic sweeps across the globe, states begin shutting…

Executive Corner: What’s a Good Outside Board Director Worth?

February 17, 2020 - in Articles, Column

So you’ve finally decided to add an outside, independent director to the board of your privately held A/E firm. You’ve even identified several candidates. Now the question is what (if any) compensation to offer them. For an independent party to take on…

Executive Corner: Is Your Company’s Stock a Good Investment?

October 28, 2019 - in Articles, Column

"The best investment I ever made!”  I can’t tell you how often I’ve heard owners in the architecture, engineering and environmental consulting industries say something to this effect when I’ve asked about the performance of their company stock.…

Executive Corner: The Latest Trends in A/E Stock Valuation and M&A Pricing

April 29, 2019 - in Articles, Column

Rusk O’Brien Gido + Partners, LLC recently released its annually updated ”A/E Business Valuation and M&A Transactions Study.” Data from the sixth-edition study show remarkable stability in valuations of minority interests in privately held A/E…

Executive Corner: Is It Time for a Shareholders’ Agreement Tune-Up?

November 10, 2018 - in Articles, Column

A well-crafted shareholders’ agreement is the foundation of any professional service firm’s ownership transition plan. In privately held firms (which make up the vast majority of firms in the A/E industry), this is the document that governs how ownership…