Three Perfect Days in Miami—Wednesday, Thursday

Three Perfect Days in Miami—Wednesday & Thursday Recap

Over 230 AE industry executives, investors, and experts gathered in Miami last week for our 11^th annual Southeast M&A and Business Symposium for three days of networking and learning. 

Making new connections, catching up with old friends, and some early-stage deal-making were front and center on Wednesday evening at the always fun opening reception overlooking beautiful Biscayne Bay. Then, in a new symposium feature for 2025, it was on to three networking dinners hosted by Morrissey Goodale Principals Nick Belitz, Brendon Cussio, and Jon Escobar at some of Miami’s hottest restaurants. (Programming note: The demand for these dinners blew us away. It’s still unclear whether it was the popularity of the three hosts (highly unlikely) or the opportunity for some exclusive networking (yup, that’s it) as to why they were so popular. Regardless, we will host these dinners again on the Strip in Las Vegas this June at our Western States M&A and Business Symposium.)

Thursday kicked off with a networking breakfast, followed by a packed day of presentations, panel discussions, and an Excellence in Acquisitive Growth Awards ceremony as follows:

Opening Remarks—Mark Goodale

I opened the symposium by highlighting the AE industry’s decade-long expansion, with revenues and profits growing nearly every year since 2014. Firms have remained resilient despite economic shifts and talent shortages, leveraging AI, automation, and capital investments to drive transformation, while booming markets such as energy, water, and transportation fuel optimism. M&A continues to be a key driver, with 5,600 deals over the past 11 years unlocking billions in value. 

State of the Industry—Nick Belitz

Setting aside the noise of the daily news, Megan Miller (Deltek) and I took the stage to bring the latest and greatest financial metrics to bear to report on the “State of the Industry” as of early 2025. All told, AE industry firms are doing very well, and some are reporting their best years ever, although some firms have let collections slide and backlogs have softened in some specific verticals, such as corporate and commercial design. But the outlook is resoundingly positive, and firms are investing in people, acquisitions, and technology to make hay while the sun shines.

Future of the Industry CEO Panel—Mark Goodale

Karen Erger (Lockton) and I hosted a panel of terrific CEOs that included Javier A. Baldor, CEO of BST Global; Bob Higgins, chairman of Barge Design Solutions (Nashville, TN) (ENR #167); Mick Renshaw, founder and CEO of Trilon Group (Denver, CO); and Bret Weiss, president/CEO of WSB (Minneapolis, MN) (ENR #134). The lively conversation explored technology adoption, strategy, industry consolidation, leadership development, and the impact of policy shifts—and ignited many questions from the audience. It also highlighted challenges and opportunities tied to the industry’s legacy pricing and contracting models—characterized as “a race to the bottom”—and the urgent need to shift toward a value-based approach rather than one focused on billable hours.

Most Prolific and Proficient Acquirer Award Ceremony—Mark Goodale

Morrissey Goodale’s Excellence in Acquisitive Growth Awards series honors the industry’s top acquirers shaping the future of consolidation. This year, the Most Prolific and Proficient Acquirer Award was presented to Trilon Group (Denver, CO) in recognition of its leadership in strategic growth. Accepting the award on behalf of Trilon were CEO Mick Renshaw and Chief Corporate Development Officer Tom Secker.

2025 Most Prolific and Proficient Acquirer Award presented to Trilon Group
From left to right: Mark Goodale, Mick Renshaw (Trilon Group), Tom Secker (Trilon Group), Brendon Cussio, Jon Escobar

M&A Trends and Valuation—Nick Belitz/Jon Escobar

Against a backdrop of historically high levels of consolidation, we laid out the drivers of current M&A activity and expectations for the future. Seeing no immediate headwinds to deal-making given robust demand from buyers to expand to new geographies and services and sellers eager to capitalize on strong valuations and opportunities for growth, we discussed the factors favoring sustained M&A activity. While interest in deal-making abounds, opportunities are highest in the “sunny southern” states of the U.S. Southeast.

1000 Club—Brendon Cussio

I was joined by three fantastic colleagues—George Christodoulo, a partner with Lawson & Weitzen; David Sullivan, a partner with PKF O’Connor Davies; and Dominic Vitucci, CEO of SPRX Technologies—on the “1000 Club” panel hosted by Morrissey Goodale’s Sarah Thornhill to discuss the key aspects of deal-making from a tax, legal, and business perspective. The panel started with us discussing ways that sellers can get their houses in order prior to going to market, continued with us sharing best practices during the LOI and due diligence process, and wrapped up with our best advice for firms contemplating selling in the next one to three years. It was a great panel filled with critical information for deal-makers, whether buying or selling.

Thursday wrapped up another reception by Biscayne Bay, followed by more networking dinners hosted by the Morrissey Goodale principals. An early night was had by all.