We are pleased to announce the release of the 2025 High Growth Study—Architecture, Engineering & Construction Edition. This is the tenth anniversary of this groundbreaking study; however, our research into high-growth firms began back in 2008. It’s been quite a journey!
This year we surveyed 123 AEC firms, representing $20.8 billion in revenue and over 58,000 employees. The sample included a mix of firms of all sizes.
Below, we explore five key findings from this year’s study. As you read through these findings, keep in mind that the data was collected in the latter part of 2024—before the new administration was in place and its regulatory shifts were underway. Nevertheless, these insights remain valid and relevant. The way the best-performing firms go to market are unchanged, and what was effective a few months ago almost certainly is still effective today.
Five Characteristics of High-Growth AEC Firms
1. They Grow 4.6X Faster and Are More Profitable
We define high-growth firms as those with a minimum 20% compound annual growth rate over a three-year evaluation period. This year, high-growth firms grew an impressive 46.7%—4.6 times faster than the average-growth group. They were also more profitable, 26% more than the average group and 54% more than firms with zero or negative growth. In fact, profitability was healthy across all three growth categories.
How does the high-growth group achieve outstanding performance year after year? The next four charts provide a few answers.
2. High-Growth Firms Invest a Lot More in Marketing
High-growth AEC firms’ marketing budgets are twice the size of their slower-growing peers. The median budget for high-growth firms, expressed as a percentage of overall revenue, was 10%, compared to just 5% for the rest of the industry.
Of course, high-growth firms aren’t just spending more, they are spending smarter. But where are they investing those dollars? We can’t go into all the places in this post, but the next chart provides an entry point.
3. They Know What Marketing Techniques Are Effective
What marketing techniques do the top-performing AEC companies use most often? The figure below lists the top six. Business development materials top the list. High-quality pitch decks, proposals, brochures and similar materials can make the process of closing new business easier and faster because they present your firm in the best possible light.
Networking on social media, in the second spot, is a common and convenient way to build new connections and create interest in your services—anywhere and anytime. Networking at events, in third, provides similar benefits with the added advantage of meeting prospective clients face to face, making it easier to establish trust and create personal relationships.
There was a three-way tie for fourth place. Keyword research and search engine optimization are critical ways to attract new audiences and expand your reach. Even in this early age of generative AI search, most of the classic techniques still work. Webinars are another popular and effective way to connect with your audience. They give your audience a chance to see, and sometimes interact with, real people on your team. In a way, webinars are not unlike public speaking, but in a less formal setting. Which brings us to speaking at conferences to round out the list. When you speak at an event, you are automatically positioned as an authority figure, so people in the audience implicitly trust you. Public speakers, who also are often Visible Experts®, can be a real asset to a firm’s business development program, often streamlining new client acquisition and commanding premium fees.
4. They Prioritize Differentiation and Thought Leadership
Like any firm, the high-growth companies in our study have limited resources and must choose where to put their time and energy in the year ahead. The chart below lists these firms’ top three marketing priorities for 2025. Most AEC organizations find differentiation challenging, yet it is the most common priority for the best-performing firms. Keep in mind that a firm’s differentiators may need to change as the marketplace evolves.
The next two items are related. Thought leadership is a powerful way to make a firm’s expertise accessible to prospects who are interested in services like yours. And producing an ongoing stream of content—blog posts, webinars, videos, articles and books, to name just a few types—is one of the best ways to demonstrate thought leadership and expose new audiences to the unique way you approach the business problems your firm solves.
5. 9 Out of 10 High Growth Firms Do Research
Only 11.8% of high-growth firms don’t conduct research. When we asked what kinds of research they do, we got a variety of responses. We show the top three below. Client research (also called audience research) is the most common. It is especially valuable because it allows firms to monitor the changing habits and preferences of their target buyers. Firms use this intelligence to inform their strategy, services offerings and marketing.
Marketplace research, in second place, is a broad category that encompasses everything from demand for a service to focus groups. Competitive research involves identifying key competitors and capturing salient features, strengths, weaknesses and opportunities to differentiate your firm.
Firms that do research have a competitive advantage over those that don’t. If you aren’t actively learning about your marketplace, you are operating with blinders, only able to see what is right in front of you. Research expands your vision so you can see how your clients and competitors are evolving—and make better decisions sooner.
Dive Deeper into the Habits of High-Growth AEC Firms
We hope this data helps you make better marketing and business development decisions. High Growth AEC firms can be a blueprint for firms like yours. They have learned what works and what is a waste of time even in unpredictable times.
How can you use these findings? Compare what high-growth firms do to your own marketing program. Are your priorities in line with theirs? What adjustments do you need to make? While this data was collected late in 2024—before the presidential election and the many changes the new administration is still rolling out today—it reflects the fundamentals that the best performing firms use to succeed in any economy. High growth and high profitability are within reach if you are equipped with the right information. This study can be a valuable source of reliable intelligence.
If you are interested in taking a deeper dive into the latest industry data, including practical suggestions to put it into practice, consider purchasing the full report.
