Transportation Market Leader: ‘We’re in dire need of improvements’
IMEG Transportation Market Leader Corey Stout talks about the challenges facing the transportation sector and other related topics in the following Q&A.
Q: What drives your motivation for working in the transportation sector?
A: Most people find that the roadway is just a way of getting from point A to point B, but they’re satisfied with that until it becomes an inconvenience, whether it’s a safety issue, congestion, or improperly timed traffic signals. There’s a lot of pride that comes with being able to fix those problems and see the motoring public compliment on the fact that that these improvements have been made.
Q: What common challenge is confronting today’s transportation agencies?
A: Infrastructure is dilapidated in many jurisdictions, municipalities, counties, and states; we’re in dire need of improvements. The federal government has provided funding for this work and they’re elevating it to get it done at a very fast pace. Agencies are dependent on quality consultants who know how to take the lead on these projects, move them forward, manage them properly, and get them out to construction in a timely manner. That’s where IMEG comes in. We’ve been at the forefront of being that shelf-ready company that not only can do the project but can take the lead and take the load off the agency itself.
Q: What added value does IMEG bring to its transportation clients?
A: We bring the knowledge of the local jurisdictions and agencies involved on the design side and are able to implement the construction inspection for those agencies on the construction side. That brings value engineering to the forefront for those clients. They reap the benefits of a much better designed project because we’re looking at both the design and the constructability at the same time.
Q: What is the key to a solid consultant-client relationship?
A: It’s really about establishing a relationship that goes both ways. The agency needs to trust the consultant, and the consultant needs to trust the agency. The more you can demonstrate those successes and long-term relationships built with other agencies, the more we can take this to the next level and be a partner with an agency.
