61 firms join PSMJ’s 2026 AEC Circle of Excellence

PSMJ Resources named 61 architecture and engineering firms to its 2026 AEC Circle of Excellence, a list that spotlights the industry’s best-managed firms based on financial and operational performance. The winners will be recognized at AEC THRIVE in Scottsdale on Oct. 21-23, 2026.

Why it matters: - The Circle of Excellence highlights AEC firms that are outperforming peers on profitability, overhead control, cash flow, productivity, staff growth and turnover. - PSMJ says the list reflects the top 20% of firms in its latest AE Financial Performance Benchmark Survey, making it a signal for how high-performing firms are managing through tighter market pressure. - The winners will be honored in person at AEC THRIVE, giving firm leaders a chance to compare strategies and management practices.

What happened: - PSMJ Resources, Inc. announced the 2026 AEC Circle of Excellence: The Industry’s Best Managed Firms. - Sixty-one architecture and engineering firms made the 2026 list. - Gregory Hart, PSMJ president, said the recognized firms are distinguished by financial strength, operational discipline and long-term resilience. - PSMJ will recognize the winners at AEC THRIVE in Scottsdale, Arizona, on Oct. 21-23, 2026.

The details: - PSMJ designed the award to recognize firms with strong performance in profitability, overhead management, cash flow, productivity, staff growth and turnover. - The 2026 list is based on nine key performance metrics from PSMJ’s most recent AE Financial Performance Benchmark Survey. - The benchmark data set includes 318 firms across the United States and Canada. - The 2026 AE Financial Performance Benchmark Results is now in its 46th edition. - PSMJ describes the benchmarking model as a resource for firms seeking to increase cash flow, lower overhead and improve overall financial results. - Firms marked with an asterisk have Platinum status, meaning they have been AEC Circle of Excellence winners for four of the past five years. - The 61 winners, listed alphabetically, include ADF Engineering LLC, Advanced Engineering and Environmental Services, LLC, Beck Engineering, Inc., Bollig Engineering, Bowen Collins & Associates, Brown Engineers, LLC, BSA, Building Systems Group Engineering, Commonwealth Engineers, Inc., Craftwater, DGR Engineering, EDG, Eidos Architects, EKI Environmental & Water, Inc., Elements of Architecture, Inc., Emergent Architecture, Engineering Enterprises, Inc., Exante360, Inc., Falk-PLI Engineering and Surveying, Fanning Howey Associates Inc, FEI Civil Engineers and Land Surveyors, Garmann Miller, GEC Architecture, Generator Studio, Glavé & Holmes Architecture, Great West Engineering, Inc., H+O Structural Engineering, Hollis + Miller Architects, Hoss & Brown Engineers, Inc., HVJ Associates, Johnson, Laschober & Associates, PC, Keller Associates, Inc., Kimley-Horn, Klohn Crippen Berger, Krueck Sexton Partners, M2 Group, McKinney York Architects, McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture, Morris-Berg Architects, Inc., Mountain Ridge Engineering Ltd., Neighboring Concepts, PLLC, Praxis3, Prein&Newhof, Reveer Group, LLC, Ritter Maher Architects, Robert Peccia and Associates, Inc., Rodgers Consulting, Inc., Rowland+Broughton Architecture and Interior Design, Sandman Structural Engineers, Shear Structural, Site Power Engineering Consultants Ltd., SOA Architecture, Spicer Group, TLC Engineering Solutions, Inc., TMP, TowerPinkster, Visnick & Caulfield Associates, VLK, W Partnership, Inc., Ward Scott Morris Architecture and Zzap Consulting, Inc. - Platinum-status firms on the list include ADF Engineering LLC, Beck Engineering, Inc., Bowen Collins & Associates, Brown Engineers, LLC, Building Systems Group Engineering, Commonwealth Engineers, Inc., DGR Engineering, FEI Civil Engineers and Land Surveyors, Garmann Miller, GEC Architecture, Great West Engineering, Inc., H+O Structural Engineering, Keller Associates, Inc., Kimley-Horn, Klohn Crippen Berger, Morris-Berg Architects, Inc., Prein&Newhof, Reveer Group, LLC, Robert Peccia and Associates, Inc., Rodgers Consulting, Inc., Rowland+Broughton Architecture and Interior Design, Spicer Group, TowerPinkster and VLK. - PSMJ said the conference is where executives hear from leaders of top-performing AEC firms and industry visionaries about how to improve profit and performance as business challenges change. - PSMJ Resources has spent more than 50 years helping AEC firms improve performance, profitability and sustainable growth through research, benchmarking, training, consulting and executive networking programs.

Between the lines: - The announcement frames management discipline, not growth alone, as the key differentiator among top AEC firms. - The repeated emphasis on financial metrics suggests PSMJ is using the award to reinforce benchmarking as a decision-making tool for firm leaders. - The Platinum designation rewards consistency, not just one strong year, which may matter to firms tracking long-term operational performance.

What's next: - PSMJ will showcase the winners at AEC THRIVE in October 2026. - Firm leaders are likely to use the benchmark results and event programming to pressure-test their own profit, cash flow and staffing strategies. - The next benchmark cycle will likely continue to shape how AEC firms compare financial performance across the industry.