The success of The HFW Companies – and our HFW Partner firms – largely comes down to this: identifying the right potential partners – legacy firms with ambitious visions for new growth, strong brand legacies, collaborative and multi-generational teams, and can add great value to the greater network both in market reach and capabilities.
Our team provides highly qualified executive leadership in a ground-breaking “House of Brands” strategy, offering to small- and mid-sized firms a unique support option by helping them leverage their brands, providing opportunities to expand and delivering industry command from synergies gained through collaboration with HFW Partner firms.
Our model adapts to the speed of change faced in today’s business environment, giving small- and middle-market firms a level of command in the market typically afforded only by big firms.
Unlike traditional M&A models, HFW partners with select AE firms to elevate them to the next level so the sellers can focus on their true passions, whether designing, engineering, or spending more time with family and friends.
HFW partners are able to preserve their own corporate cultures, as well as their legacies and brands in their markets. HFW provides the resources and guidance to identify new growth opportunities to strengthen the partners’ legacies and elevate their brands.
Because HFW’s approach is designed to be non-disruptive and requires only limited integration with HFW, the firms’ leadership remains in place, as do organizational structures. What does change, however, is the number of opportunities within partnering firms for employees to boost their careers.
Partner firms retain their autonomy in their business processes, design standards, and information technology systems. At the same time, partner firms will have an opportunity to benefit from shared services and systematic sharing of best practices and expertise.
HFW Partner firms have access to greater resources – including capital – to facilitate geographic expansion, regional acquisitions, and investment in new practice areas.
Partner firms can continue to focus on client service and building long-term relations with clients and community leaders across their geographic footprint. However, they now will have greater resources to meet a broader spectrum of design needs within the communities they serve – and beyond.
Consider the following checklist: