2023 Year in Review: James Owen, HFA Architecture + Engineering

What person, project, transaction, or market trend had the greatest impact on your industry this year?

As we continue to lean into the retail design industry, we are continuing to see 3^rd party delivery services and online pick-up continue to impact how retailers deal with multiple points of engagement. Retailers are fully committed to adopting technology, such as self-check-out, to increase sales and manage labor challenges.

What was your greatest professional accomplishment or most notable project, deal, or transaction in 2023?

We were awarded an opportunity with a specialty national retailer to be involved in their 2024 store rebranding program. This was a contact that reconnected with us after moving to a new company. We focus on building and maintaining quality relationships with our clients for this exact reason.

How has your career path changed in 2023?

In addition to continuing to lead the industry, internally we need to continue to mentor the next generation of leaders. The workforce continues to evolve with previous generations retiring and Millennials and Gen-Z taking on more roles and having a bigger impact on the direction of the AEC industry.