Amid a recovery measured by inches rather than miles, the Midwest's Top Design Firms took a giant step backward last year.
Declines were deepest near the top. The region's 20 largest firms couldn't match—let alone surpass—the $1.24 billion in revenue earned by their counterparts in 2010. Collective revenue totaled $1.12 billion in 2011, a decline of nearly 10%, according to data derived from ENR Midwest's annual survey.