Design firms continue to ride a strong wave of success in California. The 95 firms that participated in this year’s Top Design Firms survey reported $4.87 billion of combined revenue in California during 2016—a 14% increase from the previous year. In the three most recent surveys, combined revenue in the state has grown by 33%.
Firms with practices in transportation and other infrastructure are particularly bullish on the market. Don Sepulveda, deputy national market lead, rail and transit for West Coast operations at Michael Baker International, notes that several significant tax measures have passed to provide funding for transportation projects in the region. In Los Angeles, for example, passage of Measure M in November will provide $120 billion to advance the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s long-range transit plan for the next four decades.