Inside ENR's Rankings: What AEC Firms Should Focus On

In Steven Gallo's inaugural episode as Spill the Ink co-host, we're launching a new series diving into the premier awards and rankings programs across the AEC industry.

First up is Engineering News-Record's (ENR) prestigious top lists and survey rankings. Emell Derra Adolphus, Senior Editor of ENR Top Lists and Survey Rankings, joins Steven to demystify the submission process and share key takeaways for firms participating in ENR's programs. With more than five years managing ENR's rankings and a decade of journalism experience, Emell offers an insider perspective on how submissions are evaluated, why honest reporting about challenges creates better industry outcomes, and how firms can leverage the competitive intelligence they receive. The conversation also explores pressing industry trends, from skilled labor shortages to AI adoption, and practical advice for firms navigating supply chain uncertainty and market volatility in 2026.

Here's a Glimpse of What You'll Learn

• About Engineering News-Record's regional and national rankings structure

• How ENR's regional rankings feed into national lists — and why that matters for your competitive positioning

• The "secret sauce" behind ENR's fact-checking process and how their team of journalists keeps submissions honest

• How qualitative storytelling in your submission can be just as valuable as the revenue numbers

• Why volatile or challenging years are actually the best time to participate in rankings, and how "small" innovations during those periods can become major stories

• How honest reporting about project challenges — including safety issues — helps the entire industry

• The hidden value of participating beyond rankings: competitive intelligence and industry benchmarking

• About the latest construction trends shaping the market, including skilled labor shortages, mega-projects, data centers and AI adoption

• The double-edged sword of diversification: when to specialize deeper vs. when to expand into new markets

• How regional differences dramatically impact which strategies work for navigating market volatility

• What's coming next from ENR, including new data presentations and their upcoming podcast series

About Our Featured Guest

Emell Derra Adolphus is the senior editor of ENR's Top Lists and Survey Rankings at Engineering News Record, a position he has held since April 2020. With more than a decade of writing and journalism experience spanning multiple publications, Emell brings a journalist's rigor to analyzing the construction industry's leading companies and projects.

In his role at ENR, Emell manages the magazine's prestigious annual rankings programs, including the Top 600 Design Firms, Top 500 CM-Contractor and Top 400 Specialty Contractors. He analyzes both quantitative data and qualitative insights from thousands of construction firms across regional and national markets, working closely with ENR's editorial team to ensure accuracy and integrity. Emell also contributes feature stories on technology adoption, climate resiliency and diversity, equity and inclusion for the magazine.

Before joining ENR, Emell served as editor in chief at KGM Magazine and DriFit Magazine. Looking ahead, he is helping to expand ENR's coverage by launching a podcast that will extend conversations from the magazine's print issues, providing deeper insights into company operations and industry challenges.

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

• Check out ENR.com

• Follow ENR on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram

• Connect with Emell Derra Adolphus on LinkedIn

• Connect with Emell directly for first-time submissions: adolphuse@enr.com

• Say hello to Steven Gallo on LinkedIn

Sponsor for This Episode

This episode is brought to you by Reputation Ink.

Founded by Michelle Calcote King, Reputation Ink is a marketing and public relations agency that serves B2B professional services firms of all shapes and sizes across the United States, including corporate law firms and architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) firms.

Reputation Ink understands how sophisticated corporate buyers find and select professional services firms. For more than a decade, they have helped firms grow through thought leadership-fueled strategies, including public relations, content marketing, video marketing, social media, podcasting, marketing strategy services, creative services and more.

To learn more, visit www.rep-ink.com or email them at info@rep-ink.com today.