HBB celebrates 20 years with Ownership Transition

From left: Dean Koonts, Juliet Vong and Colie Hough Beck.
Photo: Jed Share

2010 marked the 20th anniversary for Hough Beck & Baird (HBB) of Seattle, but also the completion of a 10-year ownership transition.

Colie Hough-Beck and Fred Beck founded HBB in 1990. A decade later, Fred, 10 years her senior, was ready to retire, but Colie wasn’t. Uncertain how to recruit new owners within their firm, Colie spoke with seminar presenter Mike Hall of Hall & Co. about ownership transition and HBB’s future. Mike helped develop an ownership transition plan and become the firm’s long-term business advisor.

With Mike’s help they structured an offer and in 2002 invited all four HBB associates to consider ownership. Of the four, Juliet Vong expressed her interest. She had a degree in landscape architecture from the University of Washington and had been with HBB since her college practicum. She began her due diligence, which lead to her initial purchase of shares and firm ownership.

The Marselle Condominiums, Seattle, an HBB project.
Photo: HBB

In 2005, with purchase agreements and a transition plan in place, Juliet became vice-president. In 2009, with the benefit of Colie and Fred’s ongoing mentorship, she became president. Juliet now has 14 years at HBB, a solid foundation in project management and the planning and design of a wide range of projects. As a LEED AP and member of the Cascadia Region Green Building Council, she leads the firm’s sustainable design efforts. Juliet is currently the lead landscape architect for the SR 520 Eastside Transit and HOV project. She has been involved in multiple projects at Sea-Tac International Airport and on the Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

In 2006, Colie and Juliet began looking for a second owner and offered Dean, then a HBB senior associate, that opportunity. Dean completed his agreement in 2007. Dean grew up in Germany and North Carolina before coming to Seattle for his MLA degree at the University of Washington. His expertise in designing urban and waterfront environments is illustrated in the Mercer Corridor Improvements project in Seattle, public access improvements for the Port of Anacortes, enhancements to Lower Kinnear Park at the base of Seattle’s Queen Anne neighborhood, and in open space designs for multiple community college campuses.

Today, Juliet Vong continues as president and primary owner. Dean Koonts is a principal and shareholder. Colie Hough-Beck remains active on projects as a principal and as an advisor to the firm. Although the 2008 economy presented challenges to the transition, today the 10-person firm is working on several design teams for some of the largest landscape architecture, planning, and urban design projects in the region.

HBB’s transition is noteworthy because it demonstrates the success of a well-planned and executed ownership succession. The firm stayed on course with its plan through the challenges of recession, transition and a steady workload. Having an established a transition of ownership, and two new owners who know the ropes of these transitions, HBB has built a solid foundation for future generations of owners to carry on the business.