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About Rodney McNabb, Founder of Next Phase A&E
Rodney McNabb founded Next Phase A&E Advisory to help owners of architecture, engineering and design consulting firms build a business that runs without them at every decision. He has led his own A&E firm, Evergreen Design Group, since 2005.
Next Phase A&E grew out of a problem Rodney lived. "I priced every project, brought in every new client and answered email on every vacation. With roughly 900 projects a year on my desk, quality slipped."
Request a meeting with Rodney. You'll talk with the person who does the work, and his goal for the first call is simple: you leave relieved, and hopeful about a firm able to run without you.
Rodney McNabb's Background
Rodney has spent more than 30 years in design and construction, as a contractor, a design/build owner and a design firm owner.
Founded Evergreen Design Group (EDG) in 2005 and leads the firm as President and CEO
EDG provides landscape architecture, land planning and irrigation design in 43 states, with a fully remote team
13 years in commercial landscape contracting across Texas, Missouri, Kansas, Louisiana and Arkansas, including founding a design/build firm
Seven years of service in the U.S. Marine Corps
Current Role
Rodney runs Next Phase A&E alongside his role as President and CEO of EDG. The two are separate companies. Running EDG keeps his advice tied to the same pricing, billing and staffing decisions his clients face.
In his words: "I advise A&E firm owners while continuing to lead a design practice myself, so my perspective is grounded in current operating experience."
What Rodney Brings as an A&E Firm Advisor
"The fix was letting go," Rodney says. "I handed production management to my team and moved my time to the back office and strategy. We also found phases we had finished and never invoiced, because our records never showed what was complete. Those two changes are the work I do with owners now."
Rodney has founded three businesses: a design/build firm, EDG and Next Phase A&E. That experience shapes the work:
Remote operations: EDG runs with a fully remote team across 43 states, the same way Next Phase A&E delivers its work
Both sides of the project: 13 years in contracting before design, so he sees fees, scope changes and billing from the builder's side too
How Rodney Works
He delivers every engagement himself
Engagements follow The Next Phase Method, with a fixed fee for each paid phase
Your written proposal states the scope, the exclusions and the fixed fee before work begins
He finishes when your staff runs the process without him
See our A&E consulting services, the architecture firm business consultant, engineering business consultant, interior design business consultant and specialty design consultants pages, or read how Next Phase A&E is different.
Connect
Follow Rodney on LinkedIn, or request a meeting to talk through your firm. Not ready to talk? Take the 7-Minute Firm Health Check, or see how the A&E firm diagnostic works. Rodney also writes practical guides in A&E Insights.
Frequently Asked Questions
What experience does Rodney McNabb have?
Rodney McNabb founded Evergreen Design Group in 2005 and leads it as President and CEO. EDG provides landscape architecture, land planning and irrigation design in 43 states. Before EDG, he spent 13 years in commercial landscape contracting. He served seven years in the U.S. Marine Corps.
Who founded Next Phase A&E?
Rodney McNabb is the Next Phase A&E Advisory founder. He also founded Evergreen Design Group in 2005.
Does Rodney do the work himself?
Yes. Rodney delivers every engagement himself. No work gets handed to a junior consultant.
Is Next Phase A&E part of Evergreen Design Group?
No. Next Phase A&E is a separate company from EDG, a landscape architecture, land planning and irrigation design firm.
Where is Next Phase A&E based?
Bluffton, South Carolina. The practice works 100% remotely with firms across the United States.
Who does Rodney work with?
Owners of architecture, engineering, commercial interior design and specialty design consulting firms with a core team of 3 to 20 full-time equivalents. See business consulting for architecture and engineering firms.