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Jeff Herzog Named Smart 50 Honoree, Leading Nexus’ Next Growth Chapter

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When Jeff Herzog co-founded Nexus Engineering Group in 2005, he wasn’t just starting an engineering firm – he was redefining what one could be. Alongside Co-Founder Marianne Corrao, Herzog set out to create a different type of engineering consultancy, one that provided the “nexus” between the business challenge and the project solution.  

Two decades later, that vision has become the foundation of Nexus’ success, and the reason Herzog was once again recognized as one of Northeast Ohio’s Smart 50 honorees for 2025.

“Engineering Relationships,” Not Just Projects

If you ask Herzog what makes Nexus different, he’ll point first to its people.
“From the beginning, we wanted to build a company that did more than deliver projects,” Herzog said. “We wanted to understand our clients’ business needs and then align our work with what matters most to them. We wanted to be more than a smart pair of hands.”
That philosophy – captured in the firm’s tagline, engineering relationships – continues to drive how Nexus approaches every engagement. Instead of operating as a traditional engineering, procurement, and construction management firm, the Team partners closely with clients to solve operational and business challenges by developing engineering and project solutions tailored to their needs.
It’s an approach that has proven not just smart, but sustainable. Over the past five years, Nexus has more than doubled its revenue, expanded into new markets and geographies, and grown its Team to more than 250 professionals across Cleveland, Oak Brook, and Midland.

Smart Growth Through Strategy and Vision

Herzog’s leadership has been defined by a willingness to evolve while staying grounded in the company’s core values. Since 2020, Nexus has expanded its portfolio to include energy services and renewable projects, entering spaces traditionally dominated by much larger firms. The firm has also added project services, procurement, and construction management services, leaning into it a flexible, agile approach to delivering these services that is hard to match.

In 2022, Herzog led the formalization of Nexus’s Construction Management and Turnaround (TAR) Services group, transforming the company into a full-service Engineering, Procurement, and Construction Management (EPCm) partner. 

“Our clients’ needs are evolving,” Herzog explained. “By integrating construction and turnaround services with our existing engineering and procurement program, we’re giving them a seamless experience with one partner who can take a project from concept to completion. At the same time, we have incredible talent and skills that are hard to find at a mid-size firm. That’s what makes us different.”

A Smart Culture Built on Trust and Opportunity

Jeff Herzog’s “smart leadership” comes to life in the culture he’s helped build at Nexus – one rooted in collaboration, trust, and growth. Even amid rapid expansion, the firm maintains a remarkably low turnover rate, reflecting an environment where people are empowered to contribute ideas, develop their skills, and see the impact of their work. 

“Smart leadership isn’t about being the loudest voice in the room,” Herzog said. “It’s about listening, building a great Team, and creating space for them to do their best work.” 

That people-first mindset defines Nexus’ continued success. By investing in professional development and fostering a culture of accountability and partnership, Herzog ensures the company’s progress is built on its strongest asset, its people.  

“The Smart 50 recognition is really a reflection of our Team. Everything we’ve built comes from the collective effort of people who care deeply about what they do,” says Herzog. 

For Herzog, that’s what smart leadership truly means: building a better firm – together. 

About Nexus Engineering Group
Nexus Engineering Group is a full-service, independent engineering, procurement, and construction management (EPCm) firm headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio with offices in Toledo, Ohio, Midland, Michigan, and Oak Brook, Illinois. Nexus is focused on supporting clients’ specific project goals from concept to startup. Since 2005, clients have recognized Nexus as the engineering services firm of choice in the refining, petroleum midstream, chemical, manufacturing, utility, power, energy, and renewables industries.
With more than 250 professionals on staff, Nexus is made up of experienced process, instrumentation and controls, structural engineering, electrical, mechanical engineering, and piping professionals with decades of hands-on conceptual and detailed system design, construction and project management experience.
Nexus delivers project designs that reduce overall risks resulting in safer work environments. By utilizing state-of-the-art software and innovative design tools, Nexus consistently meets client project and investment requirements.

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