The investment philosophy and operational approach of Welz Partners is grounded in the experience of its co-founder and CEO, Gary H. Elzweig—a Columbia University-trained civil engineer, Registered Professional Engineer, and Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers who has spent four and a half decades building, acquiring, and scaling engineering and specialty services businesses. Gary founded his first firm, PEICO, in 1984 and has led more than 50 M&A transactions since—growing companies from inception to national platforms, taking a company public on Nasdaq, and most recently serving as President and Chief Strategy Officer of Universal Engineering Sciences (UES), which he grew through 30+ acquisitions to $629 million in revenue and 4,000 employees in under five years before exiting in September 2024 with an 18x return. UES was named Zweig's Hot Firm of the Year four consecutive years—an unprecedented distinction in the engineering services industry. Gary was recognized as Ernst & Young's Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year for the State of Florida. He is also the architect of Florida Statute §553.791, the Private Provider Law, which he helped pass to open the inspection and plans review market to private providers—a structural reform that shaped the industry he spent his career building.