You'd expect Holley Ellis to talk about rising gas prices, the impact of solar, the future of hydrogen. She doesn't. She talks about people.

The success of E Group, she said, has less to do with customers than with the consultants who come to work for the company, who she describes as the "true" clients.

To that end, E Group has purchased and furnished numerous town homes and condominiums in order to make it as easy as possible for out-of-state consultants to relocate to the area.

The firm offers a fat benefits plan: Blue Cross/Blue Shield health and dental, credit union membership and a matched 401K.

"Our benefits make it hard for any consultant - local or out of state - to pass on a contract with us," Ellis said.

Even as the firm has pursued its aggressive HR strategy, changes in the energy field have worked to its advantage.

The industry has been making a big push to make its existing plants ever more efficient, which in turn opens the door for consulting work. At the same time, a growing population in the South has fueled the need for more power, which in turn stokes the fire under E Group's efforts.

Still, Ellis looks to headcount as the measure of the win. "In fact, we've only had a handful of people actually resign in the last seven years. Of those, half came back within a few months," she said. "Our retention program benefits everyone involved."