Sources: Associated Builders & Contractors, Washington, D.C.; CP staff Supply chain disruptions, prolonged municipal permitting processes, and delayed inspections due to office closures are among factors contributing to an increased rate of construction project postponement and/or cancellation, according to a new survey on Covid-19 impacts by Associated Builders and Contractors’ Construction Executive.
Read MoreTag: Associated Builders and Contractors
Contractors measure four years of deliverables in Trump endorsement
Sources: Associated Builders and Contractors, Washington, D.C.; CP staff
CEO Michael Bellaman and National Chair Tim Keating (R. C. Stevens Construction Co., Winter Garden, Fla.) outline member-friendly, 2017-2020 advocacy and policy measures in an Associated Builders & Contractors endorsement of President Donald Trump for election to a second term. In a letter to 1600 Pennsylvania, they write: “Your continued support for fair and open competition, job creation, small businesses and expanded workforce development initiatives during your first term have helped ABC members grow their businesses, upskill their workforce and create career enhancing jobs.”
Read MoreORGANIZATIONS – APRIL 2020
Associated Builders and Contractors has named Matthew Abeles to the newly created role of vice president of Construction Technology and Innovation, spearheading integration of both concepts into all aspects of the group’s strategic initiatives, particularly total human health, world-class safety and workforce development. Abeles has advised and raised capital for construction technology companies, and positioned himself as a leader in the field. He co-founded BuiltWorlds in 2014, a Chicago-based media company, event producer and digital network for construction, real estate, finance and development leaders. He was responsible for outreach to established and emerging players in the construction and real estate sectors, promoting next-generation technologies and addressing influential audiences about the future of the industry.
Read MoreORGANIZATIONS – DECEMBER 2019
D. Thomas Ruttura, owner of Ruttura & Sons Construction Co. in West Babylon, N.Y., has received the American Society of Concrete Contractors Lifetime Achievement Award. A past (2003-2004) president of ASCC and its Education, Research & Development Foundation, he chaired and served on numerous Society committees. The Lifetime Achievement Award is group’s highest honor, acknowledging recipients for their body of work within the industry and their service to ASCC.
Read MoreEconomist suggests “wait-and-see” approach to construction market
Source: Associated Builders and Contractors, Washington, D.C.
ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu forecasts continued momentum for construction next year, mindful that a “heightened level of uncertainty could induce many economic actors to adopt a wait-and-see attitude, further reducing economic activity in the context of an already rapidly softening global economic environment.”
Read MoreMixed signals: Commercial project volume vs. overall economy
Sources: Associated Builders and Contractors, Washington, D.C.; CP staff
The Associated Builders and Contractors monthly Construction Backlog Indicator (CBI) of nonresidential building activity expanded to 9.5 months in March 2019, up 0.7 months or 8.8 percent from the prior month, when it stood at 8.8 months and hovered its highest level in series history.
Read MoreLead economist: Construction employment rises 4 percent year over year
Source: Associated Builders & Contractors, Washington, D.C.
An Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of new U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data indicates construction employment increased 280,000 in 2018, a 4.0 percent gain over the prior-year level. The analysis also showed industry unemployment rising to 5.1 percent during December, due to a meaningful increase in labor force participation, yet remained 0.8 percent lower than at the same time in 2017.
Read MoreWorkforce development the White House order of the day
Associated Builders and Contractors is among 20-plus charter signatories to “Pledge to America’s Workers,” supporting a White House initiative, National Council for the American Worker, that President Donald Trump created by Executive Order. The Council is charged with developing a strategy for training and retraining workers across high demand industries.
Read MoreTrump initiative supports training of 500,000 construction workers
Source: Associated Builders & Contractors, Washington, D.C.
Associated Builders and Contractors is among 20-plus charter signatories to “Pledge to America’s Workers,” supporting a White House initiative, National Council for the American Worker, that President Donald Trump created by Executive Order. The Council is charged with developing a strategy for training and retraining workers across high demand industries, and will convene public, private, education, labor, and not-for-profit sector representatives.
Read MoreContractors welcome judge’s blocking of Obama overtime rule
Sources: Associated Builders and Contractors, Washington, D.C.; CP staff
A Department of Labor (DOL) Wage and Hour Division rule doubling the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) salary threshold for employees exempt from overtime pay—and automatically raising the bar on three-year intervals—will not take hold on a December 1 target, owing to a U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas preliminary injunction order.
Read More