Source: Associated Builders and Contractors, Washington, D.C. In a letter to Occupational Safety and Health Administration Acting Assistant Secretary James Frederick, the Construction Industry Safety Coalition outlined concerns related to the agency’s forthcoming Covid-19 vaccination and testing Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS), which will apply to employers with payrolls of 100 or more per the White House’s Path Out of the…
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Contractor survey: Labor, material challenges constrain recovery
Source: U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Washington, D.C. In the face of worker and materials shortages, plus rising costs, commercial construction contractors cite a slowdown in the pace of their recovery from the pandemic, according to U.S. Chamber of Commerce Commercial Construction Index third quarter data. The Index presents results from a Dodge Data & Analytics survey of contractors performing nonresidential…
Read MoreThe Economic Fun Is Here – Will Delta Derail It?
Various reports from our industry press mark a jump in ready mixed concrete production in April, which is just a thumbnail indicator of the health of the overall economy. Production was estimated at 35.6 million cubic yards, an astonishing 20 percent higher than in April 2020. Moreover, the estimated production nationally through April is 114.3 million cubic yards, approximately 6.8…
Read MoreCoalition counters push for project labor agreement mandates
An Associated Builders and Contractors-led coalition of construction industry and business organizations has kicked off a six-figure advocacy campaign aimed at educating taxpayers and members of the U.S. Senate about controversial government-mandated project labor agreements. Build America Local argues that such schemes reduce competition and increase costs for the construction of taxpayer-funded affordable housing, clean energy and infrastructure projects acrosst…
Read MoreMANUFACTURERS – AUGUST 2021
CarbonCure Technologies in Halifax, Nova Scotia, has named to its board of directors B+H Architects Global Sustainability Lead and Senior Principal Lisa Bate, immediate past World Green Building Council chair, and, retired AECOM Chief Executive Officer Michael Burke. The company has also named CEO Robert Niven, who founded the business in 2012, as chairman. “Since buildings are the source of…
Read MoreConstruction Industry interests salute Environmental Policy Act streamlining
The Portland Cement Association and National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association are among 35 members of Unlocking American Investment, a new U.S. Chamber of Commerce-led coalition supporting National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) revisions that will help cut typical infrastructure project permitting phases by more than 50 percent against current metrics.
Read MoreAGC confirms industry headcount at 10-year high
Sources: Associated General Contractors of America, Washington, D.C.; CP staff
Construction employment increased by 13,000 in June and 282,000 over the past year, bringing the total industry payroll to 7.22 million—its highest level since May 2008. “The construction industry continues to add workers faster than the economy as a whole, and is paying premium wages to attract and retain [them],” affirms AGC Chief Economist Ken Simonson. “Employment gains are occurring in both residential and nonresidential construction. However, the industry is having to rely more on workers without construction experience, as the pool of unemployed construction workers has nearly evaporated.”
Read MoreContractors paint dire jobs, cost consequences in steel, aluminum tariff aftermath
Sources: Associated General Contractors of America, Washington, D.C.; CP staff
Responding to President Donald Trump’s March 8 order applying respective 25 percent and 10 percent tariffs to steel and aluminum imports from countries outside the NAFTA region, AGC CEO Stephen Sandherr noted: “These tariffs will cause significant harm to the nation’s construction industry, put tens of thousands of high-paying construction jobs at risk, undermine the President’s proposed infrastructure initiative and potentially dampen demand for new construction.
Read MoreNPCA cites domestic steel pricing, capacity concerns with Trump tariffs
Sources: National Precast Concrete Association, Carmel, Ind.; CP staff
Tariffs of 25 percent on imported steel that President Donald Trump announced this month would negatively impact the precast concrete industry, according to National Precast Concrete Association President Ty Gable. “When you impose high tariffs, two major things happen,” he says. “The price of domestic steel goes through the roof. Second, there is a capacity problem and [producers] have difficulty getting their materials on time.”
Read MoreBuilding Material Plant Day participants measure global market’s mixed signals
Sources: German Engineering Federation (VDMA), Frankfurt
German manufacturers of concrete and other building material plants are expecting a broadly based boost this year, carrying momentum from a year-over-year spike most sectors saw at the end of 2016. “This should translate into sales growth over the next few months,” said Sebastian Popp, economic expert on machinery and equipment at Building Material Plants Day, an annual VDMA gathering in Frankfurt for companies serving concrete, dry mortar, aggregate, cement, lime and gypsum producers.
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