CLEARWATER, Fla. (June 9, 2014) — After a recession-imposed seven years of dwindling construction job opportunities, things are brightening on the construction front. Chief economist of the Associated General Contractors of America (ACG) Ken Simonson reported that the construction industry can expect an uptick of 15 percent in the job outlook for 2014.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (June 9, 2014)— Cahaba Media Group is happy to announce that Kathryn Wells has assumed the role of editor of the company’s Construction Business Owner (CBO) magazine.
ARLINGTON, Va. (June 6, 2014) — Construction employers added 6,000 workers to payrolls in May as the industry’s unemployment rate dropped to 8.6 percent, its lowest level for that month in six years, according to an analysis of new government data by the Associated General Contractors of America.
RALEIGH, N.C. (June 6, 2014) — FMI, a provider of management consulting and investment banking to the engineering and construction industry, released its Q2-2014 Construction Outlook. The forecast shows cautiously optimistic growth, as the forecast has been lowered a percent since the Q1-2014 Outlook. Construction-put-in-place for 2014 is now predicted to increase 7 percent over 2013 levels.
DALLAS, Texas (May 30, 2014) — Jackie James, director of World of Concrete, will travel to Toronto in late June to participate in a trade mission hosted by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA). The primary goal of the mission is to increase attendees and exhibitors from Canada at World of Concrete and promote the use of concrete and masonry in the commercial construction industries.
ITASCA, Ill. (May 28, 2014) — June is National Safety Month, and the National Safety Council is calling on Americans to take notice of the fifth* leading cause of death–unintentional injuries. Every four minutes, someone in the U.S dies from an unintentional injury. That’s 120,000 people a year. Sixty-seven percent** of all injury-related deaths in the U.S. are due to unintentional causes, compared to just 9 percent to homicide.
RED WING, Minn. (May 28, 2014) — Capital Safety, a manufacturer of fall protection equipment for construction and other high-risk fields, has launched its "Every Worker, Every Time" effort, a national five-day fall protection and training program focused on the company’s mission to bring every worker at height home safely, every workday. The initiative will work hand in hand with OSHA’s National Fall Prevention Stand-Down, June 2-6, by visiting construction sites across the U.S.
ATLANTA (May 27, 2014) — The Cobb County Board of Commissioners voted this evening to approve American Builders 2017 as the construction manager at risk (construction manager) to oversee the construction of the new Atlanta Braves ballpark, which is scheduled to open in early 2017.
HOUSTON, Texas (May 27, 2014) — A contingent of construction science majors from Texas A&M University traveled from the classroom to the work site and got a close-up look at one of the nation’s leading demolition and recycling operations. Cherry Companies of Houston, a member of the National Demolition Association (NDA)’s Construction Industry Advisory Council (CIAC), served as host to the aspiring demolition and construction industry professionals.
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (May 23, 2014) — Using the doctrine of equitable subrogation to establish lender priority over mechanic’s liens would “completely defeat” the legislative intent behind mechanic’s liens statutes and “improperly shift the known and assumed risks” from construction project owners and lenders to contractors and subcontractors, the American Subcontractors Association (ASA) and ASA of Arizona told the Supreme Court of Arizona.
WASHINGTON (May 22, 2014) – The American Institute of Architects (AIA) lauded the inclusion of an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) by Rep. Mick Mulvaney (R-SC) that is based on H.R. 2750, the Design-Building Efficiency and Jobs Act.
Rep. Mulvaney introduced the amendment on the House floor Wednesday as debate on the NDAA commenced, and it was successfully incorporated into the NDAA.
WASHINGTON (May 22, 2014) — The Equipment Leasing and Finance Association’s (ELFA) Monthly Leasing and Finance Index (MLFI-25), which reports economic activity from 25 companies representing a cross section of the $827 billion equipment finance sector, showed their overall new business volume for April was $8 billion, up 7 percent from new business volume in April 2013. Month over month, new business volume was up 14 percent from March.
LANHAM, Md. (May 21, 2014) — Ahead of the summer driving season, a new survey from the Asphalt Pavement Alliance (APA) finds U.S. drivers increasingly frustrated with the state of U.S. roads. The national survey found that drivers prefer well-maintained, safe and smooth roadways; moreover, they understand these qualities require periodic maintenance and financial investment.
WASHINGTON (May 20, 2014) – The Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation (the Foundation) has released the May 2014 Monthly Confidence Index for the Equipment Finance Industry (MCI-EFI). Designed to collect leadership data, the index reports a qualitative assessment of both the prevailing business conditions and expectations for the future as reported by key executives from the $827 billion equipment finance sector.
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (May 20, 2014) — Capital Safety is donating fall protection equipment and training for select personnel for all 2014 Habitat for Humanity build sites near its two Minnesota operations in the Twin Cities and Red Wing. Capital Safety products are used around the world to keep those who work at height safe.
KOHLER, Wis. (May 20, 2014) – Kohler Power Systems, a manufacturer of generators, transfer switches, paralleling switchgear and related accessories, announced that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit upheld an earlier U.S. District Court decision that a Generac patent was invalid.
NEW YORK (May 20, 2014) – The Marcum Commercial Construction Index reported that extreme winter weather conditions suppressed nonresidential construction activity in the first quarter of 2014, with spending declines in all three months of the period. The index predicts a return to expansion during the remainder of the year, however.
The Marcum Commercial Construction index is compiled by the Construction Services Practice of Marcum LLP, a national accounting and advisory firm.
(May 19, 2014) - On May 15, several days after its introduction, the MAP-21 Reauthorization Act(S. 2322) cleared the Senate Environment & Public Works (EPW) Committee by voice vote.
RACINE, Wis.