News

WASHINGTON (Sept. 27, 2021) — Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) has released the following statement in response to guidance issued by the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force about what is required of federal contractors with respect to a vaccine mandate for employees as a result of President Biden’s Executive Order 14042, Ensuring Adequate COVID Safety Protocols for Federal Contractors.

SAUK CENTRE, Minn. (Sept. 24, 2021) — Felling Trailers, Inc. conducted its ninth annual online auction of an FT-3 drop deck utility trailer to benefit a non-profit organization: the Minnesota Fire Fighters Foundation (MNFFF). A winning bid of $4850.99 won the auction that ended at 7 pm on the 20th-anniversary remembrance of 9/11, Saturday, Sept. 11th, 2021.

WASHINGTON (Sept. 24, 2021) — The Architecture Billings Index (ABI) recorded its seventh consecutive positive month, according to a new report from The American Institute of Architects (AIA).

ORLANDO, Fla. (Sept. 22, 2021) — Louisiana, Mo.’s Champ Clark Mississippi River Bridge replacement was the most significant construction project of 2020, the Associated General Contractors of America recently announced. As a result, the project’s contractor, Massman Construction Co., received the association’s Construction Risk Partners Build America Grand Award, as well as the award for the best design-build civil and a Marvin M. Black Partnering Excellence Merit award.

SAN JOSE, Calif. (Sept. 9, 2021) — EBay Inc., a global commerce leader that connects millions of buyers and sellers around the world, has announced  a strategic partnership and investment in bidadoo, a leading online remarketing and auction company of equipment, trucks and capital assets. As one of the largest marketplaces for heavy equipment, eBay offers buyers a wide selection of equipment, trucks, parts and attachments for industries from construction to transportation to agriculture.

HOUSTON (Sept. 14, 2021) — HCSS, the leading supplier of estimating, operations and fleet management software, has announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by Thoma Bravo, a leading software investment firm. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals and is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2021. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (Sept. 15, 2021)  — Jack Bowen, President of EMJ Corporation, has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer in addition to his current role. Burt Odom, EMJ's current CEO, will shift to the role of Chairman of the Board of Directors. 

This transition will take place on October 1, and is part of EMJ's strategic approach to executive succession, which is designed to develop and sustain strong leaders and ensure its success for years to come. 

SAN FRANCISCO (Sept. 14, 2021) — Autodesk, Inc. and management consulting firm FMI Corporation today released the results from a new study, "Harnessing the Data Advantage in Construction," which surveyed over 3,900 professionals across the global construction industry on their data practices in 2020.

WASHINGTON (Sept. 14, 2021) — Associated Builders and Contractors reports today that its Construction Backlog Indicator fell sharply to 7.7 months in August, according to an ABC member survey conducted Aug. 19 to Sep.1. The reading is down 0.8 months from July 2021 and down 0.3 months from August 2020.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (Sept. 9, 2021) — In a strategic move to initiate its online sales efforts, Restoration Builders, Inc. has  announced it has completed an asset purchase agreement for the acquisition of Palazzo Restoration, LLC ("Palazzo Restoration" or "The Company"), headquartered in Carmel, IN. 

WASHINGTON (Sept. 9, 2021) — President Biden has announced a new effort to combat the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

ARLINGTON, Va. (Sept. 7, 2021) — The construction industry lost 3,000 jobs between July and August as ongoing declines in nonresidential segments offset a pickup among residential building and remodeling firms, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) of government data.

WASHINGTON (Sept. 1, 2021) — National nonresidential construction spending expanded 0.1% in July, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) analysis of data published by the U.S. Census Bureau. On a seasonally adjusted annualized basis, nonresidential spending totaled $786.7 billion for the month.

NEW ORLEANS (Sept. 1, 2021) — Hurricane Ida has been downgraded to a tropical depression but not before leaving more than a million people, and the entirety of New Orleans, without power and causing massive damage to structures, homes and roads in Louisiana. Ida has been ranked as the fifth-largest hurricane to make landfall in the United States, with winds reaching speeds of 150 mph or more.

SUNNYVALE, Calif. (Aug. 31, 2021) — Trimble has announced  the creation of Trimble Ventures, a venture fund focused on investing in early and growth-stage innovative companies that align with Trimble's mission of transforming work in the agriculture, construction, geospatial and transportation industries.

CHARLOTTE, N.C., (Aug. 30, 2021) — Concrete & Materials Placement (CMP), a concrete pumping company serving the Carolinas, has announced the strategic acquisition of Febcon Concrete Pumping, a Michigan-based concrete pumping company as of Aug. 30, 2021. As an industry leader in concrete pumping, this step further expands CMP's footprint across the Southeast.  

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (Aug. 26, 2021)— Restoration Builders, Inc. has announced that it has added Hubert Bourque to its ESG and Technology Group. He will guide the design, operations and environmental performance of technologies that align with the company's sustainability and environmental policies.

WASHINGTON (Aug. 19, 2021) — The Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation released the August 2021 Monthly Confidence Index for the Equipment Finance Industry (MCI-EFI). The index reports a qualitative assessment of both the prevailing business conditions and expectations for the future as reported by key executives from the $900 billion equipment finance sector. Overall, confidence in the equipment finance market is 66.6, a decrease from the July index of 72.9.

ARLINGTON, Va. (Aug. 20, 2021) — Construction employment in July remained below the levels reached before the pre-pandemic peak in February 2020 in 36 states, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) of government employment data.

SUWANEE, Ga. (Aug. 19, 2021) — Aug. 20, 2021 is the official close and completion date of the Doosan Infracore (DI) sale to Hyundai Heavy Industries Holdings Co. (HHIH).