Construction Industry News

WASHINGTON (Oct. 28, 2021) — Investment in nonresidential structures contracted at an annual rate of 7.3% during the third quarter of 2021 and has now contracted during seven of the past eight quarters, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) analysis of data by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. The overall economy expanded at a 2.0% annualized rate during the third quarter of 2021.

LAS VEGAS (Oct. 28, 2021) — Royal Purple Synthetic Oil will be exhibiting this year at the 2021 SEMA Show on November 2 – 5 and at AAPEX 2021 on November 2 – 4.

WEST FARGO, N.D. (Oct. 28, 2021) — Bobcat Company has announced three all-new models to its R2-Series compact excavator lineup. The E32, E35 25hp and E35 33hp compact excavators provide all the productivity and power found in Bobcat’s larger excavators in a smaller frame, making all three models ideal for utility, landscaping and residential construction jobs.

Precise, Productive, Performance-Driven

NEWNAN, Ga. (Oct. 26, 2021) — As of October 1, Hitachi Construction Machinery Loaders America is now Hitachi Construction Machinery Americas Inc.

WASHINGTON (Oct. 26, 2021) — 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 $900 billion equipment finance sector, showed their overall new business volume for September was $9.2 billion, up 6% year-over-year from new business volume in September 2020. Volume was up 8% month-to-month from $9.9 billion in August.

NOVI, Mich. (Oct. 26, 2021) — Hino Trucks is raising the bar once again in customer ownership experience with the introduction of Hino Edge, the company’s all-new, third generation connected vehicle solution. Hino Edge synergizes the digital connection between the fleet customer, dealer network, Telematics Service Providers (TSP’s) and Hino Ultimate Support Center, to provide customers a competitive edge.

FALLS CHURCH, Va. (Oct. 12, 2021) — HITT Contracting has awarded one-time hardship bonuses to essential frontline team members, dedicating more than $4 million in appreciation funds to employees that worked diligently and safely throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

ARLINGTON, Va. (Oct. 22, 2021) — Only 14 states and the District of Columbia have added construction jobs since just before the start of the pandemic in February 2020, according to an analysis of federal employment data by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC). Association officials noted that widespread supply chain disruptions amid and the lack of a much-needed federal infrastructure bill have impeded the sector’s recovery.

WASHINGTON (Oct. 22, 2021) — Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) has called attention to a new report that highlights the negative economic impact of controversial government-mandated project labor agreements on nonunion construction workers, who comprise 87.3% of the construction industry workforce.

WASHINGTON (Oct. 20, 2021) — Architecture firms continue to report increasing demand for design services in September, according to a report from The American Institute of Architects (AIA).

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (Oct. 20, 2021) — Construction Business Owner, the leading business magazine for contractors, is pleased to announce a free webinar presented in partnership with Bridgit.

The live, online event, “How Strategic Workforce Management Helps Complete Work With Limited Resources” will take place Nov. 11, 2021, at 1 p.m. CST, and will answer contractors’ most pressing question: “How can we work with fewer available resources?”

HAMILTON, N.J. (Oct. 19, 2021) — Total construction starts rose 10% in September to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $889.7 billion, according to Dodge Construction Network. All three sectors improved: nonresidential building starts rose 15%, residential starts moved 9% higher and nonbuilding starts increased by 6%.

DEERFIELD, Ill. (Oct. 19, 2021) — Caterpillar Inc. is creating the position of chief sustainability & strategy officer, enhancing its environmental, social and governance (ESG)-related disclosures and tying a portion of executive compensation to ESG. These actions reflect stakeholder feedback and illustrate the company’s longstanding commitment to sustainability.

WASHINGTON (Oct. 18, 2021) — Associated Builders and Contractors has released the following statement about the importance of Construction Inclusion Week, which runs Oct. 18-22.

ARLINGTON, Va. (Oct. 15, 2021) — The prices contractors pay for construction materials far outstripped the prices contractors charge in the 12 months ending in September, despite a recent decline in a few materials prices, while delivery problems intensified, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) of government data.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (Oct. 13, 2021) — Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) of Florida has announced the creation of an internal advisory panel of industry experts who will play a critical role in discussions relating to building structure safety in the wake of the Surfside tragedy.

SAUK CENTRE, Minn. (Oct. 12th, 2021) — Felling Trailers Inc., a national leader in industrial and commercial trailers, has appointed Joel Lindmeyer as their Great Lakes Regional Sales Manager. In this role, he will be responsible for all sales development, activity, and dealer support within Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky.

WASHINGTON (Oct. 12, 2021) — Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) has reported that its Construction Backlog Indicator fell to 7.6 months in September, according to an ABC member survey conducted Sept. 20-Oct. 4. The reading is down 0.1 months from August 2021, but up 0.1 months from September 2020. 

WASHINGTON (Oct. 8, 2021) — The construction industry added 22,000 jobs on net in September, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) analysis of data by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Overall, the industry has recovered 912,000 (81.9%) of the jobs lost during earlier stages of the pandemic.

HAMILTON, N.J. (Oct. 7, 2021) — The Dodge Momentum Index gained 11% in September to 164.9 (2000=100) from the revised August reading of 148. The Momentum Index, issued by Dodge Construction Network, is a monthly measure of the initial report for nonresidential building projects in planning, which have been shown to lead construction spending for nonresidential buildings by a full year.