Construction Industry News

DEARBORN, Mich. (June 17, 2021) — Ford recently announced it is acquiring Electriphi, a California-based provider of charging management and fleet monitoring software for electric vehicles.

WASHINGTON (May 13, 2021) — Construction input prices increased 1.3% in April compared to the previous month, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Producer Price Index data released today. Nonresidential construction input prices increased 1.6% for the month.

WASHINGTON (June 15, 2021) – Three new leaders have been elected to the American Institute of Architects’ (AIA) board of directors.

AIA delegates elected Emily A. Grandstaff-Rice, FAIA, of Boston Society of Architects/AIA Massachusetts as the 2022 first vice president/2023 president-elect; Timothy C. Hawk, FAIA, of AIA Columbus/AIA Ohio as the 2022-2023 treasurer; and Kevin M. Holland, FAIA, of AIA Los Angeles/AIA California as the 2022-2024 at-large director.

WASHINGTON (June 10, 2021) — The Construction Industry Safety Coalition (CISC) released the following statement on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) decision to apply an Emergency Temporary Standard on COVID-19 only to the healthcare industry.  

WASHINGTON (June 8, 2021) — Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) has announced that Tia Perry, formerly ABC’s director of business development and partnerships, will now serve as its director of inclusion, diversity and equity (IDE) in support of ABC’s 69 chapters and 21,000 members.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (June 3, 2021) — Construction Business Owner, the leading business magazine for contractors, is pleased to announce a free webinar presented in partnership with FlowForma.

The live, online event, “How to Improve Remote Workforce Communications by Eliminating Spreadsheets” will take place June 24, 2021, at 11 a.m. CST, and will feature insights from Morgan Construction about its experience and tips for streamlining processes.

ARLINGTON, Va. (June 4, 2021) — Construction employment decreased from February 2020 – the last month prior to the pandemic – to April 2021 in 107, or 30%, of the nation’s metro areas, and was stagnant in another 34, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) of government employment data released today.

FAIRFAX, Va. (June 1, 2021) – June 2021 has been declared “Trench Safety Month” by the National Utility Contractors Association (NUCA), further highlighting its educational and safety program, the annual “Trench Safety Stand Down” week to be held between June 14-18.

ARLINGTON, Va. (June 1, 2021) — Nonresidential construction spending in April declined for the fifth-straight month to a two-year low as demand waned for numerous public and private project categories in the face of lengthening production and delivery times for materials, along with fast-rising prices for many items, according to an analysis of new federal construction spending data by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC).

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (May 19, 2021) — Accel-KKR, a leading tech-focused private equity firm with over $10 billion of assets under management, has announced that it has acquired GPS Insight, a fleet management software leader.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (May 28, 2021) — Construction Business Owner (CBO), the leading business magazine for contractors, is pleased to introduce the Sustainability VIP honor, a special initiative designed to recognize the construction professionals building a better future for the earth and its inhabitants.

WASHINGTON (May 28, 2021) — President Biden announced in a speech last week that he intends to take steps to combat supply issues plaguing the construction industry.

WASHINGTON (May 19, 2021) — The United States Department of the Treasury has issued an interim final rule on permissible uses of $350 billion in state and local aid included in the recent American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). The rule allows the relief money to be used for certain state and local transportation projects. 

RADFORD, Va. (May 18, 2021) — Global construction and development firm, Skanska, has been selected to build Radford University’s new Center for Adaptive Innovation and Creativity (CAIC). Located in Radford, Virgnia, the $80.5 million, 177,917-square-foot building will replace the existing space for the College of Visual and Performing Arts and create interdisciplinary student spaces.

HAMILTON, N.J. (May 18, 2021) — Total construction starts fell 2% in April to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $853.5 billion, according to Dodge Data & Analytics. Single family construction posted a sizeable decline following months of strong activity, while nonresidential building and nonbuilding starts both gained. 

WASHINGTON (May 13, 2021) — Construction input prices increased 1.3% in April compared to the previous month, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Producer Price Index data. Nonresidential construction input prices increased 1.6% for the month.

HAMILTON, N.J.

CARPINTERIA, Calif. (May, 6, 2021) — Procore Technologies, Inc., a leading provider of construction management software, has announced it has acquired INDUS.AI, makers of an artificial intelligence-powered analytics platform for the construction industry.

WASHINGTON (May 5, 2021) — The United States Department of Labor has announced the withdrawal of the controversial “Independent Contract Rule” — effective May 6.

According to a fact sheet released on the department website, the rule is being removed for these reasons:

WASHINGTON (May 3, 2021) — The United States Department of Commerce revealed that construction spending gained just 0.2% in March, despite predictions from the industry expecting a 1.9% increase. Spending is still up 5.3% over March 2020. Private construction rose 0.7% in March as demand for housing continues. Residential projects increased 1.7% in March, the largest of any industry sector.