With Needed Improvements to the Vital Survival Program Complete, Construction Official Urges Congress and the President to Act Quickly on Measures to Rebuild the Economy and Restore Jobs The chief executive officer of the Associated General Contractors of America, Stephen E. Sandherr, issued the following statement in reaction to the passage of the Paycheck Protection…
Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced that David J. Byrd will be the new National Director of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA). Mr. Byrd will be the 18th National Director of the agency. Established by an Executive Order in 1969, MBDA is the only Federal agency solely dedicated to the…
Construction firms across the country are responding to recent protests against police brutality and racial injustice with statements calling for an end to inequity and with programs to attract and retain diverse team members. Turner Construction has posted messages of support on its websites and on social media. “Recent events are a stark and painful reminder of…
Manhattan Construction Company, a top nationally-ranked construction firm, has appointed Layle McKelvey as director of community relations and inclusion in Houston. McKelvey will foster key relationships within city, county, and state government, lead Manhattan’s diversity and inclusion efforts, and drive engagement with local partners to enrich Manhattan’s overall benefit to our clients and community. While…
Even though the U.S. unemployment rate is at a level not seen since the Great Depression, the construction industry’s labor woes aren’t close to ending, according to panelists at a recent Associated General Contractors of America webinar. In most jurisdictions, projects are coming back on line, and construction managers are struggling to fill jobs. There…
Associated General Contractors of America’s New “Culture of CARE” Program is Designed to Help Firms Create More Welcoming Workplace Environments The Associated General Contractors of America is launching a new, nationwide program designed to help expand the diversity of the industry by making job sites more inclusive. The new program, called Culture of CARE (commit, attract, retain and empower), is designed to…
Carrollton City Council unanimously approved an agreement for a 125,000-square foot, six-story Class A office structure to serve as the marquee building within new Trinity Mills Station urban development. The City of Carrollton, Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART), The Integral Group, and Koa Partners signed a Master Development Agreement (MDA) for the entire Trinity Mills…
One would be hard-pressed to find any construction industry player that hasn’t been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. While a few U.S. jurisdictions have banned construction work altogether, many more have limited which projects can move forward. However, according to John Robbins, managing director and USA and North America head of real estate for Turner &…
Construction companies that don’t make trust a high priority within their organizations could be leaving millions of dollars on the table every year, according to a study released by Autodesk and management consultancy FMI Corp. this week. Authors of the “Trust Matters: The High Cost of Low Trust” found that construction organizations with very high levels of trust…
In the midst of Women’s History Month, what better person to recognize than a woman who is making history of her own by breaking down all the barriers and blazing a trail through a notoriously male-dominated industry? Chyna “The Roofing Lady” Gragg is the founder and owner of Roofing Designs by JR, LLC, a…
Construction employment increased by 1,000 jobs in November and by 146,000, or 2.0 percent, over the past 12 months, according to an analysis of new government data by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials said recent modest monthly increases in industry employment likely reflect the difficulty contractors are having in finding workers rather…
The City of Dallas unveiled the Big Tex tunnel-boring machine (TBM) at the Mill Creek Drainage Relief Tunnel. The 38-ft by 230 ft long machine is the largest hard rock water tunnel boring in the world at the time tunneling begins. Big Tex will be used to dig a tunnel designed to provide flood protection for east…
Family-owned businesses are the heart of the construction industry. Literally. It is the most frequently encountered ownership model in the world and impacts the global economy significantly. The generational leadership of a family business is credited for developing entrepreneurial talent, a sense of loyalty to business success, long-term strategic commitment, and corporate independence. According…
H-E-B recently opened its much anticipated MacGregor Market in the South Houston area. Not only did this store bring a much needed option for fresh groceries, it also brought jobs and other business opporunities to the community. Subcontractors USA met with H-E-B’s Director of Diversity & Inclusion and Supplier Diversity, James Harris to discuss the…
The Arlington, Texas, city council voted to continue its partnership with the MLB’s Texas Rangers, Loews Hotels & Co, a wholly owned subsidiary of Loews Corp., and The Cordish Cos., and is moving forward with an $810 million expansion of Arlington’s Entertainment District. The city extended the term of the district’s Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone, which will help fund improvements…
Next year could be a pivotal one for commercial construction, according to two of the industry’s top economists. The question is, though, which way will it pivot? While there are several bright spots in the U.S. economy, including low interest rates, high consumer confidence and a pickup in residential construction, some indicators are pointing to…
The Texas DOT (TxDOT) has halted design work on the $803 million replacement of the Harbor Bridge in Corpus Christi, Texas, amid reports that FIGG Bridge Engineers Inc. has been removed from the project, according to KRIS-TV. The National Transportation Safety Board last month named FIGG’s design errors as the probable cause of the deadly March 2018 pedestrian bridge…
The City of San Antonio released the first Procurement Guide today in an effort to help small, minority, and women-owned business enterprises (S/M/WBEs) navigate through the City contract bidding process. It outlines more than 300 upcoming projects among various City departments to serve as a planning tool for business owners and provide more time to…
With a mission to be a valuable change agent toward increasing contracting opportunities for historically underutilized businesses (HUBs), the University of Houston HUB program provided the chance for attendees to learn more information about key construction projects at the Construction Projects Informational Meeting held last month, which included panelists and contractors supporting the UH College…
Since 2001, Bexar County’s Small Business and Entrepreneurship Department has made it their mission to create an environment where small businesses can thrive, leading to a more sustainable economic future for Bexar County. The department works to increase small, minority and women owned business participation in county projects and procurement through public, non-profit and private…
