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…
A new study has found that slow payments are costing general contractors and subcontractors $64 billion a year. This is a $24 billion increase from the 2018 study from construction finance platform Rabbet, formerly Contract Simply, as the company added general contractors to the respondent mix. Rabbet conducted the study in partnership with Procore Technologies and found that the 51-day…
A new study from Dodge Data & Analytics and Sevan Multi-Site Solutions found that owners and contractors don’t see eye to eye about key factors of how a successful multi-site construction campaign plays out, though a positive relationship stemmed from solid communication is the single most important factor. A multi-site project entails an owner orchestrating work…
Off-site construction isn’t necessarily new. But new products and techniques are helping to improve housing construction. And the primary disruptor in home building — a lack of skilled labor — is prompting today’s builders to turn to alternative methods. The result is a ripple effect leading to additional disruptors in how homes are built. “Off-site…
Each year, state and local governments spend more than $250 billion on the construction of roads, schools and other public infrastructure. Construction companies sometimes see government contracting as prohibitively competitive and believe the pay is low and the bid requirements are too time- and effort-consuming. But this is not the case, and should not hold construction…
Effective Aug. 19, the Small Business Administration (SBA) is raising its monetary-based small business size standards for inflation by an average of 8.4%, an adjustment that the administration expects will allow 90,000 additional companies to participate in its loan and contracting programs. The SBA said that this increase could result in $750 million more total contracts awarded…
In my world, I’m often asked for a list of “best practices” when estimating or managing a construction project. Here are some thoughts, based on personal experience and discussions I’ve had with other folks in the industry. The short answer is that there is no treasure trove of definitive answers to this question. Best practices are…
Modular construction is known for shaving time from construction schedules and reducing project budgets. But in the case of the $10 billion ExxonMobil-SABIC ethane steam cracker and plastics plant in Corpus Christi, Texas, it looks like it is also going to do away with some jobs as well. After the two energy giants announced the project a…
