Helen Callier, who recently served as Emcee for the first annual Harris County Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) Summit with SBA Houston, is expanding PermitUsNow’s position in theconstruction industry. As President of the firm, Callier uses PermitUsNow, an industry recognized building permit expediting firm helping architects, contractors, and project owners, to save time and…
By Helen Callier, Contributing Writer We have all heard the phrase, “Time is money,” at some point and may have experienced delays that punched holes in a project’s budget. In the construction industry, time is crucial – especially when pulling building permits. Getting a permit can be cumbersome and time-consuming, so it’s crucial for contractors…
A construction contract is the foundation of any construction project. But a foundation is only as strong as the ground it is built on. Documents that are incorporated by reference into your contract may lead to unknown risks that are only unearthed when claims or disputes flare-up, or worse, in litigation. Executing a contract without…
When it comes to general contractors and payment applications, “technology” and “collaboration” may not be the first words that come to mind. As the construction industry continues to innovate, we’ve found that technology solutions are doing more than just make certain processes easier. Below we highlight four ways we’ve seen innovative technology platforms influence team…
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Better Business Bureau, North Central Texas have partnered to promote workplace rights and responsibilities of members and employees. OSHA’s Dallas and Fort Worth area offices and the Better Business Bureau have signed an alliance to educate employers and employees on workplace hazards. The…
The U.S. Department of Labor recently announced that its Occupational Safety and Health Administration is inviting the public and workplace safety stakeholders to share their comments on how the agency can best honor companies who make exceptional commitments to workplace safety and health and encourage others to follow. Established in 1982, OSHA’s Voluntary Protection Program…
For solid and consistent business success in a competitive construction market, it’s vital that you remain aware of statistics and data. These recent findings highlight the state of construction around Texas and our nation, which will prove valuable in your decision-making when it comes to partnerships, certifications, and expansion efforts. Whether you are a general…
NES Fircroft recently released its annual Women in Energy Global Study. More than 2,400 energy professionals participated in the online survey which explores women’s roles and status in the industry as it undergoes a period of significant change, the barriers women face, and what they need to succeed. The data provides a critical guide…
A familiar face is CapMetro’s new President and CEO. Dottie Watkins, a lifelong Austinite, will lead the agency following a recent vote by the Board of Directors. She had served as interim CEO since June 2022, while a nationwide search was conducted. Watkins first joined CapMetro in 1994, working as a part-time shuttle bus operator…
The United States Department of Transportation recently announced the City of Houston will receive $28.79 million in federal funding through the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant program for the Bissonnet Corridor Safe Streets Project. The funding will support a seven-mile rehabilitation of Bissonnet Street from South Dairy Ashford Road to Hillcroft Avenue….
The Houston Ship Channel expansion project, also known as Project 11, continues to make significant progress. Port officials announced that dredging of the first segment extending from Bolivar Roads to Redfish, known as Segment 1A, is complete. The work was completed on schedule and on budget. Project 11’s Segment 1A constitutes eleven and a half…
SERJobs has become the leader and set a high standard for workforce development organizations. Through its comprehensive service model, strong employer and community partnerships, and diverse group of stakeholders, they continue to expand its footprint in the community. A five-year partner with SERJobs, MCA Communications, Inc. remains active and diligent in collaborating with SERJobs to…
Results from The American Institute of Architects (AIA) fourth quarter Home Design Trends Survey revealed a slump in new affordable housing construction and multi-generational housing popularity. Other trends suggest consumers’ interest in communities designed sustainably is growing. The latest survey results—focusing on neighborhood design—found that popularity for higher-density development and mixed-use facilities continued to flourish…
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) commends the Biden Administration for developing the first-ever Federal Building Performance Standard, setting an ambitious goal to cut energy use and electrify equipment and appliances in 30 percent of the building space owned by the Federal government by 2030. “The AIA supports the Council on Environmental Quality’s (CEQ) Federal…
Construction contractors are less optimistic about many private-sector segments than they were a year ago, but their expectations for the public sector market have remained relatively bullish, according to survey results released recently by the Associated General Contractors of America and Sage. The findings are detailed in High Hopes for Public Sector Funding Amid Workforce…
Plunging prices for diesel fuel, lumber, and steel cooled inflation for materials and services used in construction in December, but relief may be short-lived, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of government data released today. Association officials noted that contractors listed material costs as one of their top concerns in…
CPS Energy, the largest municipally owned, fully-integrated electric and natural gas utility in the United States, formally launched a Request for Proposals (RFP) as the company seeks new technology platforms to better serve customers and employees. The RFP seeks vendor(s) to replace its current company-wide Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software platforms, including Software as a…
ExxonMobil recently announced the successful startup of one of the largest advanced recycling facilities in North America. The facility at the company’s integrated manufacturing complex in Baytown, Texas, uses proprietary technology to break down hard-to-recycle plastics and transform them into raw materials for new products. It is capable of processing more than 80 million pounds…
Heven Adugna aims high. She aspires to become a pediatrician, and as a seventh-grade student, she knows that science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) will help her reach that goal. However, women—and particularly Black, Indigenous, and all girls of color—are largely underrepresented in STEM fields and often marginalized from taking part in STEM education at…
Houston wears the crown of America’s most diverse city, with ties that stretch to all corners of the world. But the international metropolis is on a quest for another title: the country’s most diverse, inclusive, and equitable city for business. Terence Baptiste, supplier diversity advisor at Chevron, is one of the architects of this vision…
