Articles

  • Top contractors partner with AI firm to prevent jobsite accidents before they happen

    Following up on a study in which Smartvid.io’s artificial intelligence engine “Vinnie” learned from contractor Suffolk’s data to predict roughly one in five safety incidents with 81% accuracy, nine major construction firms are partnering with the software company to further develop predictive analytics and therefore prevent incidents and reduce risk across the industry, according to a Smartvid announcement from…

  • Five Practical Tips to Punt Frustrations and Obtain Your Building Permit

    While on an elevator the other day at one of the jurisdictions in Texas, I noticed a Contractor looking flustered attempting to review some documents.  I said, “hang in there” as he replied that he was bouncing around from floor-to-floor and was determined to make progress in obtaining his permit as he was behind schedule…

  • Debt Collection, Part 2: Collecting the Debt

    Well, you know what they say about the best laid plans. You carried out the due diligence and performed all of the required background checks, application steps, and safety protocols before extending credit. Now that individual has balked on payments, so it’s time to step up your game. In Part 1, Reducing Your Risk, we…

  • 5 Reasons Why Construction Companies Need a CRM Today

    Technology is rapidly changing the game in the construction industry, and the firms who are paying attention and embracing the change will be the ones who win. KPMG’s annual report, “Building a technology advantage — Global Construction Survey” reports that 55 percent feel the industry is ripe for change with 74 percent of respondents saying…

  • Mayor Turner Creates Smart Cities Council to Speed Tech Adoption

    Mayor Sylvester Turner established a Smart City Advisory Council this week comprised of city and regional partners. The council was announced at a smart city planning workshop hosted by the Greater Houston Partnership. The advisory council is charged with engaging community stakeholders, governments, academia and industry to develop a roadmap that will speed the adoption…

  • CONSTRUCTION EMPLOYMENT INCREASES IN 44 STATES FROM JANUARY 2018 TO JANUARY 2019; 33 STATES ADD JOBS IN LATEST MONTH AS ASSOCIATION CALLS FOR INVESTMENT IN TRAINING

    Forty-four states added construction jobs between January 2018 and January 2019, while 33 states added construction jobs between December and January, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of Labor Department data released today. Association officials cautioned that the employment gains may not last without an increase in the number of…

  • Let’s Keep it Complicated

    Equity. Diversity. Inclusion. I heard these powerful, complicated words reduced to the acronym “EDI” for the first time last week at a meeting — and while this signal of ubiquitous discussion encourages me, I felt the abbreviation packages them up a little too neatly. What does it mean for an organization to value diversity? How…

  • Texas high-speed train named top global infrastructure project

    The Texas high-speed train has been named among the top global infrastructure projects by CG/LA, a national infrastructure advocacy group, in its 2019 Strategic 100 Global Infrastructure Report. Designed to identify projects with the most potential opportunity in the upcoming year, the CG/LA reports select projects with widespread benefits and strategic importance in 30 targeted…

  • $12B Texas bullet train construction could start this year

    Texas Central Partners could begin construction on its $12 billion Dallas-to-Houston high-speed rail project in late 2019 or early 2020, according to The Houston Chronicle. The developer also has tentative plans for a midway stop near Texas A&M University in College Station or Bryan. The bullet train will be modeled after Japan’s Shinkansen high-speed train…

  • Bullet train takes aim at traffic and dangerous roads

    Texas’ high-speed train ended 2018 with remarkable progress, putting Houston and the rest of the state another step closer to a dynamic and much-needed transportation choice. It is estimated that more than 1,100 people are moving to this great state every day, drawn by our economic dynamism and ability to elevate problem-solvers willing to take on the…

  • SMALL BUSINESSES BENEFIT THROUGH PORT CAPITAL PROJECTS FORUM

    More than 150 local small business representatives attended the port’s Small Business Capital Improvement Projects and Subcontracting Opportunities Forum. Port Houston’s small business development program was created to provide opportunities for local small businesses to participate in contracting and procurement at the port. Key goals of the program are economic development, sustainability and growth of…

  • NEW PORT DISPATCH CENTER EQUIPPED FOR ECONOMIC BOON IN FREEPORT FREEPORT, TEXAS

    A new port dispatch center could prove to have an invaluable economic impact on Freeport area jobs, the local shipping industry and beyond. The Port Freeport Commission voted unanimously to approve a contract for pilot dispatch services with Fort Velasco Signal Station, LLC for monitoring and managing the ship traffic coming in and out of…

  • U.S. Department of Labor Provides Compliance Assistance Resources to Protect Workers from Falls

    The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has developed a collection of compliance assistance resources to address falls in the workplace, the leading cause of worker fatality in the construction industry. OSHA’s goal is to promote awareness about common fall hazards in construction, educate job creators and workers on fall prevention,…

  • Safety professionals: Wearables can help mitigate the effects of jobsite fatigue

    The American Society of Safety Professionals Foundation has released the results of a three-year study on worker fatigue that indicates that wearable technology could play a role in both better defining the problem of overtired workers and increasing safety on the job. In “Advancing Safety Surveillance Using Individualized Sensor Technology (ASSIST): Final Progress Report,” the…

  • FIVE TIPS TO ASSIST CONTRACTORS IN OBTAINING THE NEXT BUILDING PERMIT

    By: Helen Callier When faced with repeated delays in obtaining city building permits, do you continue to go back and forth to meet with the Plan Reviewers in hopes that today will be the magical day?  Do you scratch your head and wonder what the notice on the website means when it says 15-day plan…

  • A DATA TRANSFORMATION IN AMERICA’S ENERGY FRONTIER

    Welcome to the oilfield of the future, where wells across hundreds of miles communicate with each other and operators can rely on data-driven insights and real-time automation to make faster, smarter decisions. Often found in remote corners of the world, these fields of the future will rely on a similar digital network that everyday consumers…

  • Debt Collection, Part 1: Reducing Your Risk

    It’s been three months and your client still hasn’t paid his overdue bill for the work you performed. What do you do now? Fortunately, the State of Texas has laws in place that protect business owners, allowing you to collect on a debt, but only when the proper protocols are followed. The Cromeens Law Firm…