Journals

Forty-Three States & D.C. Add Construction Jobs During the Past Year, but Only 22 States Added Construction Jobs Between April & May Amid Labor and Supply Shortages

Forty-three states and the District of Columbia added construction jobs during the past twelve months, but momentum slowed in May with only 22 states adding jobs, according to a new analysis of federal employment data released by the Associated General Contractors of America today. Association officials said the monthly employment gains lagged in May as…

Contractors’ Bid Prices Finally Match Runup in Materials Prices, but Continuing Cost Increases Will Maintain Pressure on Profit Margins

Contractors’ bid prices for constructing new nonresidential buildings finally caught up with soaring costs for the materials and services they buy in May, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of government data released today. Association officials cautioned that contractors will have a hard time keeping pace with additional price spikes…

Recurrent Energy Expands ERCOT Storage Pipeline With Acquisition of 400 MWh of Standalone Storage Projects Under Development

Recurrent Energy, LLC (“Recurrent”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Canadian Solar Inc. (“Canadian Solar”) (NASDAQ: CSIQ), recently announced the acquisition of two standalone energy storage projects from Black Mountain Energy Storage (BMES). The projects, which are in the South Load Zone of the Texas ERCOT market, are each anticipated to store up to 200 MWh of…

San Antonio Energy Company Is Committed To Partnering With Local, Small, and Diverse Vendors

CPS Energy, by way of its electric and natural gas service contract with the General Service Administration (GSA) in Washington D.C., is a federal contractor. Consequently, they are required to report their contracting activity with large, small, minority, service-disabled, veteran, historically underutilized, HUBZone, and women-owned businesses. If your company is interested in becoming a registered…

ISSUE 76

July 2022

KNS Industrial Supply Expands With New Office in Houston, TX

Texas is home to 3 million businesses with 99.8% of those being small businesses, and 1.25 million are women-owned (Texas Governor’s Commission for Women). Recent statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau highlight veteran-owned businesses made up about 5.9% (337,934) of all businesses, with an estimated $947.7 billion in receipts, approximately 3.9 million employees, and about…

Constru Bringing Breakthrough AI Construction Technologies to U.S. Market

Constru, a leader in breakthrough computer vision technology for the construction sector, recently announced its entrance into the U.S. market with the opening of a new headquarters in Chicago as well as offices in New York, Boston, San Francisco, and Austin. The U.S. expansion is led by Constru Chief Revenue Officer Jessica Herrala, a 25-year…

Texas Instruments Breaks Ground on New 300-MM Semiconductor Wafer Fabrication Plants in Sherman, Texas

“Today is an important milestone as we lay the groundwork for the future growth of semiconductors in electronics to support our customers’ demand for decades to come,” Templeton said. “Since our founding more than 90 years ago, we’ve operated with a passion to create a better world by making electronics more affordable through semiconductors. TI…

HCC’s Continuing Education Classes for Oil & Gas Professionals

The Houston Community College School of Continuing Education faculty and staff are committed to providing outstanding instruction and services to the community in areas such as business, languages, industrial technology & energy, information technology, construction, manufacturing, transportation, public safety, and health. HCC is proud of the expertise its faculty brings to the classroom. Whether changing…

Texas Oil and Natural Gas Producers Are Paying Record Amounts in Production Taxes

Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar’s recently released tax collections data reveals that Texas oil and natural gas producers are paying record amounts in production taxes to the State of Texas. According to the Comptroller’s data, in April, Texas oil producers paid a record $666 million to the state in oil production taxes, the highest amount in…

New Oil and Gas Monitoring and Enforcement Plan Approved for Fiscal Year 2023

In the coming fiscal year beginning in September, the Railroad Commission will continue its strong work to improve transparency and build upon efforts that protect public safety and the environment in its oversight of the oil and gas industry. Commissioners recently approved the Fiscal Year 2023 Oil and Gas Monitoring and Enforcement Plan, which outlines…

Permit Stuck in Concrete? 5 Tips to Crack the Permitting Code

Let’s say that you have a big customer that you have been waiting to work with for a long time. You finally sold this customer and landed your first project. You meet with your customer to go over their plans, timeline, budget constraints, etc. and you see that all the documents appear to be acceptable…

US Department of Labor Announces $11.7M Funding Availability of Susan Harwood Training Grants for Workplace Safety, Health Hazards Training

The U.S. Department of Labor recently announced a funding opportunity for $11.7 million in Susan Harwood Training Grants to support the delivery of training and education to help workers and employers identify and prevent workplace safety and health hazards. Administered by the department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the grants will target disadvantaged, underserved, low-income,…

US Department of Labor, West Texas Safety Training Center Renew Alliance, Commit To Keeping Permian Basin Workers Safe

OSHA and West Texas Safety Training Center Inc. have renewed a three-year alliance putting continued emphasis on construction hazards, and the overall safety and health of workers in the oil and gas industry. Specifically, the alliance will ensure information, guidance, and training resources are provided to students sent to the center by the industry and…

Doing Business With CapMetro

CapMetro has established a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program in accordance with regulations of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), 49 CFR Part 26. CapMetro’s overall DBE goal for FY2020-22 is 19% of the Federal financial assistance expended in DOT-assisted contracts, exclusive of FTA funds to be used for the purchase of transit vehicles. It…

Corpus Christi Regional Transportation Authority Proposed Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Overall Goal for Federal Fiscal Years 2023 – 2025

Corpus Christi Regional Transportation Authority (CCRTA) submitted the following Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) overall goal and methodology for Federal Fiscal Years (FFY) 2023-2025 to Federal Transit Administration (FTA) for review in accordance with 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 26.45. Small businesses should take heed to this information, as it opens doors for contractors…

Current Bidding Opportunities With METRO

PROJECT DESCRIPTION ANTICIPATED LETTING DATE ANTICIPATED PROJECT VALUE (ESTIMATED) ANTICIPATED SBE % UNIVERSITY CORRIDOR BRT Q3 2024 – Q3 2025 $1.5B – $2B 35% INNER KATY BRT Q3 2024 $350M – $400M 35% WEST BELFORT PARK AND RIDE AND PARKING STRUCTURE Q3 2022 $60M – $70M 35% NORTHLINE TRANSIT CENTER PARKING STRUCTURE Q4 2022 $35M…

Leadership Programs for Architects

To meet the complex demands of this fast-paced environment, leadership is the most critical component for success. Through seminars, workshops, certificate programs, and online resources, the AIA prepares architects and emerging professionals to advance the architecture profession. Whether you are a partner in a large firm, an emerging professional in your first project management role,…

Construction Employment Exceeds Pre-Pandemic Peak in 32 States in April, but Record High Job Openings Threaten Further Job Gains

Construction employment exceeded pre-pandemic levels in 32 states in April, according to a new analysis of federal employment data released by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials cautioned however that record-high job opening levels in the construction sector indicate that many firms are having a hard time finding workers to hire, putting future…

New Report Explores Architect, Contractor Relationship

A study published recently by the American Institute of Architects (AIA), in partnership with the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC), sheds new light on the relationship between architects and contractors and the needs of both professions. The fifth edition of The Architect’s Journey to Specification focuses on improving the working relationship between architects and…