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…
From response to recovery, architects can offer unique solutions for cities, towns, and villages.
On July 1, Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport is debuting their newly revised Minority/Women Business Enterprise Program, which Transitioned from an SBE Program for Construction under $1 million and Goods and Services to all local programs M/WBE “Anyone that wants to run an MWBE program needs a legal justification to have the program,” Tamela Lee, Vice…
June 2020
Port Houston, the largest port on the U.S. Gulf Coast, recently obtained its ISO 28000 recertification for its Security Management System (SMS) for the fifth time. This exceptional achievement was accomplished without any non-conformances. Port Houston in 2008 became the first port authority in the world to receive this international security designation, which outlines stringent…
William P. Hobby ranks third-best North American regional airport; Houston remains the only city in the Western Hemisphere with two four-star rated airports. Houston’s Airports shined once again at the 2020 Skytrax World Airport Awards by earning a long list of honors in various categories including World’s Top 100 Airports, Best Airport Dining, Best Airport…
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…
The Greater Houston Partnership today released a statement on behalf of its president and CEO, Bob Harvey regarding confusion surrounding Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s Texas Executive Order GA-18 and whether it calls for the return of office workers to the workplace. “We are suggesting to Houston companies that they delay the return of office workers to the…
Hurricane season officially kicked off along the Texas Gulf Coast area on June 1,2020 and runs through November 2020. And while this region has experienced many thunderstorms, major floods and hurricanes over the years that wreaked havoc, Hurricane Harvey, and its aftermath in 2017, was a wake-up call still fresh in our memory that created…
Taking advantage of 21st century technology, the Railroad Commission of Texas launched a statewide drone inspection team last month. Drones will help inspectors to quickly respond and inspect sites that are unsafe or inaccessible during emergencies such as fires, flooding and other natural disasters. Drones can also assist in situations, such as the current COVID-19 pandemic,…
Data from the Workforce Commission indicates that employment in Texas’ upstream oil and natural gas activities fell significantly in April. Compared to March 2020 levels, April upstream employment was down by 25,800 jobs. Compared to the same month in 2019, April 2020 jobs were down 47,200, or 20%. At a total of 192,600 jobs, this…
ConocoPhillips is taking steps to support and sustain its global workforce, communities and health care professionals during the coronavirus pandemic. With thousands of its people working from home and thousands more practicing social distancing in the field, the company is focused on its core job: to safely find and deliver energy to the world. “Throughout…
Small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic now have a resource for free legal advice, thanks to the Houston Small Business Legal Consultations (HSBLC) Program in collaboration with the City of Houston’s Office of Business Opportunity (OBO), Vinson & Elkins (V&E) and several private law firms. Through a network of volunteer attorneys, HSBLC will provide participants free…
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses of all sizes in nearly every sector are facing financial hardship brought on by the crisis. As the economy gradually reopens, local and state orders with restrictions on business operations have presented challenges for business continuity, especially for small to medium sized-enterprises. While legislators have made record emergency funds available through federally-backed…
NEW TECHNOLOGY ALLOWS HUMANS TO SUPERVISE AND REMOTELY ASSIST ROBOTS ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD Plus One Robotics, a leader in developing artificial intelligence (AI) and sensor technology that allows industrial robots to learn and adapt in fast-paced dynamic environments, has helped change the world since first establishing its operations on the Port campus in 2018….
The coronavirus pandemic has shocked U.S. construction into needing to adopt new technologies to maintain social distancing and monitor jobsites remotely. Those adaptations, some construction leaders say, should have been adopted in the first place, before the pandemic forced contractors to implement them. The outbreak has also forced more connection between the site and office, as most…
Mayor Sylvester Turner announced today that the City of Houston has committed to purchasing 100% renewable energy through a renewed partnership with NRG Energy as the City’s retail electric provider. As part of the contract renewal, the City will power all municipal operations with renewable energy and realize $65 million in savings over the seven-year…
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…
A brief FAQ for firms
