Construction Industry News

ALEXANDRIA, VA. - The American Subcontractors Association (ASA) believes the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s proposed rule on occupational exposure to crystalline silica is “so fundamentally flawed” that the ASA called on OSHA to immediately withdraw it.

WASHINGTON (Feb. 12, 2014) – The growing trend of harnessing big data is expected to benefit exponentially equipment leasing and finance firms that invest in it early, according to a new research study released by the Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation (the Foundation).

(February 7, 2014) - Construction employment jumped by the largest monthly amount in nearly seven years in January, bringing industry employment to the highest level since July 2009, according to an analysis of new government data by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials noted that, at the current rate of growth, it would not take long before many firms begin having difficulty finding enough skilled workers to meet demand.

(Feb. 10, 2014) - KOBELCO Construction Machinery USA announced plans to donate $100,000 to the non-profit organization Wounded Warrior Project™ (WWP) from the sale of five KOBELCO SK350 limited edition crawler excavators designed to support our troops. One of these machines will be on display in Silver Lot Booth 4408 at ConExpo 2014 from March 4 through March 8 in Las Vegas, Nev.

Portland, Ore. (Feb. 7, 2014) – Viewpoint Construction Software has acquired Maxwell Systems, a long time provider of construction software solutions built for contractors including takeoff and estimating, project management and accounting solutions. This acquisition provides Viewpoint the opportunity to extend and increase their ability to provide contemporary and mission-critical software solutions, including estimating, to a broader construction market audience.

(Feb. 5, 2014) Construction employment expanded in 192 metro areas, declined in 84 and was stagnant in 63 between December 2012 and December 2013, according to a new analysis of federal employment data released by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials said that even with so many metro areas adding jobs for the year, only 20 metro areas topped previous construction employment peaks for the month.

(Feb. 3, 2014) - Total construction spending edged up 0.1 percent in December and rose by a modest 4.8 percent for all of 2013, as a robust market for apartments and single-family houses outweighed downturns in private nonresidential and public projects, according to an analysis of new Census Bureau data by the Associated General Contractors of America.

KANSAS CITY, MO. --- The American Public Works Association (APWA) announced that
Susan Hann, P.E., PWLF, ICMA-CM, city manager of Palm Bay, Florida and a member of the
APWA Board of Directors, has been appointed to the Board of Directors of the Institute for
Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI).

LIVONIA, MICH. (Feb. 4, 2014) - With nearly four decades of Ford Motor Company initiatives on his resume, Rob Stevens has accepted a position with ROUSH CleanTech. As the new vice president of strategy, Stevens will spearhead future product and customer strategy. He brings expertise in engineering, product and business development, alternative fuel vehicles, and fleet operations to the company.

RALEIGH, N.C. (January 31, 2014) – FMI, a provider of management consulting and investment banking* to the engineering and construction industry, has released its Q4-2013 Construction Outlook. The forecast predicts 2013 to end with 7 percent growth for the construction industry as a whole. Final statistics for construction-put-in-place will be available April 2014.

Select market predictions include the following:

(Jan. 28, 2014) - Construction firms added jobs in 34 states over the past 12 months, but construction employment declined in 32 states and the District of Columbia between November and December as many parts of the country coped with weather, according to an analysis released by the Associated General Contractors of America of Labor Department data.

Washington, D.C. (January 13, 2014) – The American Institute of Architects (AIA) announced its “punch list” for Congress that, if completed, will ignite the construction economy by spurring much needed improvements in energy efficiency, infrastructure and resiliency and create jobs for small business

Birmingham, Ala. (Jan. 13, 2014) – Brasfield & Gorrie announced that the company received honors from the Alabama Associated General Contractors (AGC) during a recent awards ceremony. AGC presented BuildSouth awards in 13 categories, of which two projects constructed by Brasfield & Gorrie were cited for excellence.

IRVINE, Calif., and PRINCETON, N.J.

WASHINGTON (January 13, 2014) — The Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA) which represents the $827 billion equipment finance sector, revealed its Top 10 Equipment Acquisition Trends for 2014. Given U.S. businesses, nonprofits and government agencies will spend in excess of $1.5 trillion in capital goods or fixed business investment (including software) this year, financing more than half of those assets, these trends impact a significant portion of the U.S. economy.

(January 10, 2014) - Construction employment declined by 16,000 in December, but the industry unemployment rate fell to 11.4 percent, according to an analysis of new government data by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials noted that the new employment data was likely impacted by cold weather but also reflects underlying weakness in the construction sector.

Arlington Heights, IL – Intertek, a leading provider of quality and safety solutions serving a wide range of industries worldwide, has completed its acquisition of Architectural Testing, Inc. (ATI), one of the largest building products testing and certification companies in North America. The acquisition recently gained regulatory approval and the transaction was finalized on December 24, 2013.

Washington, D.C. -(January 6, 2014) - The Manufacturing Institute announced they will award Afton Hollertz with the Women in Manufacturing STEP (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Production) Award. The STEP Awards honor women who have demonstrated excellence and leadership in their careers and represent all levels of the manufacturing industry.

MARLTON, N.J. and BOSTON (Jan. 7, 2014) - Hill International, a global leader in managing construction risk, announced today that it has acquired Collaborative Partners, Inc., a firm that provides project management, strategic planning and regulatory services for healthcare, life sciences, educational, commercial and residential construction projects throughout New England. Collaborative Partners, which has 20 professionals, has offices in Boston, Massachusetts and Providence, Rhode Island.

WASHINGTON (January 6, 2014) – The United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipefitting Industry (UA) and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) have reached an agreement on a landmark proposal to save energy and water in new buildings. The two organizations jointly submitted a proposal to the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) to require the insulation of hot water piping in new buildings.