Construction Industry News

During the month of October, you can see for yourself during the ‘Dream It. Do It.’ Minnesota Statewide Tour of Manufacturing. During the statewide event, businesses open their doors for tours during Minnesota Manufacturing Week. Details here. 

In construction, conflict over data ownership and transparency often results in duplicate data entry and negative impacts to productivity. A new study by Dodge Data & Analytics in collaboration with construction technology provider e-Builder, a Trimble Company, reveals the unintended consequences of increased adoption of project management software by project owners and the impact it has when contractors use their own, disconnected software workflows. Details here.

Bidder, the California-based technology startup that connects Latino immigrant workers with United States construction jobs was recently selected by Techcrunch as a Top Pick in Social Impact for 2019. The company has recently expanded their altruism portfolio by hiring remote account managers in a country where its citizens live under a dictatorship, have little to no access to jobs, and are fleeing at alarming rates. Details here. 

United Rentals Inc. today announced Mick Ebeling, Founder and chief executive officer, Not Impossible Labs, and Paul McDonnell, executive vice president and chief commercial officer, United Rentals, as keynote speakers at the 2019 Total Control & Innovation Conference, an event for executives and professionals in the construction and industrial sectors. Details here. 

Drop in public works following a strong July breaks the three-month string of total construction gains. Details here. 

Design billings may be down, but jobs are another story. According to the AGC’s analysis of U.S. Labor Department data, construction jobs increased in 39 states from August 2018 to August 2019, and in 29 states from July to August of this year. Details here. 

Federal funding for fiscal year 2019 ends September 30. Luckily, a Senate committee recently approved the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (T-HUD) appropriations legislation, which would allow for $86.6 billion in transportation spending. Where’s it all going? Find out here. 

AIA 2018 President Carl Elefante, FAIA, says drastic changes to the built environment are needed to support climate action goals. Find details on his presentation here. 

The Monthly Confidence Index for the Equipment Finance Industry is designed to collect leadership data, the index reports a qualitative assessment of both the prevailing business conditions and expectations for the future as reported by key executives from the $1 trillion equipment finance sector. Overall, confidence in the equipment finance market is 54.7, a decrease from the August index of 58.9. Details here. 

Simpson Gumpertz & Heger’s all-day technical event convenes architecture, engineering and construction thought leaders to discuss resilient and better-performing buildings, infrastructure, and communities. Details here. 

Microsol Resources will host a half day program of architectural, engineering and construction (AEC) industry thought leaders. Details on the conference here. 

The Marcum Commercial Construction Index for the second quarter of 2019 reports construction spending slowing as the economy signals confusion and indecisiveness. Report details here.

StonePoint Materials LLC (StonePoint) has announced the acquisition of Standard Gravel Company LLC (Standard). Standard is a leading regional producer of sand and gravel serving eastern Louisiana and southern Mississippi from four active mine sites. Acquisition details here. 

Universal Forest Products Inc. (UFP) has announced that one of its affiliates acquired Hartford, Wisconsin-based Pallet USA LLC. The acquisition expands UFP’s industrial product capacity and services in the Midwest. Details here.

The American Wood Council (AWC) released an updated version of its free Connection Calculator based on the provisions the National Design Specification (NDS) for Wood Construction as referenced in the 2015 International Building Code.The updated calculator includes cross-laminated timber (CLT) connection provisions and post-frame ring shank nails.

Ware Malcomb, an international design firm, announced it has once again been recognized on the “2019 Inc. 5000,” Inc. Magazine’s annual list of the fastest-growing private companies in America.  Details here. 

One of the categories of the competition is focused on rewarding the “Major Project of the Year” (over €500M). Amongst the eight projects submitted for this category, the panel of judges identified four finalists that seem to pursue one common goal: managing urban expansion. Global growth impacts large-scale urban regions, in particular their attractiveness. Project details here. 

Energy efficiency is the fastest-growing segment of U.S. energy-sector employment, now employing more than 2.3 million Americans, according to a new analysis from E4TheFuture and the national, nonpartisan business group E2 (Environmental Entrepreneurs). Energy efficiency workers now account for 28% of all U.S. energy jobs. Details here.