Jim Kollaer's blog

By now, most of the construction companies in the US are hiring and training Millennials (born 1981-1993). [node:read-more:link]

Dan Bellow, President of JLL Houston, was the keynote speaker at the annual AGC meeting held at the Briar Club in Houston on February 6, 2019. The audience, filled with construction company and industry leaders from throughout the Houston region, were treated to an outstanding talk on leadership. [node:read-more:link]

Three Texas metro areas – Houston, Dallas/Fort Worth, and Austin – placed one, two, and nine on the rankings of the value of new 2018 construction starts of the top 51 United States cities according to a recent article in Daily Commercial News. [node:read-more:link]

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration released a Final Rule on the electronic reporting of jobsite illness and injury designed to rescind the requirements for establishments of 250 employees or more. [node:read-more:link]

Last month, the TJPA approved the further review of all design and shop drawings as a precautionary measure to determine whether there are additional locations in the 1.2 million square foot facility where similar conditions might occur. [node:read-more:link]

I recently sat down with Bobby Williams, CEO of United Tool and Fastener (UTF), to better understand the operations, business philosophy, and overall values for the company that operates in Houston, College Station and San Antonio, but who can deliver the right tools and fasteners to his customer’s jobsite anywhere they are needed. [node:read-more:link]

Companies were allegedly set up under names and with owners who had no experience in running a company but who were coached and given contracts and employment documents allegedly by Power Design. They, in turn, provided workers who allegedly worked for Power Design as independent contractors for sub-par wages and with none of the protections provided to Power Design’s jobsite superintendents and foreman on the same jobs. [node:read-more:link]

The 5th Circuit Court in New Orleans just ruled that the “controlling employer” (read that the General Contractor) on a multi-employer” jobsite is responsible for subcontractor-created OSHA violations on the jobsite. That ruling, as it stands, creates additional risk for the GC on the jobsite. [node:read-more:link]

Looking back at the “Great Recession” of 2007-2009, most of us are still smarting and looking over our shoulders even though the economy and the industry have recovered, and business is thriving. But we all know that labor shortages and the demand, while strong, will cycle as it has for the last 100 years. [node:read-more:link]

The use of drones is described as having the potential impact that the introduction of the internet did to the world. That is noteworthy. So, consider this as another “Heads Up” about the future of our cities, your businesses and even the way you live. [node:read-more:link]