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A first in Texas effort is underway in the Houston area to offer a new electrician apprenticeship program for high school students in the Spring Branch Independent School District.
Reshaping the Construction Industry
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According to a recent study by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the construction industry has the 2nd highest number of Substance Use Disorder (SUD) cases at 14.3% behind the Accommodations and Food Services industry at 16.9% for those workers between 18 and 64.
August 22, 2017
On July 21, six Texas Chapters of Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) and its member companies renewed their partnership and established a two-year agreement with the Texas offices of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration of the United States Department of Labor (OSHA), in order to recognize the importance of ensuring a safe and healthy work environment in the construction industry.
August 21, 2017
This is the third and final installment in our discussion of succession, an important and relevant topic, because over the next three to five years, the majority of construction companies will experience the retirement of their baby boomers, now filling key senior leadership roles, including the CEO. We have discussed the limited options to sell their companies that most traditional building general contractors have. In almost all cases, the only option is to sell it internally it internally – to family members or to a key group of employees – or to create an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP).
August 18, 2017
Hallie Busta over at Construction Dive recently published an article entitled “Seeing the Light: How Linbeck gives shape to James Turrell’s luminous art” in which she interviews the Houston contractor Linbeck about the skill needed to meet the rigorous demands of artist James Turrell for his light exhibitions.
August 17, 2017
Each summer, MAREK honors and celebrates with their employees who have completed important training milestones during the previous year. Their 2017 Workforce Development Graduation was particularly inspiring as 11 Graduating Helpers and their Coaches, 13 Graduating Mechanics, four newly promoted Foremen, four MAREK Certified Professionals, and five WFD Field Leader Champions were recognized.
August 16, 2017
While optimism surrounding the price of oil may be waning from the beginning of 2017, the Houston construction market continues to hum along at a surprisingly steady pace – down a bit, but not as bad as expected. City of Houston permits, while not reflective of the entire metro area, show a significant drop in dollar volume for residential permits. Digging deeper, the culprit is the additions/alterations segment, down 55% from a year ago, and likely due to the drop off in the multifamily sector.
August 15, 2017
Fluor and Lane Construction are the companies that have now been chosen to work on the next phase of the high-speed rail line from Houston to Dallas known as Texas Central....
August 14, 2017
Members of ABC gathered to recognize 2017 Safety Training Evaluation Process (STEP) Award recipients. The STEP Program is a safety benchmarking and improvement tool that helps companies achieve higher safety metrics. Studies show that STEP participants are 720 percent safer than the industry average and reduced their recordable incidents by 87 percent.
August 11, 2017
I traveled to Dallas recently to talk about CEFGA’s Construction Ready Program with a group of faith-based leaders in that city. I was talking about the skilled worker shortage in Atlanta, and how as a result of the shortage, skilled workers are making great money. Then, someone shared this joke about a lawyer and a plumber ...
August 10, 2017
