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A shortage of skilled labor along the Gulf Coast inspired global engineering construction company Fluor to open a craft training facility near Houston, where students are trained at no cost to them.
Reshaping the Construction Industry
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The following article originally appeared in the May newsletter to clients of Kiley Advisors, LLC. Reprinted with permission.“Culture eats strategy for breakfast.”That statement, attributed to the late Peter Drucker, Founding Dean of the Management Consulting Profession, is never truer than at this very time. Only companies with strong, value-based, magnetic cultures will be the big winners in the business environment that is becoming more evident every day. There is an intense war for talent, and there is a relentless march of technology. Smart companies will have smart people empowered with smart technologies, working in teams, to achieve superior performance targets.So what are the elements of a culture, in light of both the present and the future market conditions, that are proven to attract, retain, develop and excel? Valid research is now confirming the building blocks. First, winning cultures are based on values that stem from deeply held core beliefs about the value of people, the treatments of clients and all building partners, and the obligation of the company to the industry and community.
May 16, 2016
Hi there. The Chamberlin Man here.When you have an MVP on your team, you win. That’s why we’re especially proud to call Chamberlin Roofing Superintendent Curtis Purvis one of our very own.At the recent National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA) annual convention, Curtis was named one of the Roofing Industry’s MVPs. As if that wasn’t exciting enough, he also took home the industry’s top honor – the “Best of the Best” MVP award. To be clear, the Best of the Best award is given to only one professional in the country. Our guy, Curtis, was named the “top gun” of our industry. Pretty nifty!Curtis is truly a role model who demonstrates work-related and personal goals to which others aspire. That’s what being an MVP is all about.Curtis was kind enough to share the spotlight with a couple other exciting wins for Chamberlin as a whole. The company received two Gold Circle awards, both for our work at Dallas Love Field. We received an honorable mention in Outstanding Workmanship, Low Slope category and also the highly sought after Gold Circle Safety Award. As the only winner for safety, we’re especially proud of
May 13, 2016
Watch video interviews of Dickinson (Texas) High School students who have completed courses in welding and are preparing to graduate and pursue careers in the construction industry.
May 12, 2016
Employment stalls in April but remains strong year-over-year; spending rises in MarchEditor’s note: Construction Citizen is proud to partner with AGC America to bring you AGC Chief Economist Ken Simonson's Data DIGest. Check back each week to get Ken's expert analysis of what's happening in our industry.Nonfarm payroll employment in April increased by 160,000, seasonally adjusted, from March and by 2,682,000 (1.9%) over 12 months, and the unemployment rate held steady at 5.0%, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported on Friday. Construction employment rose by 1,000 for the month (to 6,670,000) and by 261,000 (4.1%) year-over-year (y/y). Industry employment reached the highest level since December 2008.
May 11, 2016
I recently wrote about the technologies that are disrupters and in the early stages of development. One of the first that we will see in the construction industry is 3D printing.Most forward thinking contractors and subs are becoming aware of this phrase while designers are incorporating 3D printing into their designs in other parts of the globe. We wrote about the 3D printed houses in China, but that is not the only place where the leadership intends to incorporate this disrupter into their way of life.One key country that intends to embrace 3D printing is the UAE, specifically Dubai, and the leadership there is making a giant leap to incorporate the technology, as Inside 3D has reported, Sheikh Mohammed has announced the Dubai Future Agenda.
May 10, 2016
The following article originally appeared in the May newsletter to clients of Kiley Advisors, LLC for the purpose of providing the latest leading indicators and industry issues to those clients. Reprinted with permission.When asked how much further the rig count will drop, the running joke is that we think it won’t go negative. Now at over a 75% decline, both nationally and in Texas, from September 2014 (pictured right) the current rig count reflects the complete reversal of the oil and gas industry dynamics from less than two years ago.Dr. Bill Gilmer, Director of the Institute for Regional Forecasting, noted that in the last seven quarters, Houston has been hit much harder and faster, when compared to the five years in the 1980’s (1982-1986) when oil last saw a comparable downturn. The difference? Saudi Arabia’s behavior. :
May 09, 2016
Marek Division President John Hinson shares an inspiring message about hard work and appreciation.
May 06, 2016
One of the organizations we’re proud to partner with at Construction Citizen is Neighborhood Centers in Houston, where they’ve now officially launched a new workforce initiative aimed at helping 1,000 people find living wage, middle-skill jobs. Those are good-paying careers that require more than a high school diploma or its equivalent but less than a four-year degree.The initiative, called ASPIRE, is already connecting people with various training programs. Some of those programs include a cost for the student but others don't cost anything for the individual. Many of the applicants so far are making around $13 to $15 per hour with the goal of transitioning to around $21 per hour.The official kickoff was last Wednesday when JPMorgan Chase President and CEO Jamie Dimon visited Houston to present Neighborhood Centers with a check for $1 million.
May 05, 2016
According to Construction Dive, CNBC reports that Goldman Sachs recently released a report that states that in the residential construction industry, there is no labor shortage. In fact, the report says that since the payroll labor rates have not gone up at high enough rates to meet their criteria, there is no shortage at all."Economics 101 would suggest that, if labor shortages did in fact exist, upward pressure on wages would be more pronounced and payroll growth would be anemic," the report said. "Therefore, the evidence from the industry-level employment and wage data does not support the existence of labor shortages in the construction sector."The post points to a report from John Burns Consulting, which surveyed over 100 homebuilders, which states, according to both CNBC and Construction Dive, that the lackluster performance is due to the lack of available development land and major delays in obtaining construction permits.
May 04, 2016
