Reshaping the Construction Industry

Optimism abounds that the local and national economies are improving.  Signs of that recovery are seen in many parts of the Greater Houston area.  So while the future demand for construction seems to be on an upswing, finding new and replacement workers to perform the work may prove to be a difficult task.Our current reality is that our craft workforce is rapidly graying.  The average entry age of a new construction industry worker is 29, while the average age of a current worker is 47.  It is estimated that up to 20% of our industry’s current workforce will retire within the next three years.More recently, improper labor practices involving misclassifying employees as “subcontractors” has been the cause of significant deterioration in the construction industry’s image

Fredericksburg, Texas is the home to the National Museum of the Pacific War.  I visited there over Labor Day with my Marine friend and architect and was amazed with the history lesson presented in the exhibits and relics from the Pacific Theater of World War II.  Much of the lessons presented there have been lost in the rhetoric of politics in the country and around the world, but the role of the construction industry and factory workers who supplied the armies, navies and air forces of that war are almost unbelievable.  There are examples like the Japanese minisub that was retrieved from Pearl Harbor, tanks, and artillery that were built by the thousands and shipped around the world.  There are planes like the B-25 that were created and built by welders, sheet metal workers, and electricians in a time frame that would make most of us shake our heads.Not only did the construction workers build them, they maintained them and salvaged the parts to keep them moving and flying.  

Last week’s landfall of Hurricane Isaac is a stark reminder of something we’ve reported on extensively at Construction Citizen: There are many unscrupulous contractors out there who won’t wait a second to take advantage during a crisis.The damage from Isaac could cost as much as $1.5 billion, according to a catastrophe modeling company, EQECAT Incorporated.  Many people who live in Louisiana and Mississippi will need extensive work done on their homes and some might have to completely rebuild.  The New Orleans Times-Picayune is already reporting that contractors are moving into St. Tammany Parish, for example, looking for work after the hurricane.  Some, but not all, of these contractors are what my friend Jim Kollaer calls “The gypsies.”  These are the folks who swoop in, do shoddy work, then disappear never to be heard from again.Several things the St. Tammany Parish is telling people to do if they need repair work following the hurricane:  

On June 23, a crowd consisting of volunteers, civic groups, local politicians, veterans, and other well-wishers waited expectantly for the arrival of Lance Corporal Daniel Peterson who was to be presented with the keys to his new home.  The home was built by volunteers coordinated by Homes for our Troops, a national organization that coordinates donations and volunteers to build homes for veterans with serious disabilities and injuries.  LCpl Peterson lost both of his legs in Afghanistan after a bomb explosion interrupted his Special Forces Team’s return to base, hurling Peterson more than ten feet in the air.The day began with a parade down the small residential street lined with the parked vehicles of the large crowd.  Cub Scouts from Den 12 of Magnolia, Texas led the procession with a giant “Welcome Home” banner and a bugle accompaniment.