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Construction, Architecture, and Engineering professionals from the greater Houston area gathered on February 24 to celebrate the charity’s growth and success this school year for the Building Blocks Breakfast. The ACE Mentor Houston’s annual breakfast was host to over 85 guests – including sponsors, mentors, family, friends, and educators – where the announcement of the “Mentor of the Year,” “Rookie Mentor of the Year” and Winner of the “Carrie Arnold-Gutierrez Leadership Award” as well as a State of ACE announcement and panelist discussion took place.
Reshaping the Construction Industry
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The team at Software Advice, a construction management software advisory firm, has sent along the results of their 2014 survey of potential buyers of construction software who contacted them for advice during the year. While not a scientific survey, the anecdotal results are revealing.According to Forrest Burnson at Software Advice, "The most important thing that construction professionals need to realize is that the software they use is a tool; like any other tool, it's better to invest in something that adequately suits the user's needs and is well-made and reliable. I think a lot of construction firm owners experience a degree of sticker shock when they're looking to deploy specialized construction software, and that's understandable—if they're graduating from using QuickBooks or Microsoft Office, then the cost can seem excessive at first. But once they see how that specialized software not only saves them time, but also improves their bids and estimates and keeps them more organized, then it's easier for them to justify the investment. To put it another way: Few construction firms who deploy specialized software solutions ever go back to doing things the old-fashioned way."
March 25, 2015
Construction firms and labor advocates alike have now told state lawmakers they are in favor of a proposal under consideration at the Texas Capitol to create a searchable database of employers convicted of stealing the wages of their workers.Rep. Mary González, D-Clint, told the Texas House Business and Industry Committee during a public hearing that the current version of her legislation, House Bill 94, is the result of collaboration with business interests, workers’ rights advocates and Republican lawmakers who want to protect ethical employers and workers as well.Former Republican Rep. John Davis, R-Clear Lake, helped the El Paso-area Democrat craft this legislation along with Rep. Cecil Bell, R-Magnolia, and Rep. Jim Murphy, R-Houston."Wage theft is bad for good business," González said.
March 24, 2015
Construction employment rises in most states, metros in February; housing starts fallEditor’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.Click here to register for a free webcast, "Will Construction Pick Up the Pace or the Pieces?" featuring Ken Simonson presented by CMD.Seasonally adjusted construction employment increased in 43 states and the District of Columbia from January 2014 to January 2015 and decreased in seven states, an AGC analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data released on Tuesday showed. Texas again added the most jobs (49,600 jobs, 7.9%), followed by California (37,800 jobs, 5.7%), Florida (31,800 jobs, 8.3%%), Washington (17,300 jobs, 11.1%) and New York (16,400 jobs, 5.0%). North Dakota (13.4%, 4,300 jobs) again added the highest percentage of construction jobs, followed by Idaho (12.7%, 4,400 jobs), Washington and Colorado (9.8%, 13,500 jobs).
March 23, 2015
The following article originally appeared in the March 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.As Pat Kiley mentioned in his article Interval Training – Is It Good For Construction Companies?, the Houston construction market is entering a slowdown period. This slowdown is due to the unsustainably high levels of 2014, the lower oil prices, and the lower job and population outlook going forward. However, Houston IS still growing, albeit at a slower pace. We are not experiencing a recession, but rather an extended period of slower growth than we have become accustomed to.
March 20, 2015
New York City has one of the most recognizable skylines in the world. Its record breaking number of towering buildings packed tightly together are like no other major city. While they may no longer be the tallest in the world, their architectural feats have shaped the design and construction of today’s skyscrapers. They are a daily background to the famous hustle and bustle of New York City life. The iconic yellow taxi cabs navigate the city, while world leaders in finance, technology, entertainment, and fashion commute to work. Jessica Minh Anh, entrepreneur and model, has highlighted some of the world’s most famous buildings and structures with fashion. Teaming together with some of today’s most haute couture designers, she has used these renowned wonders as a catwalk. In the past, she has soared above the streets of Paris on the Eiffel Tower, promenaded over the London Tower Bridge, and cruised the Costa Atlantica in Dubai. In 2014, she walked the 63rd floor of the new One World Trade Center, also known as the Freedom Tower, in New York City.Thursday, she returned to the Big Apple with models and designers to walk the Hudson River, using the beautiful New York City skyline as a background.
March 19, 2015
The USW press release states, “The United Steelworkers (USW) announced today (March 12) that it has reached a tentative agreement on a new four-year contract with Shell Oil as a pattern agreement for the rest of the industry. The agreement accomplishes the major goals as directed by the USW’s oil conference in October of last year, and has been approved by union’s lead negotiators and National Oil Bargaining Policy (NOBP) Committee.This tentative “national agreement” to end the six week strike action between the union and the energy industry was a response to the expiration of last wage agreement and the break down of talks. The strike was called on Feb 1, 2015 for workers at 15 union plants, including 12 refineries.
March 19, 2015
Watch a video interview of a 35+ year veteran of commercial waterproofing at Chamberlin Roofing and Waterproofing – who has seen many interesting layers of the industry over the years.
March 18, 2015
An incredible amount of candor will be required to address the question of how to deal with an estimated $1.5 billion worth of maintenance that so far has been deferred on state-owned buildings in Texas. That’s one of the main messages from Republicans and Democrats alike on the newly-created Texas Senate Select Committee on Government Facilities.All members of the panel, including its GOP chairman, said the needs are great and can only be truly met if lawmakers are working with solid facts and figures. Chairman Kevin Eltife, R-Tyler, said during the committee’s first meeting that if the heads of state agencies are crystal clear about their needs, they’ll be able to provide reliable intelligence that lawmakers can use to craft long-term solutions. In 2006, the estimate for deferred maintenance was about $400 million and it has ballooned in the years since.“We'd like to have a successful result for everybody," Eltife said. He also indicated that Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has told him the committee’s work may be extended past the regular session of the Legislature so they can really dig down into problematic government facilities.
March 17, 2015
Hundreds marched through downtown Austin in Febuary to honor the men and women who have died in the Texas construction industry. The event was organized by Workers Defense Project and drew statewide support.“It is heartbreaking that Texas remains the deadliest state in the country to work in construction. Workers Defense will keep organizing, marching, and taking action until our elected officials stand with the working families they represent,” said Cristina Tzintzún, Executive Director of Workers Defense Project.“We are here today because the hands that build Texas in this deadly industry also feed families. It doesn’t have to be this way -- the Texas construction industry can be safe. But our elected officials must take action,” said Tzintzún.
March 16, 2015
