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Get ready for “Infinite Data” (as opposed to “Big Data”) of the Internet of Things in the construction industry.I read an interesting blog in the April edition of the Headworks International newsletter written by Paul Doherty, CEO of the Digit Group. The article points to the major shift and disruption in the Architecture, Engineering, Construction (AEC) industry today. Doherty, whose client list reads like a global 500, talks about the global movement toward the Internet of Things where things communicate with each other, and the construction world and our lives are inextricably changed forever. (Check out the new Audi and Mercedes radar, collision avoidance, hands-off parking, and car-to-car communications systems.)
Reshaping the Construction Industry
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Nonresidential starts rise, MHC says; ABI turns negative; industry GDP fell in late 2013Editor’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.The value of new construction starts in March increased 7% at a seasonally adjusted annual rate, McGraw Hill Construction (MHC) reported last Monday, based on data it collected. “Nonresidential building picked up the pace [+24%] after its lackluster performance at the outset of this year, while nonbuilding construction managed a moderate gain [6%]. Meanwhile, residential building settled back [-2%] as single-family housing remained sluggish. During the first three months of 2014, total construction starts on an unadjusted basis were…down 2% from the same period a year ago.”
April 28, 2014
Another industry group is entering the private exchange game to deal with the complexities of the Affordable Care Act. The Wichita Business Journal has noted that the Associated General Contractors of America and Willis North America, the global risk advisor, are developing a private exchange to offer defined contribution plans to companies in the industry who are working to comply with the fluid requirements of the ACA or Obamacare.According to the announcement, “The AGC Alternative”, as it is currently named, will offer its members health benefits or employees at a lower cost, and they will incur less administrative costs as well.
April 24, 2014
Workers who have been cheated out of their wages by unscrupulous employers in Houston are fighting back now that they have the tools to do so under the city's new wage theft ordinance. The city has received its first official complaints under the new law from some workers who say they were not receiving overtime pay that they are owed.Via the Houston Chroncle's Lomi Kriel:“Thirteen workers on Tuesday filed the first complaint under a new Houston ordinance aimed at preventing companies from stealing workers' wages.“The workers, with the assistance of the nonprofit Faith and Justice Worker Center, filed documents with the city's inspector general alleging that their employer, Bradley Demolition and Construction, refused to pay them overtime. They say the company also failed to provide tax forms.
April 23, 2014
Originally posted on MarekBros.com.Marek’s Atlanta Branch sponsored and participated in the annual CEFGA Career Expo and Skills USA State Championship on March 13th-14th. This event is regarded as one of the nation’s top construction and SkillsUSA events and had 7212 students in attendance this year.The Career Expo is Georgia’s largest interactive career exploration event and is designed for middle, high and technical college students. Thousands of students interested in the construction industry were able to experience different industry trades hands on.
April 22, 2014
State employment data, Beige Book find widespread increases; starts dip, Reed saysEditor’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.Seasonally adjusted construction employment increased in 38 states between March 2013 and March 2014, decreased in 11 states and the District of Columbia, and remained level in Alaska, an AGC analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data released Friday showed. The largest percentage gains were in Florida (11%, 41,000); Oregon (11%, 7,800); and Minnesota (10%, 10,200). Florida also led in number of jobs added, followed by California (37,100, 5.9%) and Texas (17,100, 2.8%). New Jersey lost the most construction jobs (-4,600, -3.4%), followed by Kentucky (-1,900, -2.8%) and West Virginia (-1,700, -4.9%). The steepest percentage losses over the year occurred in West Virginia, New Jersey and D.C. (-2.9%, -400).
April 21, 2014
On Tuesday, the Texas House will consider what more needs to be done on the issue of worker misclassification. Mike Beeter, President and CEO of BRI Roofing in Fort Worth is very concerned about the practice, which has been called a “cancer” in the construction industry. We are pleased to publish his open letter to the members of the committee looking into it.Honorable members of the Texas House Committee on Business and Industry,I am writing today as a business owner concerned about a serious challenge facing not only my industry, but society at large. The problem is so immense that it will not be fixed without ethical companies as well as government joining together to stop the fraud known simply as “worker misclassification.” I am very glad to see your committee is considering what to do about the problem. Below, you will see my thoughts as to the real risk associated with keeping the status quo. The issue is complex and I am providing you with many details to consider. But, the bottom line is that worker misclassification is fraud, plain and simple.
April 18, 2014
Editor’s note: The following was written by Saied Alavi, Division Operations Manager at Marek Brothers in Houston.In my business today, as in the great building traditions of the past, skilled well-trained crafts people are our most important and valuable asset. From the hundreds who make up our field employees to the estimating and administrative teams who support them, from the youngest trainee and intern to the most senior supervisor – each one is critical to the delivery of our craft at Marek.On any day, you can pick up the phone and order a hundred new screw guns or chop saws and receive delivery in a day or two. You can place an order for truckloads of gypsum board or metal studs and receive delivery in a few days. However, if you need ten experienced drywall or acoustical ceiling mechanics, there is no guarantee that you can find them in a week or even a month. And finding skilled workers is becoming more of a daily problem as the economy recovers and construction expands again.
April 16, 2014
Now that the Texas Legislature is taking a hard look at the way education reforms are being implemented across the state, I thought now would be a good time to reflect on my recent experience traveling to Austin to talk with the State Board of Education about this important issue. As you might have heard, lawmakers passed a reform bill last year that created more flexibility for students who are trying to get a high school diploma in Texas. Those of us in the trades, like construction, have been very supportive of this for two main reasons: we want to see as many young people succeed as possible, and we feel there’s a career for many of them in our industries.
April 15, 2014
PPIs remain mild; most metros add jobs; ABI ably predicts building activity, AIA findsEditor’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.Sign up for a complimentary webinar on construction outlook on April 17 with me; AIA Chief Economist Kermit Baker; and Reed Construction Data’s Chief U.S. Economist, Bernard Markstein.The producer price index (PPI) for final demand increased 0.7%, not seasonally adjusted (0.5%, seasonally adjusted), in March and 1.4% over 12 months, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported Friday.
April 14, 2014
