Tag: business: Page 33

Roadbuilding

Senate Dems threaten to block all short-term highway plans

Democrats in the U.S. Senate dropped an ultimatum on Republicans Tuesday, threatening to block any short-term extension of highway funding in favor of a long-term solution. The Hill reported Democrats are giving the GOP 45 days to agree on a long-term fix instead of another short-term patch—which would be the 34th short-term extension since 2008. “We […]

June 17, 2015

Business

Home starts tumble 11.1 percent in May following April’s big jump

Large ups and downs in the rate of new home construction have become somewhat of a trend halfway through the year as U.S. home starts fell 11.1 percent following the largest monthly gain in 24 years in April. Home builders began construction on homes at a rate of 1.036 million in May, according to preliminary data […]

June 16, 2015

Roadbuilding

House passes $55 billion spending bill for transportation and housing

The House of Representatives narrowly passed a spending bill Tuesday night to fund transportation and housing projects. The $55.3 billion bill passed 216-210, according to a report from The Hill. All House Republicans but 31 voted for the bill, while only three Democrats voted in favor. Last week, President Barack Obama threatened to veto the bill if […]

June 11, 2015

Business

DPR/Skanska to walk away from construction of Apple’s new campus

Though DPR Construction Inc. and Skanska USA have been the lead builders on Apple’s much-talked-about Campus 2 since construction began last year, they will cease involvement on the estimated $5 billion project in the next several weeks. According to a report from Silicon Valley Business Journal, the DPR/Skanska joint venture, awarded the contract for the […]

June 11, 2015

Workforce

Construction adds 17,000 jobs in May; unemployment drops again

The U.S. construction industry established for itself another streak in jobs gains during May, adding 17,000 jobs for the month. According to preliminary data from the Labor Department, the industry now employs 6.387 million Americans, the most since 2009. The industry’s unemployment rate dropped from 7.5 percent to 6.7 percent. The new data also revised downward the employment figure […]

June 5, 2015

Business

St. Louis construction firms help establish $10 million Contractors Loan Fund for minority- and women-owned businesses

Aiming to boost the number of construction companies owned by minorities and women in the St. Louis area, a group of firms and banks joined forces to establish the Contractors Loan Fund. According to a report from St. Louis Public Radio, the $10 million loan fund will be a big help to those companies who […]

June 4, 2015

Business

Palm Beach high school construction academies seek to fill Florida’s skilled worker shortage

The Palm Beach County school district has opened three construction academies that are equipping students from ninth through 12th grades with valuable construction skills through real-world, hands-on experience. According to a report from the Palm Beach Post, academies have opened at high schools in Delray Beach, Loxahatchee and the Glades as construction firms across the state […]

June 2, 2015

Business

Construction spending up 2.2% in April to $1 trillion, 6-year high

Big gains in nonresidential boosted total construction spending in April 2.2 percent, according to preliminary estimates from the Commerce Department. Spending rose to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $1.006 trillion, the highest figure in more than 6 years and up 4.8 percent over April 2014. Total residential construction spending rose 0.6 percent to a rate of $359 billion while […]

June 1, 2015

Business

Construction lending is outpacing that of completed buildings with rates at their lowest since 2007

It’s OK. You can call it a comeback. Though much of the talk around whether or not the construction industry has truly rebounded or not has died down in the last six months or so, a new study has highlighted a particularly interesting statistic that points to just how strong the industry’s turnaround is. According […]

May 28, 2015

Business

John Deere sees slight uptick in construction sales but profits fall 30% as ag slowdown continues

Construction and forestry equipment sales are the only bright spot for John Deere, albeit a dim one, as the heavy equipment manufacturer continues to see profit and sales declines due to the global slowdown in agricultural equipment demand. The manufacturer reported an 18-percent decline in sales during the second quarter to $8.171 billion. Profit fell […]

May 26, 2015

Business

Confidence in heavy equipment financing market drops

Confidence in the equipment finance market declined slightly from April to May, according to the Equipment Leasing and Finance Foundation’s Monthly Confidence Index. The foundation, a non-profit that conducts research on the equipment leasing and finance industry reported a 67.5 index, which is slightly lower than the April index of 70.7. The index is determined […]

May 21, 2015

Business

Contractor busted for using his construction company’s office to grow pot in Massachusetts

Police in Maryland arrested the owner of a Bellingham construction company earlier this week after discovering the man was using his office to grow a large amount of marijuana. According to a report from WCVB TV, police seized 36 marijuana plants from Attorney General Construction. The owner, 51-year-old Arcadio Gonzales, was later arrested and charged with cultivating […]

May 14, 2015