Tag: business: Page 45

Workforce

How one construction firm is using drag racing to recruit new talent

If you want to catch a fish you need bait. And if you want to catch the attention of a mechanic, a 10,000 horsepower, 300 mile-per-hour car is a good start. Mechanics and technicians, as we all know, are in short supply. To recruit them Herzog Contracting, the Association of Equipment Management Professionals and the […]

September 4, 2014

Business

Majority of skilled construction workers who lost jobs in wake of the recession have been rehired, but many are being paid less

As the U.S. construction industry faces a shortage of skilled labor, a new government study finds that the majority of skilled workers who lost their jobs in the wake of the Great Recession have already been reemployed by the industry. According to a recent Bureau of Labor Statistics study, 62 percent of the 393,000 long-tenured […]

September 3, 2014

Business

Nonresidential projects push construction spending to largest monthly gain in more than 2 years in July

After seeing its first drop in one year during June, construction spending in the U.S. fully recovered and then some in July, with its largest monthly gain in more than two years. Construction spending rose 1.8 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $981.3 billion in July, according to preliminary estimates by the Commerce […]

September 2, 2014

Construction Equipment

8 reasons why you pay too much for your equipment’s tires… and what you can do about it

Contractors hate leaving money on the table at a bid letting. But how much money are you wasting by neglecting your tires or by neglecting to establish a tire management program? The amount will vary, but more importantly your tire costs are one of the few variables you can control. “Tires are probably your largest […]

September 2, 2014

Success Stories

Zeal for diversification, taking care of fleet key to Wm. Winkler Company’s success

“We love to do anything that involves concrete,” says Brian Winkler, 47, president of Wm. Winkler Company.  In fact, concrete has been Wm. Winkler Company’s material of choice since Brian’s grandfather started the firm in Spokane, Washington, in 1919. His grandfather did curb and gutter work, and Brian’s father, the oldest of 11 children, joined […]

September 1, 2014

Home

Construction firms are turning down work due to the labor shortage, but most are willing to pay more to find workers

A majority of construction companies across the U.S. are facing a shortage in skilled labor and a large number of them have been forced to turn down work in the last year because they didn’t have the workers needed for the job, according to a recent survey conducted by the Associated General Contractors of America […]

August 28, 2014

Business

Vermeer names third-generation family member Jason Andringa incoming president, CEO

Vermeer Corporation has named Jason Andringa incoming president and CEO, taking over the position from his mother, Mary Vermeer Andringa, and continuing the Vermeer family’s leadership of the company into the third generation. The transition will be fully effective on Nov. 1, 2015. On Nov. 1 this year, Jason will assume the role of president […]

August 26, 2014

Business

These 3 changes to your day-to-day will make you a more productive worker on the construction jobsite

“Work smarter, not harder.” How many times have you seen that quote? Over time, the idea that your best performance is a result of how you work, not how long you work, has become widely accepted. Studies have shown that the last employee to leave each day isn’t necessarily the hardest worker; they may simply […]

August 25, 2014

Business

Construction spending booming to record highs in Minneapolis

The city of Minneapolis has issued a combined $1.2 billion in commercial and residential building permits so far this year and is on pace to break $2 billion by the end of the year, according to a report from The Star Tribune. That $1.2 billion mark the city sits at now is the same amount […]

August 25, 2014

Business

Recent toll road poll proves nothing; private financing of public roads is still a bad idea

The Reason Foundation and the Alliance for Toll-Free Interstates recently traded jabs over a poll that purports to show Americans prefer toll roads as a solution to our declining transportation infrastructure. Not unexpectedly, the Reason-Rupe Poll  found favor with Reason’s longstanding position advocating toll roads. The Alliance shot back with a press release citing a […]

August 22, 2014

Business

Nonresidential construction starts fall 19.5% during July as builder outlook shrinks due to increased labor, materials costs

Following an “exceptionally strong” June, the dollar value of nonresidential construction starts fell 19.5 percent during July, according to data gathered by Reed Construction Data. “A surge of project authorizations at the beginning of summer has been followed by a significant retreat,” says Reed chief economist Alex Carrick. “The latest month was a return to […]

August 20, 2014

Business

Home starts jump 15.7% in July as builder confidence strengthens

It would appear that despite a couple of rough months, homebuilder confidence in the U.S. housing market was not misplaced. Following two months of decreases, construction on new homes in the U.S. made up quite a bit of ground in July, rising to the second highest level this year. Home starts rose 15.7 percent last […]

August 19, 2014