Tag: business: Page 53

Business

Technology is still not a top priority for most construction firms, but improving economy could change that (INFOGRAPHIC)

A recent survey indicates that while technology is not a top priority for the majority of construction firms in North America, that may change as the economy and industry continue to rebound. Sage Construction & Real Estate’s new survey found that half of the 838 construction companies it surveyed in the U.S. and Canada spent […]

April 3, 2014

Business

Republican Senators turn tables on investigation in vocal defense of Caterpillar during tax hearing

Though a U.S. Senate report written by Michigan Democrat Sen. Carl Levin concluded that Caterpillar had done nothing illegal in offshore tax strategy, most expected a Tuesday hearing before the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations to amount to a prolonged scolding for Cat and its financial adviser PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. In the end, it was more of a fair […]

April 1, 2014

Business

Homebuilding declines but construction spending up 0.1% in February

Construction spending in the U.S. ticked up 0.1 percent in February despite a decline in homebuilding, according to preliminary data from the Commerce Department. Total spending rose in February to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $945.7 billion from the revised January figure of $944.6 billion. Due to the revision of that figure, what was a […]

April 1, 2014

Success Stories

South Dakota contractor’s work in his small town’s moment of crisis provides framework for growth

Each February, Gale Nitteberg, his wife Sandy and their grandchildren pack up and head south for about a month to escape the harsh South Dakota winter for the warm beaches of Florida. He says years ago he and his wife talked about leaving South Dakota and maybe moving somewhere warmer, but it was never something […]

April 1, 2014

Construction Equipment

Caterpillar to defend tax strategy before U.S. Senate today, will likely receive support from John McCain

Caterpillar has confirmed an earlier report by saying it is scheduled to testify in a U.S. Senate hearing on whether the company illegally shifted profits overseas to avoid paying federal taxes. According to a report from Reuters, the Senate’s Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations headed by Michigan Democrat Sen. Carl Levin, prepared a report that focuses on Caterpillar corporate […]

March 31, 2014

Business

The 6 habits of highly successful construction company owners

In our recent special report, “The Future of Your Construction Company”, we focused so much on contractors retiring or transitioning out of the business that it almost begs a question. What does it take to succeed in the construction business? I’ve been in the fortunate position of interviewing at length dozens of our Contractor of […]

March 28, 2014

Business

Report: Senate panel investigating Caterpillar for avoiding taxes

A U.S. Senate panel that has investigated Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard and Apple for avoiding paying federal taxes has now turned its attention to Caterpillar, according to a report from Bloomberg. The panel is investigating whether Caterpillar shifted profits overseas to avoid paying taxes, the report says, citing three anonymous sources. In early April, the Senate’s Permanent Subcommittee […]

March 27, 2014

Business

Construction expected to grow 8% this year with “groundhog”-like growth from nonresidential

Construction industry consultant FMI has released what it calls a “cautiously optimistic” outlook for the industry in 2014 in its latest quarterly report. The report predicts construction put-in-place to grow 8 percent this year and for the next few years. “Just like the spring, despite all odds and nasty economic weather, the nation needs to […]

March 27, 2014

Business

Dearth of women in construction deprives industry of good workers, women of good jobs

Recently, Barbara A. Res penned an insightful column for the Baltimore Sun examining why there are so few women in the construction industry and detailed why and how this should be changed. As contractors across the U.S. continue battling a skilled worker shortage that is impacting completion dates and ability to meet rising demand, it’s a […]

March 24, 2014

Business

Want to boost your construction business? Put a woman in charge

I saw something this week that caught my eye: A Tweet linking to a Harvard Business Review post said a study in Italy found naming a woman as CEO improves profitability in family-owned firms. Specifically, replacing a male CEO with a female CEO increases profitability. Also, the more women on the board of directors of […]

March 21, 2014

Home

Housing starts fall 0.2% in February as builder confidence rises slightly

Despite a large upward revision to January’s number, housing starts fell slightly in February, according to preliminary data from the Commerce Department. The Commerce Department revised January’s number to a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 909,000—up 29,000 from the rate of 880,000 reported last month. February home starts fell 0.2 percent to a preliminary rate of […]

March 18, 2014

Business

Divergence of construction spending and employment could point to “fundamental change” in the industry

Recently, the folks at Business Insider put together a nicely done and comprehensive article on the skilled labor shortage affecting the construction industry and the impact it’s having on homebuilding. There wasn’t much new news to be found for those of us who follow these stories on a regular basis. Many of the experienced and […]

March 17, 2014