Tag: construction: Page 219

Business

How 2 construction companies (one large, one small) decided to close their doors

[Editor’s Note: This is Part One in a four-part series chronicling the stories of real contractors who are making hard choices about their end game in the business: liquidate? Sell to family or employees? Seek a third party buyer?] Keith Andrews, president, RaCON Incorporated, looks at his nearly empty equipment yard from the driver’s seat […]

February 3, 2014

Business

SPECIAL REPORT: The Future of Your Construction Company. How and when to walk away.

In the wake of the Great Recession, many baby boomer contractors are planning their business’s futures. Specifically, is this the end? And if so, should I sell? Liquidate? Pass it on? Even if the end isn’t in your near future, our four-part Special Report will get you well in the way to forming a sensible […]

February 3, 2014

Business

U.S. construction spending up 0.1% in December, homebuilding rises to highest point in 5 1/2 years

Construction spending in the U.S. rose slightly in December, with homebuilding reaching its highest point in 5 1/2 years, according to preliminary data released by the Commerce Department today. In total, the value of construction in 2013 was $898.4 billion, finishing 4.8 percent above the 2012 figure. Spending rose a slight 0.1 percent to $930.4 billion […]

February 2, 2014

Workforce

Construction worker the only profession to increase rate of home ownership following the recession

Despite likely being the hardest hit profession by the one-two punch of the bursting housing bubble and the ensuing recession, construction workers and home builders were the only group to increase their rate of home ownership in the last few years. According to a recent analysis of U.S. Census data by real-estate website Trulia, the […]

January 29, 2014

Business

AGC 2014 construction forecast predicts improved hiring and pay with increased demand and equipment purchases

The Associated General Contractors of America released their 2014 construction industry forecast Tuesday, reporting the results of an in-depth survey that included 800 AGC members across the United States. The group’s analysis, Optimism Returns: The 2014 Construction Hiring and Business Outlook, found contractors are more optimistic about 2014 than they were about previous years. Noting […]

January 21, 2014

Construction Equipment

Gust of wind turns building under construction into a splintered pile

With a high gust of wind, an entire unfinished building at a condominium complex under construction in the Brier Creek neighborhood of Raleigh, North Carolina, came crashing down last week. Photographer Ed Braz, who typically uses his camera to capture amazing moments between animals and other wildlife for National Geographic, just happened to be filming out […]

January 19, 2014

Construction Equipment

Diggerland, a construction equipment theme park, is coming to New Jersey

The United Kingdom’s popular Diggerland Adventure Park—centered around a construction equipment theme—will see a U.S. version. According to philly.com, Sahara Sam’s Oasis, a water park located in West Berlin, New Jersey, will open the new 14-acre park by this summer. Sahara Sam’s says it will announce details in a press conference Tuesday. Diggerland Adventure Park, […]

January 13, 2014

Business

Sub Zero: Polar Vortex causes equipment breakdowns, sends construction workers home and indoors in Minnesota and North Dakota

We told you yesterday about a crew in Louisville used to working in the cold that was forced to pack it up thanks to this Polar Vortex. Today we’ve got an even better idea about just how formidable this thing is with news of the hardened crews of Minnesota and North Dakota having to take […]

January 8, 2014

Business

4 New Year’s resolutions every contractor should make to improve their business in 2014

Your crews have been sent home, most of your machinery has made it back to the yard for a yearly maintenance run through, and it’s time to celebrate another full year of being in business. During this less-than-full-throttle time (assuming a client doesn’t call with an emergency), consider these ways you can get on the […]

January 3, 2014

Home

No. 1 in 2013: The 5 best smartphones for construction work

Remember that excitement we mentioned about the Caterpillar B15? It inspired us to go through the available options and rank the best smartphones available for construction work. We took price, features, operating system and apps into consideration along with toughness to help construction professionals pick the perfect smartphone. In the end, the smartphone countdown turned out […]

December 30, 2013

Construction Equipment

Highway construction project halted in Iceland to avoid disturbing home and church of “hidden elves”

It’s not uncommon for construction and road projects to be halted due to environmental concerns. But elves? That’s a new one on us. In Iceland, environmentalists have forged a partnership with elf advocates to convince the Icelandic Road and Coastal Commission to abandon a highway construction project that would build a route from the Alftanes […]

December 23, 2013

Construction Equipment

The mysterious wandering excavator of Hyde Park

Recently, residents of Chicago’s Hyde Park neighborhood, and especially pedestrians, were very surprised to hear the sounds of an excavator as it made its way up the boulevard. According to DNAinfo Chicago, the excavator’s metal treads were making an “ear-piercing” screech as it moved along South Hyde Park Boulevard around 7:20 p.m. on a Friday […]

December 20, 2013