We have all gone through more in the last year than we would have ever imagined possible. If there is anything I have learned, it is to stay nimble and be thankful. There are things in life that one can prepare for, and others that require you to think on your feet. It seems like …
Serving on the board of DesignAlabama for the last few years has been a great privilege. The organization is all about purposeful design, making wise choices and thus creating better communities. Each year, we host the Alabama Mayor’s Design Summit, where mayors from 5 moderate size towns or cities come together to discuss a design …
I’ve been in business long enough that I can speak with confidence when I say the actual construction is just a part of the formula that gets a building constructed. It’s all about relationships. The better the relationships, the better chance for success, at least most of the time. In my opinion, this applies to …
Whether we wanted it or not, the pandemic has accelerated so much change. Some of it was good, and a lot of it was not so good. We’re almost at year now, and I think for some, these last months have meant spending even more time indoors than normal. It might have been the work-from-home …
When I first started in this business, the idea of personal branding was in its infancy. Create a niche and a reputation for your company? Of course. But we didn’t necessarily expand the thought process to ourselves, or at least put words to the concept. The Internet has really leveled the playing field, making it …
We are in the preconstruction phase for a new adaptive reuse project which involves converting an existing steel fabrication operation, about 80 years old, into a mixed-use facility with office, restaurant and entertainment. This week, our customer and I were talking about several current initiatives that I was not familiar with at the time. I …
As I mentioned last week, I recently had a phone call with a sharp group of professionals from our region. I shared takeaways related to the vaccine and business operations. I also have a few notes regarding the service sector and real estate: It appears that across the Southeast, restaurants are beginning to enjoy increased occupancy in …
This week, I had an interesting phone call with a group of bankers, business leaders and healthcare professionals here in the Southeast. I left with a ton of takeaways. I’ll share those related to the vaccine and business operations this week and more related to service businesses and real estate next week. The vaccine is …
This has been a tough week among tough weeks for S/P and me personally. We lost a long-time project superintendent and a heck of a good guy. This virus plays no favorites. Larry and I have been working together since we were in our 20s. He was the reassuring type I could trust with anything. …
I was meeting with a couple of our project superintendents today, which is an extra cold and soggy one. We were discussing some particularly tough challenges they are facing on the job. For the moment, no one is having a good time. On the way back to the office, I got to thinking about all …
I’m not sure anything could have truly prepared us for last year. In a strange sort of way, it feels like anyone who went through the financial crisis of the last decade had a leg up. Although the disruption came from opposite ends of the challenge spectrum–one with financial roots and the other health related–they …
We’ve talked before about pervious concrete and how it can be a solid option in regards to storm water management. There are also times when, even thought it’s more expensive, pervious paving can be the more practical option. We recently finished a project on the coast. Upon completion, our customer quickly realized that more parking was …