Our CFO Del Allen recently attended the Birmingham Aon/Smith Currie breakfast, where they presented a “state of the union” type look at the construction industry. Later this week, I will share 3 key issues effecting talent in the construction industry, but first I thought you might like to take a look at the stats. Many …
Recently, I talked with a major architectural firm about their use of building information modeling. To them, BIM is just another advance of communications and drawings. I can relate. When I was in college, everybody used pencils. The quality of your lines on the drawings was most important. Then we moved to ink to give …
On construction jobs, the unexpected is…well…expected. Circumstances inevitably change. In our case, codes are updated, conditions in earthwork shift or we encounter any other variety of circumstances that affect the outcome of our work. To me, when considering a construction contract–or for that matter any written agreement–good communication and change management are essential to success …
We are learning that it takes a lot out of us to be successful in these times. However, if one does not get compensated for the work, it doesn’t really matter. It’s one thing to go home tired. It’s another thing to go home tired and unpaid. Therefore, our business plan is to seek out good …
The other day, I ran across an article with an interesting message: Create sparks instead of a big forest fire. To me, this means making small connects over time. The imagery resonated with me and prompted thoughts about business interactions. The type of “fire” one builds is as important as anything else in a relationship. …
Routinely, I try to ask myself if I am being the right kind of leader. Am I leveraging and teaching? Or am I over-coaching, getting into too many of the details and crowding out creativity? Am I allowing the “acorn” to grow or am I smothering it? Over the summer, I received an email from …
Over the years, I have learned that the just right word(s) at the right time can make a huge difference in people’s lives. At times this means motivating them to do their best, and at other times it’s helping them through a tough spell. Several years ago, I learned that one of our longterm customers …
Recently, a customer came to me with a request I hadn’t heard in a while. They wanted an integrally color-blocked single Wythe incorporated into a new project we will be constructing. Many of our projects used this means and method a few years back, but we evolved away from that type of concrete masonry unit …
Earlier this month, I wrote a post offering a few hints for those on the job search. It seems especially pertinent in these times, because we as managers are receiving more resumes than usual. Not a week goes by that I don’t see between 3 and 5 job applications. I would say the majority of …
A while back, I wrote a post titled, “Can Drywall Be Green?” which discussed the aftereffects of the Chinese Drywall crisis that plagued our country earlier this decade. When it comes down to it, drywall is a convenience product. It is efficient, replacing lath and plaster and therefore saving time and money. However the emissions …
Times are getting better, but still tough. A recent article in the Wall Street Journal compared job seekers now–often isolated and searching online–to those who were looking for work during the Depression. In the 1930s, folks were more likely to call in favors to friends and family or knock door to door asking for work. …
For the past couple of years, we’ve started a blog for each of our large projects. The premise is simple: once a week, a designated person from the field office sends digital images and brief descriptions to our home office. We manage that information, and on Tuesdays post to each project’s page. So, why do …