Beyond the Build - Page 62 of 63

Current Pricing Trends Are Good News for Construction Relationships, But How Long Can Costs Stay Down?

Because of the current imbalance of supply and demand in the commodities market, the cost of construction has been trending downward over the last year or so. Some of our projects take years to develop, and before this correction, the previous several years saw 3-4% increases annually. It’s hard to come back to your customer …

Commodities Pricing

Trend in the Making: How the Economy Affects the Way We Bid

We recently priced a pro ject in Atlanta (a little less than $1 million job), which had several general contractor bidders and a ton of subcontractor quotes. In fact, there were a total of 20 subcontractors competing for $70,000 worth of HVAC work. Amazing. What’s even more amazing is that our cost was exactly the …

Green Building

Green Building Expo comes to Birmingham

As I’ve mentioned in previous entries, green building is a growing focus for Stewart Perry’s business. While our appreciation for the land works its way into every project we take on, our own corporate campus and our recent work constructing the Ruffner Mountain Nature Center have had green interests at the very heart of the …

Community Service

Grilling Up Some Great Community Service

Effective community service is an essential part of every company’s resume, and it has been an active portion of our extra-curricular efforts over the last 25 years. Community service does several different things simultaneously: Foremost, it helps whichever organization or charity we are supporting It helps bond my team in a setting outside of the …

Green Building

Glimmers of Green: Unexplored Niche Markets in Construction

A small but growing portion of our business is what I would call “green building.” After the construction of our new LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) silver certified office building last year, we have been exploring several other projects in the Birmingham area as a way to diversify our business, encourage environmental sustainability …

Community Service

Building a Legacy: What a Great Man Leaves Behind

Every once in a while someone comes along in my life so inspiring and benevolent that it makes me ask the great introspective questions about who I am and what the real purposes of life are. The person motivates me to be a better individual, and when faced with a dilemma, I ask myself, “what …

Community Service

Class by the Campfire: How to Confront the Unexpected

Being prepared is something that I can never get too much of. In business this means always looking around the corner to find the next job or being careful not to spend foolishly, and at home it means having that rainy day fund for when the unexpected happens. I’ve been involved with the Boy Scouts …

Conservation

Supporting a Fishing Outfit Feeds For a Lifetime

When supporting conservation in the developing world, many people prefer to make handouts or writing checks to their favorite organization of merit. While there is a place for this type of giving, I also like to travel to places in need, find small businesses that are doing the right thing environmentally and support these shops …

Conservation

One Drop Saved is One Drop Earned

For the past three years I have watched many municipalities around the Southeast consistently run low with their water resources during the summer months. New dams can be built, but populations will continue to grow, which should make conserving this resource an extremely important goal for everyone. When we built our new barn adjoining our …

Conservation

You Are What You Eat, So Stay Close to Your Food

I was drinking a bottle of water the other day and read the label. It claimed to be “green” and great for the environment where it was bottled in Viti Levu, Fiji. Then I got to thinking about the millions of pounds of fuel they probably burn every year shipping it to the U.S. for …

Community Service

Seeds of Creativity: Building Solidarity in Our Community

While traveling to project sites, I like to take the side roads “the roads less traveled” instead of the interstate, so I can get a better feel for the communities we are impacting. Along the way, I have come to know and support many local craftsmen and artists. Their unique pieces give me a chance …

Green Building

Throw Away the Car Keys and Buy into Mixed-Use Projects

Mixed-used development has gained much ground in many of our suburban communities. I think that people are starting to see the light about how living closer to town and closer to the places we shop and work makes a lot of sense. While mixed-use is not the lion’s share of new developments, it is something …

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Current Pricing Trends Are Good News for Construction Relationships, But How Long Can Costs Stay Down?

Trend in the Making: How the Economy Affects the Way We Bid

Green Building Expo comes to Birmingham

Grilling Up Some Great Community Service

Glimmers of Green: Unexplored Niche Markets in Construction

Building a Legacy: What a Great Man Leaves Behind

Class by the Campfire: How to Confront the Unexpected

Supporting a Fishing Outfit Feeds For a Lifetime

One Drop Saved is One Drop Earned

You Are What You Eat, So Stay Close to Your Food

Seeds of Creativity: Building Solidarity in Our Community

Throw Away the Car Keys and Buy into Mixed-Use Projects