Yesterday, Robbie and I returned from ICSC REcon in Las Vegas, an event we have been attending for years. This convention always allows us to catch up with longtime friends from across the country and a chance to make some new connections, even though it can feel like speed dating at times. Here are a …
Data center construction, driven by AI, has increased its market share in construction industry at a rate we’ve never seen before. Last year, the approximate spend was $375 billion. That’s with a “B.” The electrical component represents 45-70% of cost on these projects. As tech companies rush to build data centers, they are drawing from …
We are close to completion of a 1.2 million square foot concrete paving pour that we reinforced with fiberglass rebar (GFRP) in lieu of traditional reinforcing steel. Our customer has been impressed with the cost savings, and in the field, we’re seeing fiberglass rebar mats installed faster, with smaller crews and less equipment. We have …
For years now, we’ve been hearing about the shrinking numbers of skilled craftsmen and construction superintendents as many age out of the workforce and younger folks aren’t coming in the replace them. Sometimes hard problems require creative solutions, and I’m glad to share what I think is a dynamic and viable model. Stewart/Perry is proud …
We are currently teaming with a design group on a complex adaptive reuse of an existing 80,000 sf facility. During this pre-construction phase, we conducted a fair amount of interior demolition and are evaluating existing conditions so that we can compare those conditions with the initial design drawings in order to identify issues. We are …
This year has brought a lot of changes and questions in terms of economic growth, but as we all know, the major disruptor has been the threat of tariffs and the potential increase of the cost of doing business. So far, the major side effect has been uncertainty, but not much in terms of real monetary consequences. …
This week, Chappell Covington, our director of talent and corporate development attended the Associated Builders and Contractors of Alabama convention. She is an ABC board member, and the conference was also was a good fit for her because workforce development is such a huge topic in our industry right now. When I asked her for …
This week was the annual ICSC RECon in Las Vegas, or “the Super Bowl of Retail,” as it has been nicknamed. This is an annual favorite trip for me, a chance to see old friends and make a few new ones. It’s also an opportunity to see what’s on the horizon for the industry, and …
The tariff wars between the U.S. and other nations, particularly China, have been a roller coaster, for sure. President Trump says he was able to reach an agreement with China last weekend. As I understand it, we will lower our tariffs from 145% to 30% and China’s tariffs on U.S. goods will drop from 125% …
When we first launched our business in 1984, we were the definition of low tech. There was no email, all our phones were landlines and there was no scheduling software. Hard copy plans were the only option. As I consider how our processes have evolved over the years, most of it is for the better, …
I recently read an article generalizing the types of leaders you often find in a construction setting. It discusses the importance of creating a mix of people who are great at coaching, pacesetting, being autocratic, and working as servant leaders. These are all vital to a company’s success, but the one that really resonates with …
This week, Robbie Cather from our company attended the annual CenterBuild conference in Phoenix, a two-day event sharing ideas and learning. Perhaps the most interesting thing he shared was a stat from Williams Sonoma regarding the relationship between bricks & mortar and e-commerce. When their company closes a physical store, online sales in that market …