On March 27, President Donald Trump repealed the Department of Labor’s contentious Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces Act, also known as the “blacklisting” rule, a move welcomed by Associated Builders and Contractors and the merit shop construction industry, reports Construction Dive. ABC led the charge against the legislation, arguing it violated First Amendment rights of their members who would be …
Construction backlog fell by 4 percent during the last quarter of 2016, according to the latest Construction Backlog Indicator (CBI) by Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC). Contractors in each segment surveyed—commercial/institutional, infrastructure and heavy industrial—all saw lower backlog during the fourth quarter, with firms in the heavy industrial segment experiencing the largest drop, down 16.8 percent to an average backlog …
The newly formed Coalition for American Infrastructure says that federal funding of U.S. infrastructure projects should be “sustainable,” and that its projected $3.3 million in nationwide infrastructure needs should be paid for by a mix of public and private investments, reports Construction Dive. http://www.constructiondive.com/news/new-coalition-promotes-public-private-funding-boost-for-us-infrastructure/436546/ Steady Growth Expected for Commercial Real Estate in 2017 In its quarterly commercial real estate forecast, …
The U.S. Green Building Council ranked Maryland 7th nationwide for the number of green building projects in the state in 2016. Since the ranking was created in 2010, Maryland has been among the top green building states, hitting as high as 3rd in the nation in 2014. http://www.baltimoresun.com/business/bs-bz-green-building-20170125-story.html Office Construction Continues Upward Surge in 2017 Along with Marriott’s new headquarters …
In an op-ed for MarylandReporter.com, Hodges offers several tax relief initiatives aimed at spurring growth and helping Maryland’s economy thrive. “Government should always be about fostering conditions — laws, regulations, and taxes — to better enable the citizens to thrive,” writes Hodges. http://marylandreporter.com/2017/01/03/opinion-some-ideas-for-legislative-relief-to-help-maryland-thrive/ Federal Railroad Administration Plan Could Mean Economic Growth for Baltimore, State The Federal Railroad Administration’s recently released …
The broadly-defined Washington, DC-VA-MD-WV came in 8th among metro areas when it comes to increase in residents, according to HousingWire.com and the latest figures for the U.S. Census Bureau released last week. This metro area added nearly 64,000 residents from July 1, 2014, to July 1, 2015. Two metro areas in Texas, Houston-The Woollands-Sugarland and the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington areas came …
The average annual salary for numerous construction trades remains high, according to a survey by NCCER (formerly known as the National Center for Construction Education and Research). Salaries for 31 trades range from $47,166 for scaffold builders to $88,675 for project managers. http://www.nccer.org/uploads/docs/2015_ConstructionCraftSalarySurvey.pdf OSHA to Propose Construction Industry Specific Safety Guidelines When OSHA releases its updated voluntary management guidelines for …
Wohlsen Construction Co. Renovated the Hamilton Health Center Was once an abandoned building, is now a medical and dental clinic Greener Tomorrow award winner Design Build Institute of America Award winner ABC Baltimore member Renovation $10 million to $100 million Harrisburg, PA The Tri-M Group LLC. Electrical/Commercial Alfred I. Dupont Hospital for Children Pavilion Wilmington, DE ABC Baltimore Member Pyramid …
March 6 marked the beginning of National Women in Construction Week, the annual observance started by the National Association of Women in Construction to raise awareness of the opportunities available for women in construction. The latest figures from 2014 found that nearly 9 percent of the 9.8 million construction industry workers were women, according to NAWIC. For more information, visit …
January 2016 construction spending was 10.4 percent higher than a year ago, and hit its highest level in eight years, according to the latest Commerce Department report. There’s more on how the construction industry has rebound, and the numbers that matter, in this Construction Dive report. http://www.constructiondive.com/news/construction-spending-surges-to-8-year-high/414800/ The Case for Infrastructure Spending—Now. Read the details in this CBSMoneyWatch opinion piece …