Our ‘In the News’ section highlights weekly ABC-related newsworthy stories Celebrate Women in Construction National Women in Construction Week runs from March 7 to 14 this year. The four ABC Maryland chapters remain committed to promoting, supporting and encouraging women in the construction industry throughout the year. Through the Women in ABC committees, members are given the tools and a …
By Dick Asher, ABC GIMA The State Procurement Regulations that will govern the implementation of recently enacted legislation regarding the payment of employee health care expenses for State-funded construction projects are finally here. The good news is that through ABC Greater Baltimore’s diligent efforts in the past to chip away at or eliminate the most onerous of the rules, the …
The threat of a looming coronavirus pandemic is already affecting world markets. If you get your construction materials from China, it could affect your construction supply chain. Some general contractors have already experienced a backlog in getting materials, according to a report by BisNow. A disrupted China-based labor and materials supply has already impacted construction work in China, according to …
ABC National has released a report that lists Maryland as having among the five lowest unemployment rates for construction in the country. As of February 2020, Maryland’s construction unemployment rate is 2.8%. This means the state is now the 5th lowest unemployment rate in the country. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the rate of unemployment in Maryland was at …
On January 8, Maryland’s Board of Public Works (BPW) approved amendments to the conditional Public-Private Partnership (P3) attached to Governor Larry Hogan’s $9 billion Traffic Relief Plan. Passage of the amendments was touted as a “monumental and historic achievement,” by Gov. Hogan. The BPW also approved implementing Maryland and Virginia’s historic ‘Capital Beltway Accord’ to build a new American Legion …
Department of Labor Proposes New Overtime Rules The U.S. Department of Labor proposed new overtime rules on March 14 that would raise the threshold salary level for “white collar” exemptions under the Fair Labor Standards Act. The exemptions would increase from $23,660 a year ($455/week) to $35,308 a year ($679/week). The National Law Review reports the DOL also proposes to …
Deloitte’s 2019 engineering and construction industry outlook After growing at a rate of five percent in 2018, growth in the construction industry is expected to accelerate further during 2019, according to Deloitte’s 2019 Engineering and Construction Industry Outlook. Mergers and acquisitions–which accounted for more than 340 deals worth $20 billion in 2018–will continue to play a lead role in boosting growth. …
How a Government Shutdown Affects Small Contractors With another federal government shutdown looming, construction contractors are bracing for more uncertainty. Small contractors, in particular, can be the most vulnerable to outside influences, wrote Vic Lance in Construction Executive during the recent 35-day federal government shutdown. Here are some of the concerns contractors may face again: Construction companies working for government …
The Maryland General Assembly is expected to change a little each election cycle, but this year resulted in significant transformation. The primary elections in June caused Marylanders and legislators alike to stir when many incumbent seats were overtaken by younger, more progressive Democrats. Republicans fought to gain five seats, which would have blocked veto overrides for Governor Hogan in his …
Moody’s Investment Services reports that President Trump’s $1.5 trillion infrastructure plan could create more private investment through public-private partnerships (P3s), according Construction Dive. https://www.constructiondive.com/news/moodys-trumps-infrastructure-plan-could-grow-p3-market/519506/ At a press conference hosted by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), leaders of public transportation agencies across the country warned of the serious consequences to Trump’s proposed $52 billion in budget cuts to federal transit funding. …