Project owners are concerned about the current and future availability of skilled workers amid an ongoing debate over the nation's immigration laws, which affect jobsites. These were just two of the top-of-mind issues noted by the owners who attended the Associated Builders & Contractors' annual meeting in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., last month.
Carl Crowe, vice president of construction for Walmart Stores Inc., Bentonville, Ark., cited a shortage of refrigeration subcontractors and told non-union building executives at the event that the retailer has even started recruiting high-school students into the building trades. "All of us have to help young people see those opportunities," he said.