The Work Is There, But Firms Say They Have To Work Smarter
...has a tremendous contracting capacity for low-tech projects, but needs international construction expertise to help with some more technical projects. This helps shift the country's regulatory focus.
Overall, the sluggish markets in 2003 and the beginning of 2004 have come as no surprise to construction contractors. Most firms continue to get by. "No matter how tough things are, you can find work," says Fish of Suffolk Construction. "And, if you're smart, you can make a profit."
| THE 2004 TOP 400 AT A GLANCE | ||||||
| VOLUME | ||||||
| DOMESTIC | INTERNATIONAL | TOTAL | ||||
| $ BIL. | % CHG. | $ BIL. | % CHG. | $ BIL. | % CHG. | |
| REVENUE | 166.5 | -4.7 | 26.8 | +36.7 | 193.4 | -0.5 |
| NEW CONTRACTS | 173.0 | +0.1 | 25.7 | +5.3 | 198.7 | +0.7 |
| PROFITABILITY | ||||||
| NUMBER OF FIRMS REPORTING | AVERAGE % OF | |||||
| PROFIT | LOSS | PROFIT | LOSS | |||
| DOMESTIC | 325 | 32 | 2.3 | NA | ||
| INTERNATIONAL | 50 | 17 | 2.7 | NA | ||
| PROFESSIONAL STAFF | ||||||
| NUMBER OF FIRMS REPORTING | AVERAGE % OF | |||||
| DOMESTIC | INTL. | DOMESTIC | INTL. | |||
| INCREASE | 147 | 13 | 9.2 | NA | ||
| DECREASE | 60 | 10 | 9.0 | NA | ||
| SAME | 159 | 66 | NA | NA | ||
| BACKLOG | ||||||
| NUMBER OF FIRMS REPORTING | AVERAGE % | |||||
| HIGHER | 203 | 23.1 | ||||
| LOWER | 93 | 38.0 | ||||
| SAME | 69 | NA | ||||
| NA = Not Available | ||||||
| MARKET ANALYSIS | ||
| TYPE OF WORK | REVENUE $ MIL. | PERCENT OF TOTAL |
| BUILDING | 98,672.6 | 51.0 |
| MANUFACTURING | 4,955.8 | 2.6 |
| INDUSTRIAL | 11,226.7 | 5.8 |
| PETROLEUM | 14,524.0 | 7.5 |
| WATER | 2,926.5 | 1.5 |
| SEWER/WASTE | 3,555.6 | 1.8 |
| TRANSPORTATION | 29,374.7 | 15.2 |
| HAZARDOUS WASTE | 6,100.6 | 3.2 |
| POWER | 12,345.1 | 6.4 |
| TELECOMMUNICATIONS | 2,352.9 | 1.2 |
| OTHER | 7,316.9 | 3.8 |
| INTERNATIONAL REGIONS | |||
| NUMBER OF FIRMS | REVENUE $MIL. | PERCENT OF TOTAL | |
| CANADA | 29 | 3,328.2 | 12.4 |
| LATIN AMERICA | 33 | 1,759.1 | 6.6 |
| CARIBBEAN ISLANDS | 27 | 1,732.2 | 6.5 |
| EUROPE | 25 | 9,098.0 | 33.9 |
| MIDDLE EAST | 19 | 5,750.2 | 21.4 |
| ASIA/AUSTRALIA | 26 | 3,090.9 | 11. |
| AFRICA | 18 | 2,055.4 | 7.7 |
| ANTARCTIC/ARCTIC | 1 | 2.3 | 0.0 |
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