Specialty contractors across the Mountain States are more upbeat than in recent years about the overall health of the industry and the regional outlook for 2013. While many firms saw an uptick in revenue and profits in 2012, ongoing anxiety about availability of work and tighter competition is being compounded by national economic concerns.
Trade contractors that survived the recession did so by retooling their operations and keeping current customers happy while seeking out new ones, often by diversifying services. The result: expanded but leaner operations with a greater reliance on prefabrication of materials and new jobsite technologies.