CM At-Risk Gains in a Down Market As Schools, Health Care Remain Hot
Construction management at-risk often is the stepchild of alternate project delivery methods. Some see CM at-risk as simply general contracting with an added level of risk-shifting by the owner. Some jokingly compare it to general contracting "while wearing a tie."
But the nature of being a major general contractor has changed, just as the demands of clients have. "We as an industry have changed over the last 10 years from a blue collar business to a white collar business," says John Fish, CEO of Suffolk Construction. He says large general contractors are doing less self-perform and are emphasizing more management skills and information technology to cope with increasingly complex and time-sensitive schedules.