Contractors Are Scrambling in a Busy Market with Fabrication Bottlenecks
Rapid escalation of materials prices is causing contractors some headaches but the availability and delivery of fabricated materials is a migraine. “The ability to deliver is of greater importance than the cost of materials and equipment,” says Jim Scotti, vice president and chief procurement officer at Fluor Corp., Irving, Texas.
Many owners understand the spike in material prices but will not accept longer timelines and that makes “the shop space with our fabricators our biggest concern,” Scotti says. Most fabrication shops are running over 90% capacity and are booked far in advance., he notes.