Warren Buffett opines that “risk comes from not knowing what you’re doing.’’ This applies to our industry, as owners ask contractors to assume the risk of inaccurate contract documents and unknown or differing site conditions that may be encountered after construction begins. Texas law allows “freedom of contract’—owners can shift these risks to contractors. What happens if the contract contains unclear or contradictory language as to who is responsible for these risks? A judge or jury may decide the parties’ intent. This all-too familiar fact pattern is illustrated by MasTec North America Inc. v. El Paso Field Services LP, a
Collaboration has long played a critical role in our industry. With today’s increasingly complex projects, the right team of partners is important in not only winning commissions but also in successfully completing projects. div id="articleExtrasA" div id="articleExtrasB" div id="articleExtras" Excellence in Design Starts with a Strong Core Team Excellence in design is achieved by excellence in service. A goal on every project should be to effectively translate the client’s vision. Excellence in service is not only about the design. It means managing process and project development, mitigating risk and assembling the best team. ARMSTRONG It is important to develop a
With the 6,350th glass pane hoisted into place on Sept. 15, the only visible sign of anything having been awry at Atlanta’s 723-ft-tall Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel—the tallest hotel in the Western Hemisphere—is the exterior hoist, set to come down by mid-November. But for more than two years, there were pockmarks on the glass-clad facade, which was hit by flying debris during a freak tornado in March 2008. The 35-year-old hotel stayed open, minus damaged rooms, during the year-long, $22-million project. For several reasons, owner Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc., White Plains, N.Y., elected to install all new tinted
Bulldozers may soon be pushing dirt in the Everglades following the issuance Sept. 3 of new marching orders from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to the State of Florida to improve the quality of water entering the Everglades Protection Area. The agency was acting in response to pressure from an April U.S. District Court decision ordering EPA and the state to begin enforcing the water quality standards mandated by Florida�s 1994 Everglades Forever Act and the Federal Clean Water Act. To comply with the court order, EPA has notified Florida that clean water standards for phosphorus are not being achieved
Plainly, 2009 was not a good year for Southeast contractors and designers. And judging from the data collected from Southeast Construction’s annual Top Specialty Contractors survey, for the ranking published here, specialty firms took a severe hit last year. Related Links: Specialty Contracting Slowdown KHS&S Gets Lean Top Specialty Contractor Rankings The number of responses to this most recent annual survey was down considerably. In itself, that’s a telling indicator. While each of the previous two Top Specialty Contractor rankings had reached a depth of 200, this latest “Top” survey generated only enough responses for a ranking of 150. Last
FKP Architects’ senior associate and project designer, Mezio S. Zangirolami, AIA, LEED AP, was recently named among the Houston Business Journal’s 2010 “40 Under 40” honorees. The annual awards program identifies 40 leaders on the rise who excel in their industries, are respected business leaders and show leadership in their communities. Zangirolami graduated from the University of Houston with a bachelor’s degree in architecture. TEXO, the combined chapter of the North/East Texas Chapter of the Associated General Contractors and the Associated Builders and Contractors North Texas, named Hank Mouser of Balfour Beatty Construction, its 2010 Safety Professional of the Year.
For construction firms ready to add workers, a new law aimed at reducing unemployment offers grease for the skids. Enacted earlier this year, The Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment (or HIRE) Act grants a payroll tax exemption for hiring workers who have been out of work for at least 60 days. It wasn’t long ago that rehiring was a non-issue, given the rate at which jobs were being slashed. Certain business sectors and regions are now on the upswing. In Texas, job growth is fairly impressive. In May Texas had 75,200 more jobs than in May 2009, according to the
Contractors often pursue projects using a JV approach. The term, “joint venture,” (or JV) can mean different things. This column examines different JV approaches and their advantages and disadvantages.
Although architecture, engineering and construction firms generate business in many ways, classic marketing and sales tactics remain at the heart of that. Executing a joint strategy, each helping drive the success of the other, should improve a company’s return on resources invested in both. Marketing and sales are two different functions, but both must focus on revenue growth. Marketing is fundamentally a “one-to-many” sales relationship, not generally tied to a specific client. Sales, by contrast, focuses on individual clients in “one-to-one” sales relationships. In many A/E/C firms, these functional groups interface little, with marketing staff unclear about what sales staff
Moss Miller LLC was awarded a $34-million design-build contract for Nova Southeastern University’s oceanographic research center, dedicated to the study of coral reefs. Related Links: FAU Breaks Ground on Max Planck Florida Institute Clancy & Theys to Build First Phase of Harmony Town Center Port Manatee Awards $14.8-Million Berth 12 Dredging Contract U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to Nourish Two Pinellas Beaches The partnership of Moss & Associates and Miller Construction Co., both of Fort Lauderdale, expects to start construction in October at Nova Southeastern’s Oceanographic Center site in Dania Beach. The 86,000-sq-ft Center of Excellence for Coral Reef Ecosystems
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