After experiencing two solid years of recovery in 2012 and 2013, the region's specialty contracting sector is anticipating slower growth, but not a pullback, in 2014. Many of the old issues remain: stiff competition for jobs, lower-than-desirable margins and slow pay practices from some owners. Add to that new concerns about labor shortages for skilled workers, more regulation and uncertainty surrounding the impact of the Affordable Care Act. But then the good news: More work is available, materials prices have stabilized and most firms have solid recovery plans. Photo courtesy of Cache Valley Electric Cache Valley Electric did the electrical,
Wyoming’s mechanic’s lien laws are designed to protect individuals who provide labor or materials for the improvement of existing real property or new construction of real property. The intent is to provide a remedy to lien claimants in addition to other remedies afforded at law, such as breach of contract. The effect of a mechanic’s lien is that an encumbrance is placed on the title of the improved property. The property, in turn, serves as security for the debt incurred for the improvements. The encumbrance remains on the property even if title is transferred to a new owner, unless the
Does an unsolicited offer to purchase your business have you dreaming about the next phase in life? If so, don’t run out and put a down payment on the vacation home just yet. Attempting to complete a business sale with only one prospective buyer can lead to a host of problems, including leaving money on the table, or worse, a failed transaction. In fact, if you have received an unsolicited offer, it is a good indication that your business has market demand and would benefit from a confidential competitive auction process. While there are success stories with sales transactions involving
Outwardly, retail centers seem to have come full circle over the past 80 years, morphing from sidewalk shops that formed a main street during the first half of the 20th century to suburban strips in the ‘50s to the indoor malls of the ‘70s and now—back again to “town centers” which mimic the look and feel of those initial main streets. Over the past decade or so, two trends have conspired to undercut the traditional importance of shopping centers as focal points for the communities in which they are located. First, consumers now have tremendous opportunities to buy goods at
When it comes to the topic of construction jobs in Arizona, there is good news and bad news. The good news is that jobs have rebounded from the depths of the recession by nearly 20,000 jobs or so. The bad news, though, is that the 123,000 or so workers employed by the construction industry in November 2013 are about the same amount as worked in the industry in 1995, according to data released today by the Arizona Department of Administration.According to the data, total construction employment in January 2013 was 116,600 which included 76,100 in specialty trades. In November 2013,
A recent decision of the Colorado Court of Appeals in the case of “Stresscon Corporation v. Travelers Property Casualty Company of America” provides an insight into insurance coverage under a contractor’s comprehensive general liability insurance policy. While the decision may be reviewed by the Colorado Supreme Court at a later date, it does appear to express the law as it now stands in Colorado. In the case, Stresscon fabricated concrete structural members that were being installed on the project when a panel fell, one workman was killed and another injured. Travelers, Stresscon’s comprehensive general liability insurance carrier, refused to defend
Nearly 50 years since the last neighborhood streetcars rumbled though Salt Lake City, the S-Line marks the return of that transit option to the city. The first phase of the project eschews the street for a reclaimed rail corridor with green space and trails. Photo by Brian Fryer The S-Line uses the same vehicles as the TRAX light rail system, with some modifications to the exterior. Inside, the cars have more room for standing passengers and bicycles. With a blast of celebratory fireworks and the sounding of a train bell, officials from the Utah Transit Authority, Salt Lake and South
Gov. John Hickenlooper joined Colorado Dept. of Transportation and federal, state and local officials to preview the new eastbound Interstate 70 Twin Tunnel bore near Idaho Springs on Dec. 7. After just eight months of rock blasting, rock bolting and paving, the third lane of eastbound I-70 between east of Idaho Springs to U.S. 6, including through the Twin Tunnels, opened to traffic. Photo courtesy of CDOT The $106-million Twin Tunnels Project added one eastbound lane. Photo courtesy of CDOT This is the first of several projects designed to improve safety and mobility along the I-70 mountain corridor. “The I-70
The Children’s Hospital recently marked completion of its new Colorado South Inpatient Facility in Lone Tree, Colo. A ribbon cutting was held on December 4 at the CHC South facility, and the first patients arrive on December 19. Rendering courtesy of Davis Partnership The four-story, 180,000-sq-ft, full-service hospital includes inpatient, outpatient and emergency services. The facility is a four-story, 180,000-sq-ft, full-service hospital that includes inpatient, outpatient and emergency services. Other components of the project comprise a main-level entry that opens up to a two-story glass atrium, complete with food service for patients and families.Imaging, emergency and surgical departments are all
Overall, construction materials prices fell 0.5% in November and are up only 1.1% year over year, according to the Dept. of Labor’s Dec. 13 Producer Price Index. Nonresidential construction materials are down 0.6% for the month and are 0.7% lower than the same time last year. “November represented another month of remarkable stability for construction input prices,” said Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) Chief Economist Anirban Basu. “Although many investors predicted significant inflation this year due to expansionary monetary policies in much of the developed world, there continues to be a lack of significant inflationary pressures both globally and nationally.”Overall,
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