As a small-business CEO observed a window washer at the Atlanta airport one day, she asked what she thought was a straightforward question, “What’s the secret to window washing?” “No secret, ma’am," the window cleaner said, as he continued working. “I just focus on keeping on with my tools and my experience. I keep on going.”The master continued working with repeated, slick motions, his washer remained fixed to the glass, leaving not one smudge. And, true to his word, he kept on going.When the CEO asked what was in the blue water, the cleaning professional smiled and said, “I can’t
We hear a lot about job creation and how critical it is to our nation’s economic health and future. But who are America’s job creators? Are they the nation’s richest individuals? Are they big public companies? Hot start-ups? The answer is: none of the above. New research sponsored by the Small Business Administration: “Accelerating Job Creation in America: The Promise of High-Impact Companies” by Spencer L. Tracy, Jr., shows that almost all net U.S. job creation in recent years came from existing private, high-growth companies.If we are really going to get serious about job creation, policymakers and communities should focus
Construction’s unemployment rate rose in December to 13.5%, from November’s 12.2%, even with an industry gain of 30,000 jobs last month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. The latest monthly BLS employment report, released on Jan. 4, also showed that construction’s jobless rate last month was down from the December 2011 figure of 16.0%. December marked the 27th straight month in which construction posted year-over-year improvement in its unemployment rates.The BLS rates are not adjusted to reflect seasonal swings. In the highly seasonal construction industry, cold-weather months tend to show a drop in the volume of projects in much of
Prices for construction materials inched down in December, closing out a year of relatively subdued changes in both materials costs and bid prices, according to an analysis of new federal figures recently released by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials said the price decline was likely to be temporary, noting that the vast majority of contractors predict materials prices will rise in 2013. “Moderate price swings for several materials last year gave contractors some breathing room, but future price spikes could push many firms into the red,” said Ken Simonson, chief economist for the construction trade association. “Contractors
Significantly more construction firms are planning to add new staff than plan to cut staff, while demand for many types of private-sector construction projects should increase this year, according to survey results recently released by the Associated General Contractors of America and Computer Guidance Corp. The survey, conducted as part of “Tentative Signs of a Recovery: The 2013 Construction Industry Hiring and Business Outlook,” provides a generally optimistic outlook for the year even as firms worry about rising costs and declining public-sector demand for construction.“While the outlook for the construction industry appears to be heading in the right direction for
Developer Chris Milam's planned 750,000-sq-ft, 16,500-seat sports arena in Henderson, 12 miles south of Las Vegas, may be headed for bust. Due to fraud concerns, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management has delayed the potential sale of 480 acres to Milam's Silver State Land LLC 40 days until Feb. 6. at the request of Henderson City Attorney Josh Reid. Image Courtesy of IDM LLC Plans for a $1.5-billion stadium in Las Vegas are on shaky financial ground. Milam had submitted a $2.1-million deposit in June for the $10.56-million purchase; the balance was due Dec. 3. Reid wrote in a letter
The Jennie Smoly Caruthers Biotechnology Building on the University of Colorado Boulder’s East Campus has earned LEED-Platinum designation for new construction from the U.S. Green Building Council. The 336,800-sq-ft facility houses more than 60 faculty and 500 researchers, staff and students from various science, humanities and engineering disciplines. Photo courtesy of JE Dunn Construction The Jennie Smoly Caruthers Building at CU Boulder supports life-changing research for a variety of health issues. The Jennie Smoly Caruthers building is 30% more energy efficient and 40% more water efficient than similar, code-compliant research buildings that have been recently built. Designers maximized energy efficiency in many
The Utah Dept. of Transportation has completed the Utah County I-15 Corridor Expansion project. Construction was finished in an unprecedented 35 months, making I-15 CORE the fastest billion-dollar public highway project ever built in the United States. I-15 CORE reconstructed 24 miles of freeway from Lehi to Spanish Fork. Photo courtesy of HDR I-15 CORE reconstructed 24 miles of freeway from Lehi to Spanish Fork and widened the freeway by two lanes in each direction. The project widened the freeway by two lanes in each direction; replaced the original asphalt with new 40-year concrete pavement, extended the Express Lane from Lehi’s
The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index, which had declined slightly in November, posted another decrease in December. The index now stands at 65.1, down from 71.5 in November. The Expectations Index declined sharply to 66.5 from 80.9. The Present Situation Index increased to 62.8 from 57.4 last month. However, consumers’ assessment of current conditions improved in December. Those stating business conditions are “good” rose to 17.1% from 14.6%, while those stating business conditions are “bad” decreased to 27.3% from 31.2%. Consumers’ appraisal of the labor market was mixed. Those saying jobs are “plentiful” edged down to 10.3% from 11.0%, while
As it did in October, the Credit Managers Index (CMI) from the National Association of Credit Management slipped again in December, from 55.2 to 54.9. The most dramatic movement was in sales, which plummeted to 56.7, a low last seen in December 2009 and almost a full point lower than in October 2012. According to NACM, the decline reinforces the notion that business stalled at the end of last year in anticipation of what could have happened with spending and taxation. There was some cautious optimism last fall, but that optimism has evaporated, the association said.The other favorable factors did
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