Merit Shop Replies I was amused to read the headline, "Trades Declare War on Nonunion Training," and the Building and Construction Trades Dept., AFL-CIO had "thrown down the gauntlet" for Associated Builders and Contractors (ENR 4/25 p. 10). It seems we have heard that old BCTD song and dance before. In December 1967, during BCTD’s annual convention, it also declared "war" on ABC. That declaration of war helped launch an unprecedented period of growth for ABC. In fact, over the next eight years, ABC increased its membership from around 3,000 to 15,000 firms and added 55 new chapters. Today, ABC
BURNS It took the events of Sept. 11, 2001, and a 300% increase in construction to support the war on terrorism for me to look at the project delivery process in a new way. That increase was on a $500-million existing construction program I inherited that was over budget and over schedule. So I seriously needed to improve our process and better partner with architectural, engineering and construction firms to face those challenges. The key was looking at project delivery as interlinked steps, realizing each step influences the success or failure of the next. At an airport last year, I
Adult Education Expands Kudos to ENR for its excellent article "Industry’s Learning Curve," about corporate training and education and employee development (ENR 4/11 p. 22). Many leading industry companies have made employee professional development a top priority. However, there are many more firms that lack the technical or in-house resources to establish similar programs. To help fill that void, the American Road & Transportation Builders Association Transportation Development Foundation this year launched a first-of-its-kind executive education program for the transportation construction industry. Building transportation infrastructure, particularly projects financed by public agencies, demands complex leadership, management and negotiating skills not required
GENBERG You, the company’s regional director of sales, are sitting at your desk when your good friend and colleague Joe, visibly upset, tells you the "operations guys" are complaining that "sales" underbid the project, "as usual," and operations won’t "take the hit for it this time." You, of course, find these remarks not only inaccurate but defamatory. With poor Joe shaking in front of you, and your own career suddenly shaky, you spot justice two feet away: your computer. All you need do to keep this outrage from gathering steam is to blast the historic incompetence of the operations team.
Aileen Cho From airport expansions to highway improvements, every engineer knows that gaining public goodwill is vital to increasing the chances that a project will be successful. In Denver, convincing every voting segment, from liberal to conservative, to not only tolerate but desire a new light rail system represents a public relations triumph and some very meticulous planning. Denver's $5-billion Light Rail Baby As per ENR’s lead news story for our Mother’s Day issue, Denver is planning one of the biggest light rail projects in the country. Tom Clark, head of the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation, calls the $4.7
opinions UPDATE - 5/2/2005 Sawyer Honored by Corps of Engineers While representing McGraw-Hill Construction at a ceremony at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point on April 22 to honor 96 graduating cadets joining the U.S. Army Engineer Regiment, ENR Associate Editor Tom Sawyer was amazed to be called forward and presented with a medal by Lt. Gen. Carl A. Strock, the chief of engineers. Sawyer was presented with the Bronze Order of the de Fleury Medal in recognition of his "superb support" for the engineer soldiers. Sawyer was an embedded reporter with Army’s combat engineers in the spring of
Aileen Cho Designers and architects looking for future contracts with the Metropolitan Transportation Administration’s New York City Transit Authority should pay more attention to bus depots. Cosema Crawford, chief engineer for the NYCTA, said at a mid-April transportation breakfast forum that “we receive 40 to 50 design proposals for every station redesign; we get three or four for a bus depot.” The subway station rehabilitation program is restrained by a limited capital budget. The subway core maintenance budget will get about $15 billion over the next five years; Crawford says the needs equal $17 billion. Consultants and contractors should look
MAYER My recently completed doctoral research project, entitled Sources of Competitive Advantage in U.S. Engineering Firms, sought to uncover important factors affecting performance in design firms. Drawing upon a survey of the largest 300 firms from ENR’s Top 500 Design Firms, in-depth interviews of senior executives and CEOs of firms, and a detailed postal survey, I evaluated a series of strategic factors that included: The importance of geography, such as proximity to the client. Innovation. Diversification of markets, services and geography as a growth strategy. The role of partnering. Utilization and investment in technology. Key sources of market and technical
HANSPAL You can never be too rich or too thin, so the saying goes. But some parts of the building market may now be feeling too rich. The continued record-low mortgage rates of the past two years proved a boon to construction in 2004. In February 2005, the U.S. Commerce Dept. and the National Association of Home Builders reported that housing starts jumped 4.7% in January to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 2.159 million units, the highest pace in 21 years. But nothing lasts forever, especially low interest rates. Builders need to think lean for the future or they
Winners's Personality Makes Writer's Job Fun When Joe Maloney, secretary-treasurer of the Building and Construction Trades Dept., AFL-CIO, heard that ENR editors had selected him to be the 40th recipient of the magazine’s Award of Excellence, his response was "jeepers creepers...oh Lordy, I have to pinch myself." Bonding Winston and Maloney share a laugh in front of the mural at AFL-CIO’s offices. (Photo by Guy Lawrencefor ENR) Those expressions were typical of the personality that Washington correspondent Sherie Winston came to know as she trailed along with Maloney in Washington, D.C.; Orlando, Fla.; and Kansas City, Mo., reporting this week’s
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