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
The Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA), which reports economic activity from 25 companies representing a cross-section of the $725-billion equipment finance sector, showed that the industry’s overall new business volume for November was $6.4 billion, up 3% from volume of $6.2 billion in the same period in 2011. The companies’ volume was down 16% from the previous month, and their year-to-date cumulative new business volume increased 15%. Receivables over 30 days increased for the first time in six months to 2.0%, up from 1.7% in October, and they were unchanged when compared to the same period in 2011.Charge-offs were up
After the board of directors for Denver’s Regional Transportation District approved moving forward with a FasTracks Internal Savings Account to help fund FasTracks projects that are not fully funded, RTD staff will begin the process of implementing the plan. The savings account is comprised of eight items that are expected to generate nearly $300 million by 2017. The funds would be used to build the North Metro Line to at least 72nd Avenue in Westminster and complete RTD’s commitment on the U.S. 36 Bus Rapid Transit project, a partnership with the Colorado Dept. of Transportation. The RTD board has been
Colorado business leaders’ optimism is modest going into the first quarter of 2013, with uncertainty surrounding the country’s political and economic environments, according to the most recent quarterly Leeds Business Confidence Index, or LBCI, released Jan. 2 by the University of Colorado Boulder’s Leeds School of Business. For the first quarter of 2013, the LBCI, conducted by the Leeds School’s Business Research Division, posted an overall confidence reading of 51.3, down slightly from 51.6 in the fourth quarter of 2012. A reading greater than the neutral mark of 50 indicates positive expectations and one less than 50 indicates negative expectations
Construction spending dipped from October to November, but resolution of the uncertainty regarding federal taxes for 2013 should unleash more private construction investment, according to an analysis of new federal data recently released by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials warned, however, that unresolved issues about federal construction spending, including storm relief for northeastern states, will hold down public construction spending. “Preliminary data from the Census Bureau for November shows overall construction spending slipped 0.3% from October’s total after seven months of steady gains,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “The more significant comparison, however, is with
The city of Thornton, Colo., hired Denver's ECI Site Construction Management Inc. in October 2010 as the CM/GC for the $10-million Margaret Carpenter Regional Park project. Photo courtesy of ECI Site Construction Management The $10-million Margaret Carpenter Regional Park will be complete this summer. Through 2011 and early 2012, ECI worked alongside city staff, designer DHM and engineer JVA Inc. to determine project costs, address constructability concerns, and provide value added alternatives.Through this effort, the city was able to construct the master-planned project within budget. In order to adhere to a condensed project timeline, ECI assisted the city in dividing
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently honored Denver’s Mariposa District with the 2012 National Award for Smart Growth Achievement in the category of Equitable Development. The prestigious national award is given for creative, sustainable initiatives that help protect the health and the environment of communities while also strengthening local economies. Seven projects were honored at an awards ceremony in December in Washington, D.C. Rendering courtesy of DHA The Mariposa District in Denver is undergoing phased revitalization that has earned the Denver Housing Authority and other city agencies national recognition. The Denver Housing Authority’s redevelopment of the Mariposa District in the
After two summer building seasons, Denver's Hyder Construction completed the new Elk Camp restaurant for Aspen Skiing Co. in time for the restaurant to open with the resort’s 2012-2013 season. At 9,970 ft above sea level, the restaurant embraces its mountain setting by capitalizing on dramatic views that can be seen from all three sides of the building. This contemporary mountain structure was designed by CCY Architects of Basalt and features vast areas of windows, large timbers, metal siding and board-formed concrete. Photo courtesy of Hyder Construction The peaked roof is designed to help capture views up the mountain
The Utah Chapter of the Society for Marketing Professional Services presented in December the 2012 winners of its annual Marketing Communication Awards. They recognize the year’s best efforts by marketing professionals serving Utah’s architecture, engineering and construction industry. The 2012 winners are:• Structural engineering firm Reaveley Engineers won first place in the “Website Design Category.”• Sohm Photographx, a company that specializes in architectural photography, won first place in the “Collateral/Give-Away” category for its free promotional photography calendar.• Layton Construction won first place in the “Marketing Campaign” category for its informative quarterly Foundation magazine.• Cynthia Remine of Ascent Construction was named
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