Colorado business leaders� confidence bounced back to pre-recession levels going into the first quarter of 2011, according to the most recent quarterly Leeds Business Confidence Index, or LBCI, released last week by the University of Colorado at Boulder�s Leeds School of Business. For the first quarter of 2011, the LBCI posted a reading of 54.8—just shy of the 54.9 registered in the second quarter of 2007—up from 48.6 last quarter. Business leaders are optimistic about industry sales, profits, employment, capital expenditures and state economic growth. While the index overall is quite strong, certain components are much stronger than others, according
The most difficult part of moving to a senior health-care community is making the decision to live there. When designing for the wellness and health of seniors, architects need to appeal not only to seniors but also to their adult children. The draw has to be not only what’s in the building but also what the community has to offer. Generally, half the residents in a facility have been in the community for a long period of time. The remaining residents are “out-of-towners” brought in by adult children to be close to them. They may also be people who have
It�s been a long, exhausting year at work. You�re tired, depleted, and quite frankly just done with �business as usual.� You�re laying the blame for your fatigue squarely at the feet of the increased responsibilities and long hours you�ve been facing. But according to author Jon Gordon, you might be wrong. He insists that working hard—when done with a good attitude in the right environment—can actually be invigorating. In other words, what’s wearing you out at work might not be the work. “Most people wrongly assume that their tasks and responsibilities are what’s grinding them down,” says Gordon, author of
Last month, President Obama signed the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization and Job Creation Act of 2010. This act put to rest many questions about how Congress and the President would handle the scheduled expiration of the Bush tax cuts this year, as well as other pressing issues of taxation and spending, such as unemployment insurance and the continuation of certain tax credits and opportunities. But what does the new tax act mean for Americans? For Individuals The act has a definitive centerpiece: the two-year extension of the Bush tax cuts for all Americans. President Obama and Congress decided to extend
Construction on the nation�s first data security center for the National Security Agency officially launched with a groundbreaking Jan. 6 on a 240-acre site at the Utah National Guard�s Camp Williams facility about 35 miles southwest of Salt Lake City. Rendering courtesy of Kling Stubbins & Architectural Nexus Photo by Brian Fryer The Utah Data Center groundbreaking. From L to R: Maj. Gen. Brian Tarbet of Utah National Guard; Utah. Lt. Gov. Greg Bell; Rob Moore, president Big-D Construction; Dr. Harvey Davis, associate director for installations and logistics, NSA; U.S. Sen. Orin Hatch; Dep. Director of the Office of the
Designed architect Pierre Langue, founder of Axis Architects, Salt Lake City, this strikingly modern residence located high on the Salt Lake City East Bench offers commanding views of the entire city and its surroundings. Living spaces are oriented around western views, and a large overhanging shading device shields the residence from the sun while providing a distinctive character to the exterior. The volumes of the house follow the slope of the terrain and reinforce the integration of the house into its environment. This modern aesthetic is continued in the interior of the house with the use of an open floor
Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper has appointed Don Hunt as executive director of the Colorado Dept. of Transportation. Hunt was most recently president of Denver-based Antero, where he specialized in project development and management. While at Antero, Hunt was appointed by Hickenlooper to implement and manage the $550-million Denver Bond program. “Donald Hunt has the depth and breadth of experience to tackle the wide variety of transportation issues facing Colorado,” Hickenlooper said. “Colorado’s transportation needs are as varied as its scenery. Don is one of the country’s finest transportation thinkers, and he knows how to bring projects in on time and
Vestas finished 2010 with a record number of wind-turbine sales in North America � 15 total � resulting in 1,883MW and 871 wind turbines. That was the wind-energy company�s best sales performance for the region since Vestas entered the North American market in 1981. Vestas’ previous sales record for North America was 1,554MW in 2007. Other company highlights in 2010 included: • Ten orders from U.S. customers (1,513 MW), five orders from Canadian customers (370 MW); • The largest order for a single site — 190 V90-3.0 MW turbines for Terra-Gen’s Alta Wind Energy Center in California; • A five-year
With the nation�s legislative landscape dominated by health-care reform and relatively stable workers� compensation rates in 2010, Workers� Comp fell off the radar screen. Yet, a more careful review points to challenging times in the years ahead. Here are some factors to consider. 1. Declines in frequency of claims slowing. According to insurers, the long-term trend of declining claims frequency (claims filed per employer payroll) is flattening. This is significant because declining trends that started in 1991 have helped counter rising medical costs driven by the severity of claims and increased utilization. It’s too early to determine the reasons or
Lakewood�s AMA Construction recently completed a three-month renovation of the FirstBank Corporate Headquarters in Lakewood, Colo. The renovation took place on the first and second floors and included remodel work and the application of new finishes on interior portions of the building. AMA was also responsible for minor electrical and mechanical work, which included relocating light fixtures and amending switching. Photos: Courtesy of AMA Construction As with most bank remodels that AMA has completed, work took place on a building that was currently occupied, requiring crews to work around employees, making themselves “non-existent” or working odd hours such as nights