Related Links: Romney Tops Obama In ENR Survey of Construction Executives ENR's 3rd Quarterly Cost Report, 2012 (subscription required) With the American presidential election less than two months away, the construction industry has taken a wait-and-see attitude about the markets. Many top construction executives believe the market will stay in a holding pattern until the election results come in and the new administration's spending and regulatory priorities and the direction of the economy become clear.The most recent ENR Construction Industry Confidence Index survey shows the industry's uncertainty. The second-quarter 2012 CICI fell six points from the first quarter to 50
Photo Courtesy of DIA Holding DIA Holding completed the 2.7-million-sq-ft mixed-use Flame Towers project in Baku, Azerbaijan, in 2012. The project is designed as a first step in transforming Baku into a high-tech center Related Links: Comprehensive Text, Analysis, Charts. Rankings and Revenue (purchase or subscription required) ENR's Top Lists ENR's Top International Contractors Despite some global upheavals and uncertainty, the world construction market showed surprising strength for large contractors in 2011. After being flat in 2009 and 2010, revenue for large international contractors grew last year. However, big contractors working in the international market are expressing some caution about
Related Links: View Complete Report with Data and Analysis (pdf) Construction Financial Management Association For many in the industry, the construction market seems to have stabilized and is beginning to show signs of life. However, there are concerns among owners, both public and private, about the availability of funds to launch new capital programs. So the construction industry believes that any significant rebound will not come until 2013.The most recent ENR Construction Industry Confidence Index survey shows the industry's guarded optimism. The second-quarter 2012 CICI fell two points from the first quarter to 56 on a scale of 100. (A
PHOTO COURTESY OF BECHTEL LNG terminals benefit from the low cost of natural gas. Related Links: Main Story: Market Picture Begins to Clear for Top 400 Contractors The surge in shale-gas extraction around the U.S. has caused a worldwide rush to obtain cheap U.S. natural gas. Now, to answer this demand, major energy companies are scrambling to convert existing liquefied natural gas, or LNG, import terminals into export terminals.On Nov. 14, 2011, Houston-based Cheniere Energy awarded Bechtel a $3.9-billion engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for two new liquefaction trains at the Sabine Pass LNG terminal in Cameron Parish, La.
PHOTO COURTESY OF HOFFMAN CORP. Hoffman Corp. builds semiconductor plants for prestigious technology clients. Related Links: Main Story: Market Picture Begins to Clear for Top 400 Contractors Many contractors working in the industrial and manufacturing markets grew in revenue in 2011, but none matched Hoffman Corp. Its 2011 contracting revenue stood at $1.91 billion, up 142.5% from 2010."The semiconductor market showed some major activity last year, and we caught a piece of that," says Bart Eberwein, executive vice president. He declined to identify Hoffman's major projects. But the McGraw-Hill Construction Network database identifies Hoffman as the contractor for multibillion-dollar Intel
Courtesy of Harvey Mudd College Known for sticking to core markets, MATT construction tried a new way to build a concrete slab. Related Links: BubbleDeck Technology Systems Main Story: Market Picture Begins to Clear for Top 400 Contractors Bubble-Filled Concrete Deck Debuts At Wisconsin Hockey Arena MATT Construction is one contractor that has not scrambled to find the next hot market. "Our strategy has always been to stay with our core competencies and core markets," says Marvin Wheat, president. "Schools, museums and non-profits that we serve have tended to retain funding for their projects."This strategy has secured the contractor some
PHOTO COURTESY OF GRAY CONSTRUCTION Industrial projects have helped lift Gray Construction. Related Links: Main Story: The Market Picture Begins to Clear for the Top 400 Contractors Website of Gray Construction Co. The growing investment in manufacturing and industrial facilities has helped boost many Top 400 Contractors. One of the biggest beneficiaries on this year's list is Gray Construction in Lexington, Ky.Gray Construction has years of experience in manufacturing and process plants, but the recession took its toll. The firm had risen to No. 120 on the Top 400 in 2008, reporting 2007 revenue of $534.1 million. By last year,
After four years, it appears the U.S. construction market has bottomed out and is beginning the slow climb out of recession. For many large U.S. design firms, this development is cause for both relief and celebration. But for other design firms, particularly in the public infrastructure markets, uncertainty about the future remains a constant.The signs of the recession's end can be seen in ENR's Top 500 Design Firms list. The Top 500, taken as
The market recession has severely tested the confidence of the normally optimistic construction industry. Four years of struggling markets have taken a toll. However, the slow-but-steady recovery of the U.S. economy has many firms in the industry now believing that the worst is behind them and that a broad recovery is poised to begin. The recovery of the industry’s optimism can be seen in the most recent ENR Construction Industry Confidence Index (CICI) survey. Photo courtesy of Webcor Builders The recovery of the industry's optimism can be seen in the most recent ENR Construction Industry Confidence Index (CICI) survey. The
Related Links: Read the Complete 2012 Q1 Cost Report PDF The market recession has severely tested the confidence of the normally optimistic construction industry. Four years of struggling markets have taken a toll. However, the slow-but-steady recovery of the U.S. economy has many firms in the industry now believing that the worst is behind them and that a broad recovery is poised to begin.The recovery of the industry’s optimism can be seen in the most recent ENR Construction Industry Confidence Index survey. The first-quarter 2012 CICI rose to 58 on a scale of 100, up 16 points from 42 in