Accounting
Introducing FORVIS: New Name for Planned Merger of BKD and DHG Reflects the Firm’s Forward Vision
CHARLOTTE, N.C. and SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The newest entrant among the nation’s Top-10 professional services firms will be called FORVIS. The name was jointly announced in April by the leaders of BKD and DHG. The two firms agreed to a merger of equals in February, with an effective date of June 1, to create an enhanced, Top-10,…
BKD and DHG Combine for a Robust National Growth Strategy
CHARLOTTE, N.C. and SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (February 17, 2022) – The leading accounting firms of BKD and DHG today jointly announced they will merge to create a new, Top-10, national professional services firm with $1.4 billion in revenue, setting the stage for a national growth strategy. With complementary operations, geographies and nearly two centuries of legacy…
Elliott Davis Webinar: Cybersecurity -Threats, Trends, and Solutions
WHEN: May 25 from 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm Join us for a free CPE webinar on May 25, 2021 from 12:00 – 1:00 pm ET, to discuss the latest threats and trends of cyberattacks specific to the Real Estate, Architecture, Engineering and Construction industry. Register Learning Objectives Evaluate the latest threats and trends. Determine…
Banking
FMI Capital Advisors Releases 2022 Construction Materials Outlook
FMI Capital Advisors, a leading investment banking firm for companies that work and invest in the built environment, released its 2022 Construction Materials (CM) Outlook report entitled, “Seizing the Opportunities Ahead.” The report provides a brief recap of last year’s M&A activity and summarizes key drivers and challenges for the CM industry in 2022 and…
BB&T Reinforces Commitment to Eastern North Carolina
BB&T Corporation (NYSE : BBT ) announced it will build an approximately 95,000-square-foot office facility on Pine Street in downtown Wilson, N.C. The new $35 million building will accommodate 650 BB&T associates who are currently working in the twin buildings at 223 West Nash St. or elsewhere in Wilson. BB&T expects to begin site work on…
Infintech Is CFMA’s Newest Affinity Program Partner
The Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA) is proud to introduce its newest Affinity Program Partner, Infintech. Ranked as one of Inc. Magazine’s Fastest Growing Companies, Infintech specializes in business-to-business and construction payment processing. Offering cutting-edge technologies and equipment, at the best prices, Infintech clients can then offer the convenient, secure payment options their customers need….
Diversity & Inclusion
FMI Partners with the United States Minority Contractors Association (USMCA) to Help Improve Members’ Operations and Strategic Planning
FMI Corporation, a leading consulting and investment banking firm serving the built environment, announces a strategic partnership with the U.S. Minority Contractors Association (USMCA), a nonprofit that helps and advocates for minority business owners, contractors and subcontractors. FMI will serve as a strategic partner and consultant to USMCA, helping the association expand member services and…
Carolinas AGC Celebrates Women in Construction
Carolinas AGC (CAGC) was proud once again to celebrate Women in Construction Week, which extended from March 8 – March 12, 2021. In addition to launching targeted advertisements which showcased the benefits of careers in construction for women, CAGC also launched a three-part CAGC Buildercast podcast series, We Were Built for This, highlighting the impact that women have on…
Burns & McDonnell Launches Together By Design Newsletter Focused on Spotlighting Importance of Business Diversity
Burns & McDonnell is launching Together By Design, a quarterly business diversity newsletter that seeks to advance a community of inclusion. The email newsletter features stories of great opportunity, innovative approaches, and diverse perspectives that can shape best practices for the architecture, engineering and construction industry. Each quarter, Burns & McDonnell will introduce readers to diverse clients,…
Finance / Bonding
Majority of Construction ESOPs Not Significantly Impacted by COVID-19
Prairie Capital Advisors, Inc. (“Prairie”), a leading middle-market investment bank, recently released its ESOP Construction Industry Survey. Prairie works with owners of private construction businesses across the country, providing advisory services to support their growth and ownership transition strategies. Many of its clients in the construction industry have decided on an ESOP as part of…
Cash Flows Versus Profitability
Every business owner knows that cash is king. For a business to be successful, it must have good cash flow. However, for a business to be valuable, it must also be predictably profitable. And as we’ll see, these are not always the same thing. As an example, I recently worked with a business owner, who…
Cherry Bekaert Expands Credits & Incentives Resources and Capabilities with Acquisition of the Tax Advantage Group
Cherry Bekaert LLP (“the firm”) announced the acquisition of the Tax Advantage Group (“TAG”), a specialized consulting firm that provides New Markets Tax Credit (“NMTC”) services to clients across the country. Based in Greenville, SC. TAG will now operate as Tax Advantage Group by Cherry Bekaert, and will bring six experienced professionals to Cherry Bekaert’s Credits…
Government Affairs
Carolinas AGC Wins Two National Awards at National Conference
Carolinas AGC (CAGC) is pleased to announce it was among a small group of AGC chapters from across the country honored with 2021 Chapter Awards at the 2021 AGC National and Chapter Leadership Conference, which took place September 19-20 in Orlando, Florida. CAGC was awarded two of the seven awards, the only chapter of 89…
AGC: New Immigration Bill Protects The Legal Status Of More Than 100,000 People In Dreamers And TPS Programs Who Work In Construction
Offering Undocumented Immigrants a Path to Legal Status Will Put an End to Unfair Competition and Labor Exploitation, But Bill Fails to Create a Construction Worker Visa Program, Has Other Flaws The Associated General Contractors of America’s chief executive officer, Stephen E. Sandherr, issued the following statement in reaction to the introduction in Congress…
NC Governor Cooper Names Machelle Sanders Dept. of Commerce Secretary
Raleigh, NC – Feb 12, 2021 – Today, Governor Roy Cooper announced that Machelle Sanders, current Secretary of the NC Department of Administration, will now serve as Secretary of the Department of Commerce. Sanders will replace Tony Copeland who stepped down at the end of January. “Machelle has been an outstanding leader in this administration,…
Human Resources
ABC and AFSP Announce Partnership to Address Mental Health and Suicide Prevention in the Construction Industry
Associated Builders and Contractors and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention today announced a collaborative partnership to address mental health and suicide prevention throughout the U.S. construction industry. The goals of the partnership are to improve the mental health of construction workers through effective suicide prevention education, intervention and postvention strategies; to encourage, equip and…
New Report Offers Strategies for Addressing Bias in Architecture Profession
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) in partnership with the University of California Hastings College of the Law is releasing a new report today that sheds light on the impacts of bias in the workplace. Additionally, the report offers resources that can help move the needle on equity, diversity, and inclusion in the architecture profession. “This study…
ABC Wins Key Nationwide Challenge Against Federal Contractor Vaccine Mandate
Associated Builders and Contractors today applauded a federal court for granting a nationwide preliminary injunction order against the federal contractor vaccine mandate. The ruling came from the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia. “ABC’s participation in the case was essential to nationwide and construction industry relief, which would otherwise have been limited to the…
Leadership
ING Tour Stops with “Antarctic Mike” Pierce
GroundBreak Carolinas is pleased to promote a series of exciting speaking events sponsored by the Industrial Networking Group (ING). Speaker, author and coach “Antarctic Mike” Pierce will be visiting the Carolinas and Georgia to share his inspirational story. Antarctic Mike brings very high energy to his programs and knows how to tell stories that will…
Communication Skills of Top Leaders
Do you struggle with communicating effectively? Communication is a critical part key part of success in the construction industry and in other parts of your life. The top leaders and best communicators have practiced and mastered the skills that enable them to communicate so effectively. You too can learn these same skills! Follow these strategies…
Your First 100 Days
Each time a new President moves into the Oval Office there is considerable discussion, anticipation and focus on the first 100 days in office. New Presidents seek to set the tone of their administration and begin to implement the platform and agenda on which they campaigned. The approach also applies to construction businesses. What will the…
Legal
Elmore Goldsmith Kelley & deHoll Attorneys Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® for 2022
The law firm of Elmore Goldsmith Kelley & deHoll is pleased to announce that the firm’s attorneys have been selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® for 2022: L. Franklin “Frank” Elmore: Construction Law and Litigation–Construction Mason A. “Andy” Goldsmith, Jr.: Construction Law and Litigation–Construction Bryan P. Kelley: Construction Law…
Elmore Goldsmith Kelley & deHoll, P.A. Recognized as South Carolina ‘Super Lawyers’
South Carolina ‘Super Lawyers’ Five attorneys from Elmore Goldsmith Kelley & deHoll have been named by South Carolina Super Lawyers Magazine for 2021. Super Lawyers recognizes attorneys who have distinguished themselves in their legal practice and less than five percent of lawyers in each state are selected to this exclusive list. Attorneys recognized as Super…
Elmore Goldsmith Kelley & deHoll, P.A. and Attorneys Recognized by U.S. News- Best Lawyers® 2021
U.S. News – Best Lawyers® released the 2021 “Best Law Firms” rankings and Elmore Goldsmith Kelley & deHoll, P.A. has been recognized in four areas. For the Greenville metropolitan area, the firm has received tier one rankings for Construction Law, Litigation–Construction, Litigation–Securities, and Commercial Litigation. Firms included in this eleventh edition are recognized for professional…
Management
2022 Starts with Strong Job Growth
Today’s jobs report showed a better-than-expected increase in the number of jobs in January. Disruptions related to the Omicron variant do not seem to have derailed continued progress in the labor market. However, headwinds for employers persist, as labor shortages are still severe and economic activity remains healthy. Nonfarm payroll employment increased by 467,000 in…
FMI Releases 2022 Engineering and Construction Industry Overview and First Quarter Outlook
FMI Corporation, the leading provider of consulting and investment banking services to the built environment, released the 2022 Engineering and Construction Industry Overview today. The report provides a comprehensive forecast for a broad range of construction and engineering segments in the U.S. and Canada for 2022. Entering 2022, FMI expects construction spending to increase by 5%. But…
How to Apply the Pareto Principle at Work and at Home
The 80/20 rule, also known as the Pareto Principle, is the idea that 20% of your efforts bring 80% of your results. The idea applies to many things in life. 20% of your customers make up 80% of your revenue. 20% of your employees make 80% of the complaints. 20% of your customers are 80%…
Marketing
A Brief Guide on Content Marketing Strategy for a Construction Business
Content marketing is a great way to subtly push your brand among consumers while offering them unconditional value. The successful content marketing with continuity also eventually improves the organic online visibility of the business. For these reasons, businesses from all sectors and niches have made content marketing an integral part of their digital promotions. However,…
SEO or PPC: Which is Better for Your Construction Business
Determining an approach to digital marketing can be intimidating. In order to grow your construction business online, you may be wondering whether you should invest your time and money into Search Engine Optimization (SEO) or Pay-Per-Click Advertising (PPC). Both have their positives and negatives, but is one better than the other? Let’s look at both….
Construction Assistance Association Launches New Website
When it comes to advancing diversity and inclusion in the construction industry, Construction Assistance Association (CAA) is at the forefront of the movement. And, the organization has recently launched a brand new website to amplify its message and elevate its members. The new website, www.contractorsassistance.org, is designed to highlight the organization’s mission, membership and programs. “As…
Operations Management
Civil Contractors Remain Optimistic About Work Volumes Leading into 2022, but Express Growing Concerns Around Skilled Worker Shortage to Handle It
The latest issue of the Civil Quarterly (TCQ) from Dodge Data & Analytics reveals that most civil contractors are optimistic about the volume of work they expect in 2021 and 2022, and they anticipate both revenue and profit margin increases for their companies as a result. However, that optimism is overshadowed by increasing concerns around skilled worker shortages, including an…
9 Tips for Construction Business Owners Looking to Optimize Their Business
Every year there are lists of construction business owners making billions of dollars while others go out of business. Running a business is hard, and it’s even harder in an industry like construction. However, many of these top performing construction businesses have a series of tips and tricks they’ve learned to run a business successfully….
New Website for Outer Banks Pool & Landscape Designer Makes a Splash
Outer Banks Media (OBX Media), a North Carolina-based digital marketing agency specializing in website design, search engine optimization and internet marketing, announces the completion of a website redesign for their client, Southern Scapes Pool & Landscape Design (Southern Scapes). Southern Scapes has been in business since 1998, and is a family owned business specializing in pool…
Risk Management
Sandra Johnson Promoted to Director of Operations for Owens Insurance Agency, Specialists in Serving Contractors
Owens Insurance Agency, an independent insurance agency with a 70-year presence in the Upstate, has promoted Sandra Johnson, CISR, INS, SM, to Director of Operations. Johnson serves as the point of contact for the agency’s carriers and is responsible for overseeing the agency’s administrative functions. She is based in Owens Insurance’s home office in Greer,…
Chad Hannon Promoted to Market President for Owens Insurance Agency, Specialists in Serving Contractors
Owens Insurance Agency, an independent insurance agency with a 70-year presence in the Upstate region of South Carolina, has promoted Chad Hannon, CLCS, to Market President for the agency’s home office in Greer, South Carolina. In this role, Hannon will focus on continuing to grow the commercial side of the business, which accounts for about…
Latium Technologies and Aon Revolutionizing Construction Risk Management
Latium Technologies and Aon plc today announced a strategic alliance to introduce Latium’s Job Site Insights® (JSI®) Internet of Things (IoT) application and suite of products as a foundational risk mitigation tool for contractors and owners. The alliance between Latium Technologies and Aon brings industry-leading technology to more contractors and owners, so they can prevent incidents before they…
Strategy
The Wooten Company Opens New Winston-Salem Regional Office
The Wooten Company, an engineering consulting firm celebrating its 80th anniversary this year, announced on Monday that it has opened a new Regional Office in the Old Salem Historic District of downtown Winston-Salem, NC. Overseen by Regional Manager John Grey, PE, the office was previously located in Asheboro, NC, from where it served the towns,…
Integrated Delivery – Why Is It?
Integrated delivery is a delivery method that embraced 360 degree collaboration between all the stakeholders on a project; including designers, consultants, general contractor, subcontractor, vendors, and yes the owner. Design-build (DB) and Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) are two examples of integrated delivery. There are numerous differences between the various contract forms of both DB and…
Should You Get Out of the Contracting Business?
That may seem like a strange resolution for a contractor. However, it might be the best advice you ever receive. How many people do you think wake up in the morning and say to themselves, “I can’t wait to hire a contractor today?” If you do service work, it’s even worse. No one wakes up…
More Business
Celebrating 5 Years at GroundBreak Carolinas
Time sure does go fast. The team at GroundBreak Carolinas is excited to celebrate our 5th anniversary. When we started out in January 2017, the vision was for GroundBreak Carolinas to provide a connection between all parts of the construction industry. Over the years we’ve had the opportunity to tell stories, share insights and perspectives,…
Introducing FORVIS: New Name for Planned Merger of BKD and DHG Reflects the Firm’s Forward Vision
CHARLOTTE, N.C. and SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The newest entrant among the nation’s Top-10 professional services firms will be called FORVIS. The name was jointly announced in April by the leaders of BKD and DHG. The two firms agreed to a merger of equals in February, with an effective date of June 1, to create an enhanced, Top-10,…
Women, Wellness and Work: AEC Professionals in Charlotte Come Together for Annual Women in Architecture Event
Women, Wellness, and Work: the theme of the Fourth Annual AIA Charlotte’s Women in Architecture (WIA) Mimosa Breakfast in April centered on these ideas that have become so prevalent in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry. This fantastic networking and learning event, hosted in partnership with the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS Charlotte)…
Sandra Johnson Promoted to Director of Operations for Owens Insurance Agency, Specialists in Serving Contractors
Owens Insurance Agency, an independent insurance agency with a 70-year presence in the Upstate, has promoted Sandra Johnson, CISR, INS, SM, to Director of Operations. Johnson serves as the point of contact for the agency’s carriers and is responsible for overseeing the agency’s administrative functions. She is based in Owens Insurance’s home office in Greer,…
