
Advice for New Grads from AEC Leaders in the Carolinas
GroundBreak Carolinas reached out to a cross section of construction industry leaders in North Carolina and South Carolina to see what advice they might have for new college graduates entering our industry. Check out their “words of wisdom!” IN THEIR OWN WORDS “Always do the right thing. It doesn’t matter if you are just starting your…
FTC Non-Compete Ban: What Employers Need to Know
The Federal Trade Commission’s new rule banning non-compete clauses is effective September 4, 2024 and will impact those in the construction industry. The ban applies to both employees and independent contractors, and pre-existing non-compete agreements will be void. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Non-Compete Ban: The ban is broad and invalidates any new non-competes entered…
Building the Culture You Want in Your Firm
“Culture” is one of those terms that is often bandied about by business advisors and management consultants, as well as anyone who is a student of management and leadership working in an AEC firm today. I like to think that a firm’s “culture” is defined by what type of behavior is rewarded and what type…
Top Performing Articles on GroundBreak Carolinas: Early 2024
Check out the most read articles on the GroundBreak Carolinas website during the first four months of 2024 (January through April): 1. Top 10 Mistakes to Avoid When Completing and Filing OSHA 300 Logs https://groundbreakcarolinas.com/top-10-mistakes-to-avoid-when-completing-and-filing-osha-300-logs/ 2. ABC Carolinas Introduces 2024 Board of Directors and Regional Leadership Council Chairs https://groundbreakcarolinas.com/abc-carolinas-introduces-2024-board-of-directors-and-regional-leadership-council-chairs/ 3. Bridge to Success: ECU Construction…
Advancing the Vision for RTP: Sitdown with Barbara Mulkey, Raleigh-Area Engineering Legend
Barbara Mulkey is founder and retired chairman of Mulkey Engineers & Consultants, Inc., a mid-sized, multi-discipline civil and environmental engineering firm in Cary, NC. Thirty years later, the engineering consulting firm is a powerhouse in the region and is consistently recognized as one of Engineering News Record’s “Top 500 Engineering Companies.” Mulkey is the new elected chair of…
Phil Hughes Offers a Developer’s Perspective on Doing Business in 2024
GroundBreak Carolinas is pleased to share thoughts and insights from key construction industry leaders in the Carolinas. Phil Hughes, founder and President of Hughes Investments, offers a 2nd-Quarter 2024 perspective on doing business in the Southeast. What is your outlook on the construction industry? In my view, the construction industry seems to be in a…
New Changes to American Arbitration Association (AAA) Construction Rules
Many construction contracts, especially on private projects, contain alternative dispute resolution provisions. These provisions often incorporate the Construction Industry Rules and Mediation Procedures of the American Arbitration Association (AAA). These Rules and Procedures were revised effective March 1, 2024. Among the changes are the following: It is important for those engaged in the construction industry…
CarolinaPower Project Manager Helps High School Students Learn Real-World Construction Skills
As part of an ongoing partnership with Charleston Metro Chamber, ABC Carolinas once again held its Build a SHED competition — an ABC Carolinas “Students Hands-On Experience Day” program intended to promote interest in construction-related careers through experiential learning. The one-day Lowcountry competition was held in March at the Exchange Park in Ladson, S.C. The student teams…
Building Success: A Journey of Renovation and Innovation at South Carolina’s Tri-County Technical College
Embarking on a construction project is always an intricate dance of planning, execution, and adaptation. When Upstate South Carolina’s Tri-County Technical College (TCTC) chose the team of DP3 Architects and Harper General Contractors to lead the design and construction of the complex and exciting renovation of Oconee Hall on the school’s Pendleton Campus, our team…
Looking for New Life in the National and Regional Economy
Every year April brings beautiful images of new life, but this time we are also getting positive readings on the U.S. and regional economies. With the closing of 2023, we learned that real GDP growth for the nation perked along at a 2.5% rate, well above 2022’s 1.9% and a far cry from constant calls…





