Safety Risks Increasing for Highway Work Zones
According to a new report the risks workers and motorists face in highway construction zones is increasing significantly. Forty-four percent of highway contractors reported that motor vehicles had crashed into their construction work zones during the past year, according to the results of a new highway work zone study conducted by the Associated General Contractors…
Help Wanted: A Sign of the Times in Construction
This is the first in a series of articles about our two-state region’s labor shortage issues and workforce needs. When asked about their No. 1 business concern, both general and specialty contractors from across the Carolinas overwhelmingly give the same answer: the current and future workforce shortage. There are simply not enough people with the…
Housing Production Drops 2.6 Percent in April, as Multifamily Starts Fall
Led by a decline in multifamily production, nationwide housing starts fell 2.6 percent in April to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.17 million units, according to newly released data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Commerce Department. Multifamily starts fell 9.2 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of…
Construction Employment Increases, but Shortages Loom
Construction employment increased by 5,000 jobs in April 2017 to the highest level in more than nine years amid strong demand for new construction services, according to an analysis of new government data by the Associated General Contractors of America. However, AGC officials cautioned that a shortage of available qualified workers likely limited the number of…
Construction Spending Dips in March
Construction spending dipped slightly in March, just one month after building activity hit an all-time high. According to the Commerce Department, construction spending slipped 0.2 percent in March to a seasonally adjusted $1.218 trillion. Last month, construction spending rose 1.8 percent to a record high of $1.22 trillion. “Construction spending totals during the past two months are at…
Contractor Confidence Ends 2016 Down but Still in Positive Territory
Expectations for the construction industry 2017 are less optimistic, but the majority of industrial and commercial construction contractors still expect to experience growth this year, according to the latest Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) Construction Confidence Index (CCI). Although all three diffusion indices in the survey — profit margins, sales and staffing levels—fell by more than five…
South Carolina LLR/OSHA Announces Recipients of 2017 Safety Awards
The South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation’s (LLR) Division of Labor recognized a total of 41 South Carolina businesses for their demonstrated commitment to safety at an awards reception in Columbia on Tuesday, April 25, 2017. More than half of this year’s South Carolina-Safety Award recipients were from the construction industry. View full…
Steps to Improve Construction Worker Safety
A new study designed to improve the safety of construction workers was recently unveiled by the Associated General Contractors (AGC) of America. Association officials said the new safety study is designed to help construction firms prevent workplace fatalities and injuries. “We all share a common goal: getting to zero construction fatalities,” said Stephen E. Sandherr, the association’s chief…
Inside Sierra Nevada’s Hunt for a New Brewery
Finding the right site for production operations is a challenging process for any company. After a long search for the right site, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. chose North Carolina for its new $100 million brewery now serving as its East Coast headquarters. The nation’s largest craft beer maker considered more than 200 sites in 2011…
Strong Attendance at NC Legislative Day
Representatives from several construction-related companies converged on Raleigh, NC on March 29 for the annual North Carolina Legislative Day. According to organizers, over 100 people attended the annual event. The program featured presentations from three key legislators on billions of dollars in capital improvement funding and other issues. Carolinas AGC members and staff, along with…
