Architecture
AIA Calls on Congress to Repeal the Research and Development Tax Amortization
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) calls on Congress to work in a bipartisan manner to expeditiously pass a funding deal to avoid a government shutdown. Congress should also repeal the harmful Research and Development Tax amortization provision and make it retroactive to cover tax year 2022 to ensure that the tax code continues to…
Business Conditions Remain Soft at Architecture Firms According to AIA/Deltek Architecture Billings Index
The AIA/Deltek Architecture Billings Index (ABI) remained below 50 for the fourth consecutive month. The score of 45.3 increased by one point from October, indicating slightly fewer firms reporting a decline in billings. Any score below 50.0 indicates decreasing business conditions but there are encouraging signs of the pipeline. “This marks the seventh month…
Kimberly Dowdell, AIA inaugurated as AIA 2024 President
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is pleased to announce the inauguration of Kimberly Dowdell, AIA, as its 100th president. “Being elected as the 100th president of AIA is both an honor and responsibility that I embrace wholeheartedly. My journey in architecture, from my roots in Detroit, to this influential role, has deepened my conviction…
Contracting
Coalition Of Trade Associations Requests Improvements To White House Implementation Of The Build America, Buy America Act
Groups File Formal Request for Rulemaking Urging White House to Drop its Current Approach to Requirements that Risks Confusion and Delays on Key Construction Projects Four national trade associations petitioned the White House to make improvements in its implementation of “made in America” requirements for construction products and materials. They noted their members have encountered significant difficulty…
ABC Announces 2024 Top-Performing US Construction Contractors
Associated Builders and Contractors today released its 2024 Top Performers lists recognizing its contractor members’ outstanding achievements in safety, quality, inclusion, project excellence and special designations ranked by number of hours worked. The No. 1 2024 ABC Top Performer by work hours is Turner Industries Group LLC, Baton Rouge, Louisiana; followed by Skanska USA Building, New York;…
Government-Registered Apprenticeship Programs Not Keeping Up With Construction Industry Needs
At current rates of participation and completion, federal and state government-registered apprenticeship programs, or GRAPs, will fail to meet the construction industry’s short- and long-term skilled workforce needs, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of recently released U.S. Department of Labor data. ABC estimates that the construction industry’s federal and state GRAPs had about…
Energy
The Built Environment Blunder Causing Significant Carbon Emissions
The U.S. Department of Energy reports that, as of 2021, buildings consume 39.1% of U.S. energy and 75% of electricity,(1) which accounts for 16% of carbon emissions.(2) Creating a comfortable indoor environment by providing adequate light and temperature control uses most of this energy. Buildings that effectively insulate from moisture and wind while allowing fresh…
Duke Energy Awards $3.2 million to Innovative Education Programs
Duke Energy announcedit is awarding $3.2 million in grants to support 131 innovative K-12 education programs across the communities served by the company. “Bright futures begin in the classroom, and every child deserves a fair chance at academic success,” said Cari Boyce, president of the Duke Energy Foundation. “The grants we are making today are…
USGBC Launches LEED Zero Certification for Net-Zero Buildings
USGBC’s new certification program encourages net-zero operations for carbon emissions, water and energy use, and waste management. The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) launched LEED Zero, a new program that will address net zero operations and resources in buildings. “Net zero is a powerful target that will move the entire industry forward,” said Melissa Baker,…
Engineering
Insight Group Joins RMA Companies
RMA Companies (“RMA”) today announced the addition of Insight Group, a geotechnical, environmental, and construction-materials engineering consulting firm based in Charleston, South Carolina. This addition marks a significant milestone as RMA expands in the growing Southeastern market in support of its continued strategy to establish a national platform for technology-enabled testing, inspection, and certification capabilities. “I am…
SI Solutions Expands Structural Engineering Expertise and Adds Controls Engineering Division with the Acquisition of SC Solutions, Inc
SI Solutions is pleased to announce the purchase of SC Solutions, Inc., a respected provider of innovative engineering solutions for the advanced process controls and structural engineering industries. Founded in 1987, SC Solutions has served its clients in Silicon Valley and beyond, expanding to Sacramento, CA, Portland, OR, and Atlanta, GA. SI Solutions, a privately held company, is…
Southern Engineering Expands Into Raleigh Market Acquiring Experienced Geotechnical Engineering and Construction Services Team
Charlotte-based Southern Engineering and Testing, P.C. has acquired the Geotechnical Engineering and Construction Services Division (GECS) of Raleigh-based Stewart. This acquisition benefits Southern Engineering and Stewart by allowing them to concentrate on core strengths and invest in key areas to accelerate expansion and meet growing market demand throughout the Carolinas. Southern Engineering and Stewart are independent engineering firms that…
Equipment
Compass Group Invests in South Carolina Bridge Infrastructure Equipment Provider
Compass Group Equity Partners, a St. Louis-based private equity firm specializing in growing lower middle market companies, announced an investment in Anderson UnderBridge, a manufacturer and rental operator of mobile bridge inspection trailers and trucks utilized in the inspection and maintenance of bridge infrastructure. This partnership is the first step in the creation of a full-service…
Absolute Powerhouse: Next-Generation 2022 Toyota Tundra
With a plethora of adventure-ready, go-anywhere, been-anywhere vehicles cementing its foundation, the all-new 2022 Toyota Tundra is born from a lineage of trucks and SUVs rooted in quality, durability and reliability. Its predecessors hit the million-mile mark on more than one occasion thanks to a team of engineers who built the truck above and beyond…
Caterpillar to Expand Hydrogen-Powered Solutions to Customers
Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT) today announced it will begin offering Cat® generator sets capable of operating on 100% hydrogen, including fully renewable green hydrogen, on a designed-to-order basis in late 2021. More immediately, the company will launch commercially available power generation solutions that can be configured to operate on natural gas blended with up to 25% hydrogen. These…
Facilities
Building, Supporting, Maintaining: Harper Announces New HarperXS Division
Harper General Contractors has long been a leading innovator in construction services in the Southeast. As they continue to evolve, Harper has seen the importance of pursuing new opportunities to grow and provide even more value to their clients and community. In 2015, Harper leadership saw a need to provide their current and future clients…
Eight Reasons Why You Need to Have Annual Plumbing Checks
Running a business can be a daunting feat. New problems will catch you off-guard and sometimes all you can really do is take the bull by the horns, and hope that everything will return to normal. Even a short business interruption can mean losing thousands of dollars! A business owner keeps an eye on the…
Five Electrical Safety Tips for Commercial Buildings
To some, a workplace may feel like a second home. It’s a place where employees form bonds and battle hardships together. Whether you’re a company CEO, a higher-up, or the owner of a commercial building, keeping your establishment a safe place for everyone will increase their productivity and give you peace of mind as well….
Products
Championing Women in the Skilled Trades, Wolverine Launches Woman-Made
In time for Women’s History Month, Wolverine Boots and Apparel, the 140-year-old boot maker, has launched Woman-Made, spotlighting the remarkable accomplishments of women in the skilled trades. Rooted in a rich legacy of honoring the American worker, Wolverine aims to build a more inclusive future through an effort to add “woman-made” to the dictionary. Debuting today, the campaign’s anthem…
Titan America Completes Full Conversion to Low Carbon Cement Production
Titan America LLC is proud to announce the full conversion of its cement plants to the production of Type IL portland-limestone cement, a low-carbon construction material. TITAN Cement Group has committed to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees C and deliver net zero concrete by 2050. Titan America is the first US based cement company to fully convert to…
Cree Buildings, Walbridge Partnership Brings Sustainable Timber-Hybrid system to U.S.
A milestone partnership will allow Walbridge to utilize Cree Buildings’ timber-hybrid system in projects throughout North America. Austria-based Cree Buildings, with a range of successful projects throughout Europe and Asia, is a system for timber-hybrid buildings that utilizes prefabricated components. Focusing on sustainable construction, the license agreement with Detroit-based constructor Walbridge will support major customers…
Suppliers
Colony Hardware Announces Acquisition of New South Construction Supply
Colony Hardware, Corp. (“Colony” or the “Company”), a leading direct-to-jobsite distributor of construction materials and jobsite supplies, has announced the acquisition of New South Construction Supply, LLC (“New South”), a South Carolina-based value-added distributor of rebar, concrete, masonry, waterproofing products, and contractor supplies. “Bringing New South Construction Supply and Colony Hardware together is impactful in…
Ingevity to acquire leading pavement marking materials business, Ozark Materials
Ingevity Corporation (NYSE:NGVT) today announced it has reached an agreement to acquire privately-owned Ozark Materials, LLC and Ozark Logistics, LLC (“Ozark Materials”) in an all-cash transaction valued at $325 million. The acquisition is subject to regulatory approval and other customary closing conditions, and Ingevity expects to close on the transaction by early Q4 2022. Ozark…
Markel Announces Investment in Metromont
Markel Corporation (NYSE: MKL) and Metromont LLC announced today that they have entered into a definitive agreement for Markel to acquire a majority interest in Metromont. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2021. Additional terms were not disclosed. Operating as a third-generation family business,…
Sustainability
Sustainability in Construction Continues to Evolve
Sustainability is one of those buzzwords that gets thrown around a lot. With so much in the news surrounding the many impacts of climate change and the urgency to act, I’ve been reflecting on what sustainability really means in the construction industry and how we can continue to do our part to have a positive…
New Report: U.S. Has Tools it Needs, Must Rapidly and Widely Deploy to Normalize Decarbonization Across Commercial Building Sector to Reach Climate Goals
Today, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the leading authority on green building and the global developer of the LEED green building program, released a first-of-its-kind report on the U.S. commercial real estate sector. Surveying three decades of data, the State of Decarbonization: Progress in U.S. Commercial Buildings 2023, released at COP, found the U.S. has made vital,…
Demand for Sustainable Buildings and Tightening Regulations Drive Business Case for Investment
JLL research analyzes three key factors owners and occupiers must consider in decision-making The current economic environment is creating challenges for investors and occupiers to make the case for investing in retrofitting and futureproofing their real estate. JLL’s new The Commercial Case for Making Buildings More Sustainable report outlines three key factors that should be prioritized in…
More Operations
Championing Women in the Skilled Trades, Wolverine Launches Woman-Made
In time for Women’s History Month, Wolverine Boots and Apparel, the 140-year-old boot maker, has launched Woman-Made, spotlighting the remarkable accomplishments of women in the skilled trades. Rooted in a rich legacy of honoring the American worker, Wolverine aims to build a more inclusive future through an effort to add “woman-made” to the dictionary. Debuting today, the campaign’s anthem…
Insight Group Joins RMA Companies
RMA Companies (“RMA”) today announced the addition of Insight Group, a geotechnical, environmental, and construction-materials engineering consulting firm based in Charleston, South Carolina. This addition marks a significant milestone as RMA expands in the growing Southeastern market in support of its continued strategy to establish a national platform for technology-enabled testing, inspection, and certification capabilities. “I am…
Coalition Of Trade Associations Requests Improvements To White House Implementation Of The Build America, Buy America Act
Groups File Formal Request for Rulemaking Urging White House to Drop its Current Approach to Requirements that Risks Confusion and Delays on Key Construction Projects Four national trade associations petitioned the White House to make improvements in its implementation of “made in America” requirements for construction products and materials. They noted their members have encountered significant difficulty…
Sustainability in Construction Continues to Evolve
Sustainability is one of those buzzwords that gets thrown around a lot. With so much in the news surrounding the many impacts of climate change and the urgency to act, I’ve been reflecting on what sustainability really means in the construction industry and how we can continue to do our part to have a positive…