Construction Publications

mechanical worker holding a ratchet wrench

Consider construction: Pay often higher than jobs requiring bachelor’s degree

September 3, 2019 By Construction Publications, Inc.

by Deanna Quintana As our children grow up, we continually ingrain in them that there is one route to success – a four-year degree. However, higher education is not solely defined by a bachelor’s degree. There are other paths that will guide them in the right direction before entering the workforce. While there are misconceptions about the construction and skilled-labor industry, numbers prove that there are millions of jobs available in this field and compared to college graduates, they’re well-paid.Read More

Getting to grade faster:
Contractor eliminates overcutting with Komatsu excavator

August 13, 2019 By Construction Publications, Inc.

When Randy Ellis and his wife, Trisha, prepared to build a home on the family’s ranch, he was shocked at the price to purchase 300 loads of dirt for the pad. Instead of paying for the material, Ellis bought a dump truck and a rubber-tire backhoe, dug a pond on his property and used the dirt for the house pad. While he didn’t realize it at the time, this was the origin of what today is a successful earthwork andRead More

‘Our brand of choice’: Contractor shares keys to high production, cost savings

July 16, 2019 By Construction Publications, Inc.

Good decisions are often directly tied to profitability and prosperity. Justin Lott, Co-owner/Senior Vice President of Southern Transport & Equipment, LLC, learned that lesson after completing fire school. “I had my sights set on being a firefighter, but I had to finish EMT training as well,” recalled Lott. “The summer after I graduated, I took a job working for an oil-field company to make some money. I quickly realized that type of work paid much better than I was projectedRead More

Mix it Up:
Staff could be key to reaching more customers

June 17, 2019 By Construction Publications, Inc.

Need to grow your customer base? Diversify your offerings. Looking for a safety net for investments? Diversify your portfolio. Want your marketing campaigns to succeed? Diversify your staff. That’s right, a diverse staff could be the key to reaching more customers. According to Adrianne Troilo, Managing Director, Administration for the American Society for Engineering Education, a mix of employee backgrounds leads to results that can resonate with a much wider audience. A snapshot of the U.S. population shows aRead More

In a tight labor market consider rehiring former employees

June 3, 2019 By Construction Publications, Inc.

by Ranger Kidwell-Ross The largest complaint that I hear from most contractors is their inability to get good workers. That situation hasn’t improved with the current low unemployment rate, combined with what is fast becoming a shortage of immigrant personnel. One source you may not have considered are your former employees, often called “boomerang” workers. This is yet another reason to maintain a cordial relationship with employees when they leave for what they perceive as a better opportunity. Why notRead More

African American Construction Worker Carrying plywood

Are women the answer to construction’s labor shortage?

May 21, 2019 By Construction Publications, Inc.

While a majority (79 percent) of construction firms are planning to expand their payrolls this year, nearly an equal percentage are concerned about their ability to hire qualified workers, according to survey results by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) and Sage Construction and Real Estate. “With overall unemployment now at the lowest level in nearly 50 years, contractors are having an ever harder time finding workers with or without construction experience,” said Ken Simonson, ACG’s Chief Economist. “AverageRead More

How to use a Digital Toolkit

May 7, 2019 By Construction Publications, Inc.

Much like a media kit, the digital toolkit contains several items to help you get more from your marketing investment with Construction Publications; it’s like a Swiss Army knife for your marketing strategy. We encourage you to repurpose the stories, photos and videos in as many ways as possible. Here are some ideas to get you started: Website Content Create a dedicated place on your website for articles, such as a blog, case study/customer success story page or news page.Read More

New Path to Skilled-Trade Jobs

April 23, 2019 By Construction Publications, Inc.

Thanks to budget cuts and a growing emphasis on preparing teens to enter four-year colleges or universities, many trade-related programs have been reduced or cut completely from the public school system. This has shrunk the pool of qualified workers who can trade their caps and gowns for hard hats and steel toes upon graduation. One strategy delivering positive results is to tailor education that fits the prevailing college-bound mindset of today’s students. Such programs allow young people to have theRead More

Virtual design with building information modeling saves taxpayer dollars

April 10, 2019 By Construction Publications, Inc.

by Jim Lynch, Vice President, Autodesk Construction Products Group No longer the infrastructure envy of the world, many of the United States’ roads, bridges and tunnels are crumbling and in need of substantial maintenance or replacement. Compounding these challenges are the pressures of increased urbanization and population growth, which will place added stress on already strained systems. So, while the Beltway banter continues about addressing infrastructure funding, we can no longer focus solely on the amount of spending, but ratherRead More

Beyond the basics: Comprehensive training for a better workforce

March 26, 2019 By Construction Publications, Inc.

It’s rare that employees come fully prepared to do the jobs for which they were hired. Skilled construction workers know how to move dirt, build buildings and put pipe in the ground, but do they know your expectations and how you approach projects? With comprehensive training, they will. “I’ve talked with many companies that wonder whether training is worth it, considering that in today’s world, most employees only stay with a company for a relatively short time,” saidRead More