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HEADLINES ADDED: August 30, 2008
3 Ways to Improve Your Sales Skills
Like any self-improvement endeavor, working on growing your sales skills is an ongoing journey. Here are three ways to improve them.... Read More
Self-builders hard at work despite downturn
While professional housebuilders are struggling to stay busy, self-builders are getting on with the job.... Read More
Deutz Introduces Hybrid Power For Construction Equipment
... Read More
Construction Estimating Software Study
Go to any national convention and you can't miss seeing dozens of software vendors. It is a big business and there is high value to construction firms. The product has made estimating a less clerical and more automated. Also, it has made estimating more efficient. Due to its power, counting and measuring is less of a task; taking hours instead of days. For those of us who don't looking forward to the job of estimating, computers and software has made it bearable. We feel that most estimating software is... Read More
Vancouver Island construction companies feeling the pinch from rising B.C. Ferries costs
The construction industry on Vancouver Island is being hit hard by rapid increases in B.C. Ferries fares, while escalating costs are contributing to an increase in the cost of living in small island communities.... Read More
Construction Estimating
One of the most common requests we receive is information on how to estimate a construction job. To meet that need, Michael Stone will present two 75-minute free online classes in September on the fundamentals of estimating. In these two classes, planned as the first in a series of classes on construction estimating, he will cover the basics any contractor needs to prepare to estimate a remodeling job or estimate a new home construction project. This class will benefit every remodeling contractor, new home builder or specialty contractor. Michael... Read More
Construction Unemployment Jumps in Vegas
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Bam reports 10% rise in turnover for first half of 2008
Dutch construction group Bam has reported a 10% rise in turnover for the first half of 2008, to £3.4bn.... Read More
Consolidation in construction IT market likely, predicts Tekton
There is still a further shake-out to come among the numerous IT software providers who currently trade with construction firms, says John Marchant, head of product management at Tekton.... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: August 28, 2008
£100m social housing boost for Scottish builders
Up to £100m worth of social housing work will be brought forward by two years to prop up struggling housebuilders in Scotland.... Read More
Bid-rigging: OFT probe leads to book changes
Move by Office of Fair Trading is to ensure graduates know cover-pricing is illegal.... Read More
Secondary Rules of Contract Interpretation
... Read More
News & Moves: August 11, 2008
Here's the latest housing industry news.... Read More
USGBC Tours Virginia Cement Plant
Members of the U.S. Green Building Council's (USGBC) Southwest Virginia Chapter toured Roanoke Cement Company's (RCC) Troutville, VA, plant recently to learn from the company's successes in reducing energy use, as well as how cement and cement-related products help build a more sustainable community.... Read More
Government's green HQ gets woeful rating for energy efficiency
Energy efficiency assessors have handed an 'F' rating to the headquarters of Communities and Local Government (CLG) - the department responsible for cutting public buildings' carbon emissions.... Read More
Scott Construction’s Opal condo project promises to add sparkle to Richmond’s skyline
General contractor Scott Construction Group is building the Opal condominium for developer Kamdo Tower Inc.... Read More
Fluke Launches Web Site to Answer Questions From Building Maintenance Professionals
Fluke Corp. recently launched a Web site designed to help technicians solve problems and meet building maintenance challenges.... Read More
Establishing a ROI for a Construction Firm
What is the appropriate compensation for an owner of a contracting firm? How much is the right number? Isn't just a salary with expenses enough? These are good questions for all construction contractors. People have different answers. Thus, it is reflected in the bid results on any given day. Some contractors want to make a living while others are trying to build wealth for themselves. To be sure, if you compete with those who just want to make a living, you will have to be satisfied with just that.... Read More
Home sales rise but not enough to force a rise in housing starts
This weeks’ home sale reports suggest that deep discounts in home prices have stopped the slide in home sales but that a measurable recovery in housing starts is still being prevented by the collapse of the subprime mortgage market, the domestic recession it set off and the abandonment of more than million homes.... Read More
Work at Vancouver’s Vita at Symphony Place continues
Vita at Symphony Place will include 29 stories above grade and five below. Construction started in May 2007 and is expected to be complete by early 2009.... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: August 27, 2008
Serious Standards for Green Builders, Inc.
Clark Wilson, president and CEO of Green Builders, is ahead of the trend in the green building industry. While others offer options for energy efficiency, his company makes it standard and affordable.... Read More
Committee begins draft of Canadian building-commissioning standard
A committee that includes representation from building owners, government agencies and the design and contracting communities is gearing up to draft a long-awaited national standard on building commissioning.... Read More
Victoria’s Dockside Green community achieves LEED Platinum certification
The first phase of Dockside Green, a 1.3-million-square-foot community built on a former brownfield site in the heart of Victoria, has achieved LEED Platinum certification from the Canada Green Building Council.... Read More
Construction Chart of Accounts
For a complete chart of accounts for construction contractors, buy our book, Managing a Construction Firm on Just 24 Hours a Day (McGraw Hill, 2007, 406 pages). It is available in all major bookstores including ours. To order the book, go to Stevensci.com, Amazon, Borders, Barnes and Noble, Browns Stationer's (UK), Reiters, Walden Books and other fine book retailers. You will find a section in the book outlining "Contractor Chart of Accounts" . Remember, Stevensci.com bundles the book with 60 Excel Templates and an On-Line Course, a solid value.... Read More
Construction Retainage
Retainage costs everyone in the construction industry from the owner to the contractors and to the suppliers on any project. The "holdback" of 10% in most cases is a drag on cashflow and thus, keeps cost higher for the job than it should be. The question is "what is a smarter way for a contractor to approach retention?". Here is our answer: Approach it like a creditor. If you do, then you realize may be a bargainin chip with the client. First, let's ascertain the cost of retention -... Read More
The Best Industry in the United States
My child is in college. She is starting to ask about industries and careers. Olivia has made me think further about what construction contracting has to offer her. I have concluded it is the best career a young person could choose. You may not believe it, but the facts will show our business is unmatched. It offers participants long term tangible benefits. However, many people will argue that point. Let me show you the many virtues our industry has. You be the judge. The Industry is Not Going Away... Read More
Welcome
Thank you for visiting the Construction Contractor's Digest. We are pleased that you have joined us. This site is for the express purpose of being a resource for construction leaders. We work as management advisors with construction firms. We are Stevens Construction Institute.Management Advisors to Construction Contractors. Presently, we have written over 190 articles ranging in subjects such as managing people & processes to financial management & computers. Enter your key word (use American English) and I am certain we will have some information for you. As you read... Read More
China to build 50,000 skyscrapers in 20 years
China will build between 20,000 and 50,000 skyscrapers in the next 20 years, on top of huge spending on infrastruture, according to a report by McKinsey.... Read More
Building Official's and Inspector's Guide to Codes, Forms and Complaints
By Linda Pieczynski. Delmar Publishers. Price: $46.95. Publish Date: 06/2007... Read More
Unionized construction workers in British Columbia subject to new drug policy
Unionized construction workers, who have a problem with drinking or getting high on the job, are being targeted by a new drug testing program, which is the first of its kind in Canada.... Read More
EllisDon wins contract for Education Centre in Calgary, Alberta
An $80.5 million contract for an Education Centre for the Calgary Board of Education has been awarded to EllisDon. The project will be LEED certified, targeting Silver.... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: August 26, 2008
The Anatomy of America’s First Green Building Litigation
We’ve written extensively here at gbNYC about the potential for litigation arising out of green construction projects. To date the issue has been on the radar screens of numerous industry authors, but real-life application of green legal theory has been relatively difficult to come by outside of a handful of green-related claims reported by insurance carriers. However, a (relatively) recent lawsuit that was filed on the eastern shore of Maryland demonstrates that green building risk is real- particularly in light of rapidly increasing regulatory activity at the state and... Read More
No Windmill For Empire State Building, After All (King Kong, Welcome Back!)
When New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg goes to Vegas, he bets big. At an alternative energy conference, perhaps bullied by T Boone Pickens, the mayor proposed installing wind turbines, among other power-generating technologies, on Manhattan’s skyscrapers and bridges. And why not: aiming to slash the city’s greenhouse emissions by a third by 2030 is rather ambitious. The mayor also proposed ocean wind farms off the coast and solar panels across the city’s rooftops. He’s dreaming big (Statue of Liberty powered by wind farms) while keeping the character of the... Read More
"Total lunacy" of construction director jailed over skylight death plunge
A company director has been jailed for one year over the manslaughter of a Chinese man who died after a fall on a Norfolk building site.... Read More
Surgo Construction lifts profit margin to 1.1%
Surgo Construction has unveiled a profit margin of 1.1% which represents an increase on the previous figure of 0.9%.... Read More
More bad lending news for remodelers
More homeowners are having trouble making payments on their home equity credit lines, according to the latest report today from the American B...... Read More
Bay State Seeks To Cut School Construction Costs
As it prepares to invest more than $2.5 billion for new school construction in the next five years, Massachusetts is taking a bold step to try and reign in extravagant school building costs by adopting a model school pilot program.... Read More
Southern Kentucky's Highway Construction Boom
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet is overseeing another busy construction season, with many key highway and bridge projects taking place across the state — most notably in District 8 in the southern part of the Bluegrass state. District 8, which is comprised of 10 counties — Adair, Casey, Clinton, Cumberland, Lincoln, McCreary, Pulaski, Rockcastle, Russell, and Wayne counties R...... Read More