Industry shift

[SLVRPKR]

In the current construction cycle that has many of us having to travel for work, draw unemployment or flat out retire, an alternative is finding work for contractors doing public and military projects. The "stimulus" plan has put the skids on the financing for many private projects and shifted focus towards school, road, public works, military and infrastructure projects. Is there any out there who have made the transition form strictly private to public contracting and how has that shift going for you?

[Werkin4it]

Has anybody noticed the requirements that the contractors doing this work is asking for and how much they are paying. How many Supr's out there have actually had alot of experience working on military bases or building windmills' after 30 years I can build anything with Blue Prints from bird houses to nuclear plants and have .But not on a military base or with windmills  I have seen alot more jobs for highway construction. I can't even lie and say I know anything about that cause I don't think laying out a Parking lot or an entry way would count. What I'm getting at is how many Supr's can actually go back to work based on these stimulas packages? The Banks that were bailed out are not giving developers loans , or refinancing existing loans. Tommorrow I hope to get a remodeling job at the local country zoo and I don't know how to price my labor anymore so I just going to take what ever they offer. Been holding out since I got the C.O.the last job "The Learning Experience" (the smallest job I ever done) 1st of November I was working on a 1099 so no unemployment, I got to take what ever they offer and the reality of that just hit me when I wrote it. I' m going to go cry softly into my pillow now or go outside and curse loudly!!!! How was that slvr

[SLVRPKR]

that's kinda my point. those, like you and I that have built everything that has been thrown at us for the last umteen decades on the private side now find ourselves re-inventing a work mentality just to survive. we can't do business the same way anymore. it's leaner and sometimes meaner just to get a chance on a job with 26 other bidders. we dont need practice bidding, we need jobs and the financing behind them.

[mgregory459]

I actually made the move in the opposite direction. I recently accepted a position (supt) with an architectural firm that is getting into construction management. I am their first field superitendent. Their specialty field is food production plants. I'm working at a bacon slicing plant, putting the finishing touches on 25000 sq/ft addition and getting ready to start a 75000 sq/ft addition. My thinking in accepting this job was: If this company is expanding this much, in this economy, and this architech mostly does this type of work, I need to be a part of this. The drawback: 100 miles each way = 3 hrs a day driving.

[Brent]

I actually did make a switch to the public sector from the private sector. I joined a civil engineering firm in February that had recently gotten into construction management in Colorado. I was actually hired as their first superintendent. They are hoping to grow this office over the next 5-6 years to handle construction projects in Colorado and surrounding states. For the most part right now they are pursuing federal infrastructure projects but have begun to develop some private sector contacts in the energy sector. First project with this company is a six hour drive from home so we'll see how well that works out here in a couple of months.

[SLVRPKR]

it's been a few weeks now at the new job, how is it working out?

[angdeer]

I can see why people are so upset with how slow the construction industry is, I work union construction in Michigan. I think the problem is there are so many people out of work and the few jobs that have been created cant possibly put everyone back to work.  I switched from trimming out office buildings to doing road work, right now I'm making a new bridge. One of my coworkers just moved from California and her boy friend was working steady for a industrial construction company before they moved here. He talked very highly about them in case anyone is looking for work right now, and who isn't? Might want to check them out to see if there are any openings http://www.mccarthy.com/work/overview/ at this time. Hang in there this cant last forever but I know it has taken its toll on all of us. Gota do what you have to do even if it means switching up the career.

[SLVRPKR]

one things for sure, the public sector is getting some real good hands. With the private commercial work in the tank for a while longer we may all have to go back to school and learn some new ways. Four superintendents for the last union contractor i worked for just turned in their retirement papers. All wanted to work for a few more years but unemployment didnt count towards the hours they needed to work in their last year of the 80 and out rule. So now what? From my experience, retired sups get bored fast.