Do You Have a 5-Star Rating? Tips to Protect the Hotel Guest Experience During Construction

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By Ricky Calderon Hospitality properties undergo renovations, expansions or upgrades often every 3-5 years. Whether it’s to stay competitive in a changing market or because the property is reflagged under a new brand, the goal of the improvement project is usually to attract new guests and maintain established customer loyalty. Simply put, our hospitality clients’ top priority is always guest experience. So, when we begin a renovation or expansion of an existing and operating hotel property, the greatest challenge is planning the work in a way that will deliver the project on time, while also allowing our client to deliver … Read more

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Developing Adaptability, Well-Roundedness: How Seasoned Superintendents Can Help

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By Barry Thomas We all have our professional comfort zones. We can thrive in these safe havens because we’re able to settle in and perform competently with relative ease, all things considered. That said, our willingness to engage unfamiliar experiences, acquire new skills and develop new areas of knowledge and expertise is part of ongoing professional development. For younger superintendents — and the seasoned superintendents who work with them and support their long-term career success — this is worth reminding ourselves. Today’s competitive marketplace and the demand for multi-faceted leaders invite us to think more purposefully about supporting junior superintendents … Read more

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Leadership Skills: Promoting Teamwork, Productivity

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By Brian Hook Back in the day, construction sites were no place for the thin-skinned, and not just because of the extreme weather swings in locations like the Upper Midwest or the Southwest. If work was falling behind or somebody had messed up, a superintendent often would just yell, and then everybody would suck it up and get to work. So-called “soft skills” were out of step with the gritty reality of field work. Times have changed, however, and if your field team hasn’t yet honed those leadership skills relating to emotional intelligence, conflict resolution, teamwork and effective communication, it’s … Read more

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4 Steps to Designing, Building More Resilient Infrastructure

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Every year, natural disasters threaten infrastructure and human life. The greatest damage (measured in repair dollars) is caused by storms. It is not only the high winds of thunderstorms, but rain and hail that cause the damage. Hurricanes and flooding are the second and third most destructive natural event, respectively. “Seven of the top 10 costliest disasters in U.S. history are hurricanes,” says Lionel Lemay, executive vice president, National Ready Mixed Concrete Association. The Northridge Earthquake in 1994 ($77 billion), the drought of 1988 ($44 billion) and 1993’s Midwest flooding ($37 billion) are the only non-storm disasters to be included in … Read more

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Findings Show Major Growth Expected for Prefabrication, Permanent Modular Construction

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Dodge Data & Analytics released the findings of a landmark study that provides a comprehensive examination of the current state and future expectations for prefabrication and modular construction. The Prefabrication and Modular Construction 2020 SmartMarket Report was published with the support of Bradley Corp., the Modular Building Institute, Pinnacle Infotech, MCAA and Skender and takes a close look at critical drivers, obstacles and benefits of using these methods, based on insight from architects, engineers and contractors already leveraging them. The report shows that architects, engineers and contractors that have used these methods plan to significantly increase their engagement with them, … Read more

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