Construction Employment Stalls, New Measures Threaten to Undermine Recovery of Sector

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Construction employment stagnated in January, ending eight months of recovery from the pandemic-related losses of early 2020, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of government data. Association officials added that new measures being considered in Congress, including the PRO Act and the National Apprenticeship Act, threaten to undermine the sector’s recovery by disrupting ongoing projects and hampering employers’ ability to train workers.   “The stagnation in construction employment in January may foreshadow further deterioration in the industry as projects that had started before the pandemic finish up and owners hold off on awarding new work,” … Read more

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KAI Build Promotes Steve Kizer to VP of Operations – Construction

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KAI Build has promoted of Steve Kizer from director of field operations to vice president of operations – Construction. The move promotes Kizer to a broader role at KAI Build that will encompass both office and field operations. He will Lead-Manage-Be accountable for policy and process implementation, best practices, priority tasks, profit/loss, risk management and alignment with KAI Design, KAI Engineering and KAI sister company The UP Companies sub-contractors, among other duties. The KAI Build leadership team will report directly to Kizer. Kizer has over 25 years of construction management experience and has worked in the construction industry for a … Read more

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NIBS President & CEO Lakisha A. Woods Elected to Vice Chair of USGBC

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President and CEO Lakisha A. Woods, CAE, has been re-elected to a three-year term with the U.S. Green Building Council board of directors. Woods will serve as vice chair. Dr. Aaron Bernstein, interim director with the Center for Climate, Health and the Global Environment at the Harvard T.H. School of Public Health also was re-elected. Bernstein will serve as chair. Newly elected board members include Anyeley Hallová, founder of Adre; Dr. Ruth Thomas-Squance, director of field building at the Build Healthy Places Network and Dr. Marwa Zaatari, partner with Dzine Partners and co-chair of the enVerid Systems advisory board. These … Read more

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Power Tool Institute Warns of Failure, Fire from Third-Party Batteries

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Maybe some power tool users are tired of getting the third degree about using third-party replacement batteries. But they should consider that they might be headed for third-degree burns — or worse — if they keep it up. There is simply no adequate replacement for using the original tool manufacturer batteries and chargers to keep power tools operating efficiently and safely. Efficiency and safety are critically important for professional contractors. A job that takes too long due to tool failure impacts the bottom line. A jobsite going up in flames impacts even more than that. For these and more reasons, … Read more

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Association Officials Call for Tariff Removal on Key Materials to Provide Immediate Relief for Hard-Hit Contractors

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Price increases—some to record-setting levels—and long delivery delays are causing hardships for construction firms that are also experiencing challenges in completing projects with crews limited by illness or new work site procedures resulting from the pandemic, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of government data. Association officials urged the Biden administration to review and rescind a range of trade tariffs in place, including for Canadian lumber, that are contributing to the price increases.   “The extreme price increases, as reflected in today’s producer price index report and other sources, are harming contractors on existing projects … Read more

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