Construction Input Prices Continue to Rise, Says ABC

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Construction input prices increased 0.9% in April on a monthly basis and 2.4% compared to the same time last year, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Nonresidential input prices rose 0.9% compared to March and are up 2.8% on an annual basis. Among the 11 subcategories, seven experienced price decreases last month, with the largest decreases in natural gas (-8.7%), iron and steel (-1.7%) and steel mill products (-1.7%). The four subcategories that experienced monthly price increases were crude petroleum (+13.9%), unprocessed energy materials (+3.7%), prepared asphalt products (+2.7%) and concrete … Read more

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AGC Awards 2019 Diverse Business of the Year Award to Ujamaa Construction

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Chicago, Illinois’ Ujamaa Construction was named as the 2019 Diverse Business of the Year award winner by the Associated General Contractors of America, association officials announced. The association also awarded Diversity and Inclusion Excellence Awards to Austin Commercial, Shoemaker Construction Company, Central Builders, United Rentals and the AGC of Missouri. “These awards recognize firms that have established outstanding programs that have helped make the construction industry a more diverse, inclusive and better sector in which to work,” said Eddie Stewart, the association’s president and president and CEO of Caddell Construction in Montgomery, Alabama. “By making our industry more diverse, we … Read more

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Construction Employment Increases in 218 Metros from March 2018 to March 2019

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Construction employment grew in 218, or 61 percent, out of 358 metro areas between March 2018 and March 2019, declined in 83 (23 percent) and was unchanged in 57, according to a new analysis of federal employment data released by the Associated General Contractors of America. Meanwhile, new federal data on construction spending showed mixed results, as a steep decline in single-family homebuilding offset increases in multifamily and nonresidential construction. Association officials said the continuing demand for most construction underscores the need for federal enactment of immigration reforms to boost the supply of workers. “Fewer metros than in recent months … Read more

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ABC Report: Safety Best Practices Can Make Construction Companies 680% Safer

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Associated Builders and Contractors released its 2019 Safety Performance Report today, an annual assessment that furthers the construction industry’s understanding of how to achieve world-class safety through its STEP Safety Management System. Published in conjunction with Construction Safety Week, the report documents the dramatic impact of using proactive safety practices to reduce recordable incidents by up to 85%, making the best-performing companies 680% safer than the industry average. “ABC’s fifth annual report on the use of leading indicators, such as substance abuse programs and toolbox safety talks, confirms that high-performing ABC members have safer construction jobsites,” said Greg Sizemore, ABC … Read more

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NIOSH Announces 6th Annual Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction

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The construction of a nation, the physical labor that it takes to build and re-build, requires safe working conditions for its laborers. This year, during the week of May 6-10, thousands of employers across the country and internationally will stand down for the safety of construction workers and participate in the 6th annual National Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction. By pausing and taking time during this important week to communicate safety policies and best practices, provide fall prevention demonstrations and training and offer talks about ways to protect from and mitigate fall hazards, employers can be at the forefront … Read more

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