For the second consecutive year, Sundt Construction, Inc. was awarded the Diamond Safety Award by the Associated General Contractors of Utah. The award, the highest safety award handed out annually by the AGC of Utah, evaluates comparable-sized contractors’ total man hours worked to the national average. Sundt earned the Diamond Safety Award because it had more than 5 million worked man-hours at an incident rate of 50% below the national level. The company garnered the same recognition last year. In September, Sundt completed the Utah Department of Transportation Interstate 80 westbound highway improvement project in Tooele County six months ahead … Read more
Nonresidential Construction Spending Shrinks, Says AGC
Construction spending was a tale of two industries again in November, as soaring single-family construction masked ongoing downturns in private and public nonresidential construction, according to an analysis of new federal construction spending data by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials said the new figures underscore the need for new infrastructure investments and other measures to boost demand for nonresidential construction amid the pandemic. “Private nonresidential construction declined for the fifth-straight month in November, while public nonresidential spending slipped for the fifth time in the past six months,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “Unfortunately, our latest … Read more
New Industry Outlook Reports on Industry Struggles with Declining Demand, Growing Project Delays + Cancelations
Most contractors expect demand for many types of construction to shrink in 2021 even as the pandemic is prompting many owners to delay or cancel already-planned projects, meaning few firms will hire new workers, according to survey results released by the Associated General Contractors of America and Sage Construction and Real Estate. The findings are detailed in The Pandemic’s Growing Impacts on the Construction Industry: The 2021 Construction Hiring and Business Outlook Report. “This is clearly going to be a difficult year for the construction industry,” said Stephen E. Sandherr, the association’s CEO. “Demand looks likely to continue shrinking, … Read more
New Coronavirus Recovery Measure to Provide Relief for Contractors Coping with Project Cancelations, Falling Demand
The Associated General Contractors of America’s CEO Stephen E. Sandherr issued the following statement in reaction to the release of compromise coronavirus relief legislation slated for House and Senate votes as early as Dec. 21: “The new coronavirus recovery measure announced today should provide some needed relief for a construction industry that is coping with project cancellations and job losses in most parts of the country. Most notably, the measure includes $10 billion in needed funding to help address the pandemic-induced shortfalls in state transportation revenues. This new funding should keep a number of road projects from getting canceled … Read more
One-Third Metro Areas Add Construction Jobs in Latest 12 Months
Only 30% of the nation’s metro areas added construction jobs in the past year, according to an analysis of new government data that the Associated General Contractors of America released. Association officials said construction employment in most parts of the country was being impacted by the pandemic as businesses and local governments curtail planned construction projects. “The pandemic has devastated the finances for businesses, institutions and state and local governments, leading to widespread postponements and cancellations of construction projects,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “As contractors use up the funds from Paycheck Protection Program loans, even more job … Read more