In the May/June 2013 issue of AGC’s Constructor Magazine, there is an article, Strategies for Success – Paving Your Way to Better Fortunes, that highlights the findings from the AGC-FMI 2012 Business Development survey.  In this article, the author of the AGC-FMI survey and current AGC Construction Marketing Forum chair, Cynthia Paul (FMI Corp.), and other AGC Construction Marketing Forum members share business development strategies that have made their businesses successful and align with the findings of the survey.  Successful business development strategies that are highlighted throughout the article include planning, cultivating repeat business, networking to build contacts and implementing strategies. Click here to read the article in its entirety.

The Architecture Billings Index is a leading indicator of the U.S. construction activity nine to 12 months into the future.  In the month of November, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) reported a 0.4 increase in the ABI from 52.8 in October to 53.2.  Any reading above 50 is said to indicate expansion, while any reading below 50 is said to indicate a decline in the demand for design services.   This score reflects an increased demand for design services.

Public and Commercial Buildings are Target for Future Rules The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published the details for an upcoming public meeting - set for June 26, 2013 - on the subject of EPA’s ongoing evaluation into whether to and how to regulate renovation, repair and painting (RRP) activities in all public and commercial buildings that purportedly have lead-based paint.  EPA provided advanced notice of this meeting earlier in the year, when it solicited comment from stakeholders who manage or perform RRP work on the exterior or interior of such buildings.  AGC has already submitted detailed comments questioning the lack of lead-paint data for public and commercial buildings. AGC is also preparing to testify at the upcoming public meeting. 

Construction employment increased in 152 out of 339 metropolitan areas between March 2012 and March 2013, declined in 126 and was stagnant in 61, according to a new analysis of federal employment data released today by AGC of America.

Today, AGC celebrates green construction efforts on Earth Day, along with its chapters and members.  While AGC debuts a new online toolkit for building energy code information, AGC chapters and members celebrate Earth Day through building green, recycling, carpooling, planting trees, cleaning up rivers and sponsoring awareness events.

With increasing demand for design services, the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) is continuing to strengthen. The ABI reflects the approximate nine to twelve month lag time between architecture billings and construction spending.  The American Institute of Architects (AIA) reported the February ABI score was 54.9, up slightly from a mark of 54.2 in January.

Due to the continual decline of construction employment over the past five years, many contractors are concerned about the availability of skilled workers now that hiring in the industry has resumed.  Many former construction workers have left for other industries or retired.

The Real Estate Roundtable recently released their Q1-2013 Sentiment Survey.  The survey is the commercial real estate industry’s most comprehensive measure of senior executives’ confidence in the industry.  The survey receives the opinions of CEOs, presidents and other top executives on the following topics: overall real estate conditions, access to capital markets and real estate asset pricing.

The Architecture Billings Index (ABI), a leading indicator of the U.S. construction activity nine to 12 months into the future, had a score 52.0 in the month of December.  Any reading above 50 is said to indicate expansion, while any reading below 50 is said to indicate a decline in the demand for design services.

The construction industry is facing a shortage of employable workers in several states including Florida, Texas, Iowa and Arizona and is expected to impact other states as the construction industry continues to strengthen.