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Columns  Infrastructure in America is facing critical new challenges. Structures that serve as the backbone of growing communities and thriving business enterprises are rapidly aging and nearing the end of their expected service life. By Puneet Singh The state of the economy affects how much your business will sell for and how quickly it will sell. Generally, in a down economy, buyers expect to pay less for a business and sellers resign themselves to a long wait before they find the right buyer. But the conventional wisdom does not always hold true. By Patrick F. McNally For the past 10 years, Seattle has widely been considered a leader in a green building movement that just recently broke through to the mainstream real estate market. Beyond our own neighborhoods here in the Emerald City, green building has finally hit a stride on a national scale, and it continues to grow. By Aaron Adelstein In these times of economic uncertainty, it is becoming increasingly important to take advantage of opportunities and strategies to save money whenever possible. By Kate Burrows
 More than 400 construction company owners and various contractors who were recently surveyed were asked, “What business are you in?” Only one business owner answered the question correctly. By Dan Schneider You may be surprised to learn that avoiding the topic of succession may be putting most companies at bigger risk for survival than the current economic environment. It is true: close to 90 percent of businesses are family owned and only one-third survive their first succession, while merely 13 percent make it to the third generation. By Stephanie Brun de Pontet and Craig E. Aronoff The path to bring about changes in national crane safety standards evokes images of “the long and winding road” that The Beatles first sang about in 1969. The efforts to establish national crane safety standards date back almost as far as the original recording of that famous song. By Danielle J. Cole Although some owners think they know the value of their business, few do. Unless you undertake a valuation of your company, you can’t be certain of its value. That can lead to some expensive mistakes. By Patrick McNally
 In Feb. 17, 2009, President Obama signed into law the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which contains nearly $800 billion in economic stimulus spending and tax relief, much of which should help contractors in this current economic climate. By William J. Ferlita Jr.
 In the construction industry, as well as other industries, a paradigm shift is underway as businesses return to basics. Despite the current economic climate, well-positioned construction companies which monitor the following problem areas will be able to take advantage of strategic opportunities and avoid problems on construction projects. By John D. Cromie & Mark L. Fleder Despite an ailing economy and slow home sales, construction is still considered a growth industry. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, total employment in the industry is projected to increase from approximately 6.9 million jobs in 2004 to 7.7 million jobs in 2014, with significant growth expected in electrical, carpentry and construction management. By Patrick A. Genovese Making decisions that raise the bottom line depends on accurate, objective answers to a multitude of questions encompassing the whole operation. Which types of jobs are the most profitable? Which salespeople close these jobs? By David P. Pineda When business partners no longer want to work together, the result can be a fight as bitter as the most acrimonious divorce. No matter how much money you offer your partner for his share of the business, it’s not enough. When you offer to be bought out instead, any amount is too much. By Patrick F. McNally Thinking about closing your doors in this tough economy? Not so fast. There might be other options. By Brooke Infusino
 Values are falling and the need for liquidity is forcing the sale of businesses and assets at near fire-sale prices. The question is: Are you able to take advantage of this financial crisis and better position your own business for long-term success?  In today’s litigious society, a few dollars saved could cost the owners their entire company, as well as all accumulated personal assets. Learn what your company’s exposures and liabilities are and then invest in proper insurance accordingly. By Marie Demko The developer everyone “knew” was financially sound files for bankruptcy, leaving you with an incomplete job and a bad receivable. If you are not prepared, your customer’s bankruptcy could become your bankruptcy. By Patrick F. McNally
 With more than 36 years of experience in design, project management, inspection and construction supervision of civil engineering projects, new ACEC/M President Paul Wade has seen many changes in the sector. By Brooke Infusino |
Last quarter, we described the outlook for construction as just plain ugly. Unfortunately, this still holds true. We anticipate that residential construction may find the bottom this year, but that the decline until it does will be steep. By Heather Jones
Sound project management can make the difference between being profitable and losing large amounts of money. If done well, it can assure the sustainability of a firm. Conversely, if done poorly, it can threaten its very existence. By Al Moores-Warren
Recently, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the major entity responsible for the rapid proliferation of green design and building techniques throughout the United States through its LEED rating system, published a white paper on legal risk. By Edward B. Gentilcore
When you have to play the waiting game like most builders are today, what better way to spend your time than planning for the future? At least that’s what Arizona Builders’ Alliance (ABA) Executive Director Mark Minter is doing. By Brooke Infusino
Shrinking budgets, increasing traffic loads and the sharp focus on our nation’s highways and roadways has required states, counties and municipalities, as well as contractors, to do more with less. By Michael Ayers and Dale Harrington 