Category: Expert Columns
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Weighing the Importance of Costs and Client Relationships in Construction
Over the past five years, small and midsize construction businesses have been hit hard by supply chain disruptions, inflation, and geopolitical pressures that have driven up material costs and intensified labor shortages. While some market conditions have stabilized since the initial upheaval, many contractors still face persistent challenges, affecting their cash flow and bottom line.…
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Leveraging Equipment Telematics to Meet Jobsite Sustainability Goals
As more owners set sustainability goals for projects, practically approaching jobsite sustainability is becoming essential for contractors who seek to bid on, and win, these contracts. Data that allows companies to monitor and manage their construction equipment operations is key to making practical, cost-effective changes that reduce emissions, curb fossil fuel use and minimize waste.…
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Advanced Resin Flooring Solutions in Construction
Advanced resin flooring solutions are changing the game in construction. These floors offer many perks for builders and owners and they’re becoming more popular because of them. Builders can use them in factories, stores, schools, hospitals, and more. These quick-to-install floors also help keep spaces safe and clean, which is vital in many industries. Many…
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Technology Overload In Construction: Less Can Be More
Having choices is a good thing. Having too many choices can become a problem. Exhibit A is the construction industry. It has experienced a staggering technological revolution over the past few decades, with software solutions emerging to tackle nearly every aspect of the construction process. Project management, schedule creation, schedule analysis, budgeting, resource allocation, and…
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Electric MEWPs on the Rise
While mobile elevated work platforms (MEWPs) come in many forms, today’s electric scissor lift equipment offerings are changing the game. “In the past, MEWPs were powered by the biggest, most powerful internal combustion (IC) engines an individual equipment model could support,” pointed out Bob Begley, director of product management, scissor lifts, JLG. Begley noted contractors…
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Finding Good Hires From Outside the Asphalt Industry
During my first year in the asphalt industry, I’ve found that my favorite part of the job lies in my initial conversations with people who are also in the industry. More often than not, people ask me “how did you end up in asphalt?” When I relay my story, I’m met with a similar story…
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Asphalt Industry Offers Path For American Dream
My name is Vijay Palanisamy and I currently work as Vice President of Product Management and Marketing at Dynapac. When Asphalt Contractor first reached out to me about this feature, I was not fully sure what I was going to say or write about. However, I tried to share my journey, how I got in…
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Defining ‘Five Stars’ in the Construction Industry
What’s the first thing we all do in a new city? Search Google or Yelp for places to eat. Then, we ask a few folks to see if the “five-star reviews” translate into meaningful experiences. In industries like ours, delivering world-class service every day is not only the norm but the entry price for civil…
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Addressing the Opioid Crisis in Construction
Since 2016, Jon O’Brien has been at the helm of the Keystone Contractors Association (KCA), leading efforts to support Pennsylvania’s construction industry. Over the years, O’Brien has witnessed a transformation in the field—not just in technical advancements, but in the growing need to address issues that affect the well-being of its workforce. Chief among these…
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How to Prep for 2025’s New Construction Business Agenda
You are probably in the process of closing out 2024 and finishing your game plan, budget and cash flow projections for 2025. You are doing this, right? Some of your planning was based on your thoughts about the outcome of the election. If so, at least 50% of you got it right. So, seeing that…