Ron and I are meeting this weekend and have made a HUGE decision that you are all going to love! First off we are going to share our subscription based content for FREE! We know there are many contractors that need help and can’t afford it or are reluctant to hire a coach!

We are also going to add a fresh new video at least once a month. Again, for free and we think you will agree it will be really good stuff!

Ron and I are coming out of a hiatus and will make blog contributions regularly. So, what does this mean to you. Tons of free information and contractor problem solving material.

Get Ready!

Ron and Guy

Many of our viewers have asked how we started! This video blog is a little lengthy but it tells our story.

Enjoy

Ron and Guy

Finally.

It’s been almost two years since I’ve seen any sign of normal construction around my home town. Over the last few weeks, I’ve seen a handful of sites being cleared, pads being prepared, steel going up.

Finally.

Non-residential construction was off by 43% in 2011 in my home town of Kansas City. Total construction spending in 2010 had held fairly well by contract value due to a large federal contract that had been budgeted prior to the 2009 downturn. We also had several highway projects that were continuing to roll along as they were funded as multi-year projects.

What that means is the health of the construction economy was somewhat misleading. Driving around town was  a much better indicator of the implosion of work. Several sites were laying dormant after their initial site work had been completed.

Finally, signs of regular commercial construction have begun to spring up. Let’s hope this is the beginning of a long uptrend.

It’s not to late to attend Pavement Live. This new concept for asphalt maintenance and paving contractors includes 10 live demonstrations, conferences and an exhibit hall with the latest equipment. I am proud to be delivering five presentations starting on Wednesday thru Saturday. Their will be an array of industry experts conducting many different classes.

I will be teaching the following classes at this year’s event:

Wednesday, November 30  9:00am – Noon

W4 Developing a Hands-on Strategic Plan for Pavement Maintenance Contractors

Wednesday, November 30  3:00pm – 4:30pm

A5 Repeat Sales: The Secret to Long-term Success

Thursday, December 1   8:00am – 9:30am

B10 Increasing Efficiency in the Field

Thursday, December 1  10:00am – 11:30am

B14 Profitable Pavement Maintenance Job Costing

Saturday, December 3   8:00am – 9:30am

D25 Gotcha! Attitude is Everything in Sales

Complete details are available at www.PavementLIVE.com or by calling 800-827-8009. I’m looking forward to seeing you!

I look forward to seeing you there!

Guy

Have you read our newsletter this week? Ron wrote about how the relationship between engineers, general contractors and subcontractors have dramaticaly changed over the lst several years. I consider it A MUST READ!

If you haven’t signed up for our free newsletter what are you waiting for? It is Free with no strings attached!

A news bulletin from ABC just arrived in my Inbox. Definitely thought it was worth sharing…

According to media reports, Associated Builders and Contractors member John King, president and CEO of King Electric in Toledo, Ohio, was shot in the arm the evening of Aug. 10 when he surprised a man trying to slash the tires on his vehicle outside his home. The word “scab” was also written on the side of his car. When King stepped out of the front door, the man turned and fired a shot, hitting him in the arm. The individual then fled.  

ABC abhors any type of violence and malicious destruction of property and believes that every effort needs to be made to bring an end to such criminal activity.   

A reward is being offered for the arrest and conviction of the criminal.  

In addition, ABC has been working with a wide variety of media outlets on this story and so far it has appeared on Glenn Beck’s radio program and the Fox News Channel program “Your World with Neil Cavuto.” In addition, WTOL Channel 11 in Toledo covered the incident.

This is ridiculous. Violence and property destruction are never justified. As an industry, we should have moved beyond this decades ago.

Guy and I are neither pro nor con unionization. Some contractors should be union and others shouldn’t. It completely depends on the market, target customer, and quality of the local labor pool.

You probably have noticed that economic forecasts are about as reliable as weather forecasts. Maybe even less so. With that said, I thought you might appreciate hearing the thoughts of a couple of sources I have.

The other day, an email arrived in my Inbox from the Associated Builders and Contractors. ABC’s chief economist Anirban Basu is predicting the construction economy’s recovery may be two years away. Non-residential construction recovery (e.g. commercial) may be even further out. He listed healthcare as one of the segments that should be growing in the next twelve months. He listed hospitals, health centers, and clinics as specific building types that should see action.

The ABC commercial building forecast is a little more pessimistic than what my real estate resources are forecasting. The commercial real estate world follows a predictable cycle which is basically circular. Occupancy rates bottom out when lease rates bottom out. Then the lease rates start to recover followed by occupancy rates. That eventually leads to construction of new buildings for office and retail use.
The good news? Lease rates are starting to recover.

Keep an eye on the employment numbers. They are the leading indicator of a recovery in commercial construction (and also have a significant impact on residential construction and the remodeling industry).

There is a direct connection between employment levels and commercial real estate occupancy. The commercial construction industry has suffered more from high unemployment than it has from tightened lending.

In case you didn’t know it Ron and I publish a newsletter with relevant topics for contractors. It comes out every other Wednesday and we want to remind you to subscribe.

I think we were the first consulting company to develop a program of minimizing the impact and even taking advantage of the economic down turn. We can argue when it started, depending on the industry you’re in and your geographic area. Michigan and Florida were two of the first states to feel the dramatic effects of the financial crisis.

“How To Survive and Prosper During The Current Economic Times.” is a unique presentation that identifies the problems for contractors and presented  great solutions to deal with the crunch. One of the first suggestions we gave was to stop watching television and reading the newspapers. They were all filled with bad news.

At first it was meant to be a little sarcastic but soon I began believing and preaching it more. Most of our clients put themselves into a bubble to insulate them from all the negativity that was being broadcast and published. It helped them focus on the important tasks at hand.

Our clients that identified the crisis not only survived but have had some of the most stellar performance in their companies’ history. It’s not too late to put yourself in this group. Call us today and we can share these innovative strategies with you.

The United States Commercial Trade Contractors Association’s doors are officially open!

The site can be seen at www.USCTA.com. Let us know what you think.

With it’s unveiling, we are laying our cards on the table. We have always been aligned with commercial trade (sub) contractors. We’ve always written that developers, building owners, and general contractors stack the deck against them.

The association has one simpler mission: Teach trade contractors how to take control of their future by building strong businesses.

Only through the creation of strong businesses can trade contractors free themselves from being at the mercy of general contractors and building owners. Only by creating cost advantage via efficiently run field crews, by conservative financial management, and by superior sales and marketing systems can a trade contractor position himself to work exclusively for good, fair clients.

We’ve already been accused by more than one general contractor of drawing the line in the sand. We didn’t draw the line. The hundreds of general contractors who hold money, refuse to pay fair prices for change orders, and fail to run their job sites efficiently drew the line the sand. We’re just the messengers.

We know not all general contractors are a problem. I can name several that are professionally run and treat their subcontractors fairly. These are not the ones who spoil the pond.  It’s the others who are the problem.

Unfortunately, their impact is far reaching. An association was needed to help offset that impact.

Check it out at www.USCTCA.com

Good luck,

Ron