Welcome to a brand new year, a clean slate. I don’t know about you, but I was happy to say good-bye to 2016. It wasn’t a horrible year, it just could have been better. 2016 held a lot of uncertainty about the business economy, but as the year wore on, many fears were eased or erased. Now that 2017 is here, we are pretty sure it’s going to be a good one for construction, and now we can really get down to business.
Last month we talked about articles that forecast a promising economic future for ceiling and wall contractors in 2017, and this month it’s all about the excitement building over what the new president of the United States is going to do to keep the forward momentum going—and how. Dodge Data & Analytics, as you’ll see in the “Construction Trends” article on page XX, says Donald Trump’s background in construction and real estate will be a benefit to our industry. And prior to the election, when we polled you, the readers of AWCI’s Construction Dimensions, about who would win the election, Trump was your clear choice—twice. So with a new year and a new president who could be very good to your businesses, there is a new excitement in the air.
And with excitement comes a certain level of stress, which is why the article on page 36 is here to help you out by offering 15 tips to manage your time and your stress levels. You’ve probably heard some of the tips before, but some may be new. It also never hurts to revisit reminders that can help you have a more peaceful existence at work and at home.
One of the things that could make your blood pressure soar is the “bid letting,” as S.S. Saucerman calls it in his article on page 30. If you read his recent articles on competitive bid, you know that Saucerman has a way of seeing strenuous situations in different ways. Who would have ever thought the stress of being grilled on your bid numbers could make you laugh? Thanks to Saucerman, now you can.
Our third feature (page 40) highlights the ceiling work done by Heartland Acoustics & Interiors, headquartered in Englewood, Colo. The photographs really tell the story; I’ll leave it at that.
But before you get immersed in the feature articles, take a look at our new department, “Social Update,” on page 9. This page highlights industry Twitter and Facebook announcements from AWCI members, our readers and industry associates that you may have missed. The quick screengrabs of tweets and posts were done just prior to this magazine going to press, so many of the headlines are relevant. Let me know what you think about this new section—both compliments and criticisms will be accepted.
What else do we have in store for 2017? I don’t want to divulge all the details now, but knowing that AWCI’s 100th anniversary is in March 2018 is a great place to start. Boy, do we have plans! I’ll keep you posted.
Enjoy 2017!
