It has been two years since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic on March 11, 2020—the first since WHO declared the H1N1 influenza a pandemic in 2009. That first year involved a lot of fears and unknowns, and it wasn’t until vaccines were approved and widely distributed that things started to calm down—a little bit.
Through it all, though, construction work was deemed essential—a designation that came with both pros and cons. What did member contractors of the Association of the Wall and Ceiling Industry learn in the last two years? A lot. In most cases, things changed, whether it was internal (loss of staff) or external (supply issues). The article that begins on page 24 illustrates the lessons learned by contractors in the last two years, and it also provides their plans for moving forward and being prepared for the next surprise shock to the system.
Along those same lines, make sure you read Vince Bailey’s “Estimator’s Edge” on page 18. Vince has been looking into his crystal ball and is convinced that we are on the road to another economic downturn, so in his monthly column he outlines what estimators need to do now to survive what he thinks is in store for us. Taking proactive measures sooner rather than later will offer a layer of protection that other companies may not have.
Now might be a good time to note that we here at AWCI’s Construction Dimensions have also been experiencing problems with the supply chain. Some of you may have been receiving your monthly magazine later in the month rather than earlier. As of this writing, magazine delivery times are improving but still not where they were just two years ago. If you are in a hurry to see the next issue before the print version hits your mailbox, remember that the digital version is available at the beginning of each month in the media section of AWCI’s website, www.awci.org.
This issue also highlights all the wall and ceiling contractors who are members of AWCI. The annual AWCI Contractor Directory (page 34) proudly displays each company’s fields of experience along with contact information. Make special note of the members who earned extra exposure by including their business card; we thank them for their commitment to AWCI and the industry.
