Apply Lessons from Hard Times to Coming Better Times
It’s hard to believe that 2014 is coming to end and a new year is fast approaching. The results for 2014 appear to be mixed, and much of how we perceive the economic rebound depends on with whom you happen to be speaking. Although some geographic regions are downright booming, others are struggling to show […]
Construction Trends
Construction Industry to See More Balanced Growth in 2015 According to Dodge Data & Analytics Dodge Data & Analytics released its 2015 Dodge Construction Outlook on Nov. 6, 2014, and the report predicts that total U.S. construction starts for 2015 will rise 9 percent to $612 billion, a larger gain than the 5 percent increase […]
Letters to a General Superintendent (Part 5)
What follows is the fourth letter in a series of letters supposedly written by an owner (Jack Owployer) in response to a general superintendent’s (Joe Gensup) request for something more than the typical job description. Though the company had provided a generic job description, what the superintendent needed and received was much more personal and […]
A Few More of My “Favorite” Things
"When the dog bites, when the bee stings…” — Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II It’s fairly common knowledge that we exactimators, in the course of our work, must navigate a path rife with yawning pitfalls. Shrinking time windows, vague or incomplete bid docs, that nagging suspicion that something was missed when an award […]
Wavy Wall Work
Q: Our condo association hired a contractor to install drywall in several places. The work has started, and there are places where the gaps between the panels are approaching 3/4-inch. The walls also seem to be excessively wavy. The condo association complained that this appears to be inferior work, but the contractor claims he can fill […]
2015: The Year Things Turn Around
Bidding activity is up—and even brisk in some areas of the United States. But wall and ceiling contractors still face obstacles: low margins, for one, increasingly shallow labor pools for another. It’s interesting times ahead—a roller coaster ride for some. Here’s a snapshot, with viewpoints from across the nation. California In major cities […]
Project Focus: Duke Medical Pavilion
Editor’s Note: Every year, the Association of the Wall and Ceiling Industry receives many fantastic project nominations for its Excellence in Construction Quality Award, but not all can win. This month we introduce you to one of the entries in our 2014 competition. The challenges of the Duke Medical Pavilion in North Carolina were met […]
Do Your Employees Think Like Owners?
We all know today’s companies need to be more nimble, more innovative and more entrepreneurial, and that this shift begins with employees. Don’t we? Yes, we do. By now, so much ink has been spilled on the need for employee engagement and empowerment that our eyes glaze over when yet another expert starts in on […]
What will it take for wall and ceiling contractors to feel safe and sure enough to raise their prices so that their margins won’t be so razor thin?
Quality! I believe if you put out a superior product than your competitors, in time the customer/GC will be willing to pay a little more to have it done right. We have taken over several projects from other drywall companies we were high on, and every time the same thing is said, “We should have […]