GroundBreak Carolinas Connection- February 20, 2019

Communication, decisiveness and approachability are only a few tools of the trade that Chad Humphrey carries with him to work each day, both on the job and within his community. As senior project manager for Balfour Beatty, he has contributed to the development of high-profile, large-scale construction projects in and around Raleigh, N.C. His superior project management and consistent community outreach demonstrate that he’s not just here to watch the Triangle grow from the sidelines; he’s here to be a true Relentless Ally — to be involved, to contribute and to make a difference, one project, one cause at a time.

When leading companies look for expertise in finding a new site for a manufacturing facility or corporate office, many turn to Didi Caldwell. Based in Greenville, S.C., Caldwell is president of Global Location Strategies, a site selection firm.
For most of the last 20 years, Caldwell has dedicated herself to assisting corporations with their location strategy – where and how to deploy their assets around the world. She has worked on projects in a multitude of industries, but her expertise and passion are in large manufacturing and heavy industrial projects. Since 1998, she has worked on projects totaling more than $50 billion in investment in over 30 countries.

Chris Spach is founder, President and CEO of SouthCon Building Group, LLC, based in Mount Pleasant, S.C. The company celebrated its 10-year anniversary last year and has earned a "best-in-class" reputation through award winning achievements. Under Spach’s leadership, SouthCon has grown into a financially strong organization staffed with a talented team of construction professionals. While SouthCon primarily focuses on Greater Charleston, the company does perform work outside the Lowcountry region of the state. SouthCon currently has unlimited licensing in both Carolinas and Georgia.

Just in time for the February 1 reporting deadline, the US Department of Labor has opted not to require large employers to submit detailed worker injury and illness logs electronically. Instead, officials with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) will accept electronic delivery of summary forms for employers with 250 or more employees, as the risks of potentially exposing sensitive employee records was determined to outweigh the need to upgrade and improve data collection methods.
Read More

Catalyst Construction Company is an experienced single source, design-build general contractor providing the Carolinas and surrounding states with exceptional construction, renovation, demolition and site work. With a privately owned fleet of construction vehicles and heavy equipment plus in-house teams of trade professionals at our disposal, we can complete projects of every scale. Catalyst Construction's specialty services are tailored to every project and situation. Catalyst Construction's expertise in a variety of scopes such as concrete services, trenching and welding, make us a popular subcontractor choice with Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing contractors.
Learn More

Most of us love the job. Sure, not every day. We have good days and bad days, but by and large we derive a great deal of satisfaction from solving the various problems large and small that are part of a normal day. We are field people, who enjoy being in the field, in the mud, the dust, the early mornings pouring concrete and the late nights waiting for it to cure. Most would never be comfortable at the office; in fact we are only happy in an office trailer. We can deal with owners and laborers alike and every knucklehead misfit in between.

Carolinas AGC recently renewed its long-standing alliance with the NCDOL Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Division. The alliance, which was first signed in 2010, aims to reduce accidents and fatalities in the construction industry through increased education, training and outreach. Carolinas AGC is a construction trade association made up of contractors and construction-related firms that perform work in both North and South Carolina. The two entities furthered their alliance by recently signing a renewal alliance agreement.

The "mobile era" is in full swing, and construction companies are slowly but surely making the switch. Over 80% of construction professionals surveyed said that mobile technology is of high priority, and 4 out of 5 stated that they are currently using some form of mobile technology. And a new study by Dodge Data & Analytics shows that software, specifically mobile software, can improve many facets of business. Specifically contractors see improvement in equipment and fleet management, cost control, and accurate and timely field data collection. These facets are incredibly important to integrated labor delivery.

New development and ongoing operations of existing commercial real estate buildings in the United States – office, industrial, warehouse and retail – generates significant economic growth at the state and national levels. The combined impact of these property types supported 8.3 million American jobs and contributed $1 trillion to U.S. GDP in 2018. The study "Economic Impacts of Commercial Real Estate," published annually by the NAIOP Research Foundation, measures the contributions to GDP, salaries and wages generated, and jobs created and supported from the development and operations of commercial real estate.

Last year, career and technical education (CTE) was a major priority on the federal level, with the enactment of the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V), and on the state level, with states enacting a total of 146 policies supporting CTE. Today, the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) and Advance CTE released their sixth annual report, State Policies Impacting CTE: 2018 Year in Review, summarizing these policy activities, and identifying major themes and trends in CTE policymaking in 2018.

Construction input prices fell 0.7 percent on a monthly basis in January yet are up 1.6 percent year-over-year according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data released today. Construction input prices have declined for three consecutive months and in four of the previous six months.

Seven of the 11 subcategories monitored in the data experienced price declines in January. Energy-related prices experienced the most precipitous declines, with natural gas prices falling 32.2 percent and unprocessed energy materials prices slipping 19 percent.
Read More