New twists on the traditional supplier-customer relationship are becoming more frequent across the building materials and construction industry. This is happening as companies all along the supply chain push to open up new competitive opportunities, operate more efficiently and forge stronger, more collaborative relationships with customers.

Labor compliance can be a sticky business. Just ask the thousands of contractors who have had to repay millions of dollars in back wages since Davis-Bacon (DBA) and its Related Acts (DBRA) went into effect decades ago. Better yet, talk to the prime contractors that had to pay for their subcontractors’ mistakes.

Submitting an invoice for completed work and then getting paid is about as straightforward as the construction business gets. Or at least it should be. Getting paid on time is the lifeblood for contractors, but many consistently make the same mistakes over and over when handling this vital process.

Your health and wellness should be a year round consideration. But August is National Wellness Month, so why not put your health and wellness (and your employees') front and center this month?

In the midst of the busiest time of year, contractors and suppliers are grappling with the logistics of managing summer building season demands, from coordinating schedules, routes and trades to managing deliveries of equipment and materials. Contractors face the challenge of managing this intricate web of interdependent activities, all operating with time, resource and budget constraints.

The Federal Reserve on Wednesday cut the benchmark federal funds interest rate for the first time in more than a decade, even as the U.S. economic expansion reaches record length, unemployment hovers at historic lows and consumers keep spending.

Much has been written about the adverse effects of fatigue in the workplace. According to the National Safety Council, “13% of workplace injuries can be attributed to fatigue.” Moreover, more than “37% of employees are sleep-deprived. Those most at risk work the night shift, long shifts, rotating shifts or irregular shifts.” This erratic schedule characterizes the work schedule for many construction workers.

The global market for Artificial Intelligence (AI) in construction is forecast to reach $4.51 billion (USD) by 2026, according to a new report by Reports and Data. The easy mitigation of risk to quality and safety, coupled with time and cost consumption requirements of the construction industry, will drive the growth of the market.

The CISCA Fall Conference is only two months away, and now is the time to book your flight for Nashville and register! Set for Sept. 18-20, 2019, the conference will feature speaker Brent O'Bannon, Gallup-certified Strengths Coach, as well as a Product Showcase and our Annual Business Meeting. Individual members can save by registering early (before August 17)!

As a founding partner of Offsite Integrated Structures Inc., Brent Horton brings 25 years of executive leadership, business ownership, and consulting experience to the Offsite Integrated Structures Team. On Thursday, Sept. 19 at CISCA's upcoming Fall Conference in Nashville, Horton will speak on "Prefabrication and Modular Construction: Trends, Outlook and Impact on CISCA Members."

When long-term care is needed, there are only a few options available to pay for those types of expenses. Genworth Life Insurance Company and CISCA are working together to provide members with access to long term care insurance protection.

Pay if paid clauses make payment from the owner to the contractor an express condition precedent of the contractor’s duty to make payment to the subcontractor. The purpose of a pay if paid clause is to shift the risk of the owner’s nonpayment under the contract from the general contractor to the subcontractor. Pay if paid clauses are routinely held to be enforceable. 

Jobs in construction, manufacturing and mining and logging rebounded in June, while May’s low numbers were revised upwards, according to the latest Blue Collar Jobs Tracker. Job gains were largely concentrated in the South and West.