Don’t wait! Register today for the 2020 CISCA Convention in Las Vegas, March 23-26. 

Reports surrounding the coronavirus (COVID-19) have caused concern among the general public. As of March 3, 2020, fewer than 90,000 people worldwide have been diagnosed with COVID-19 with slightly more than 100 in the United States. While those numbers are sure to rise, keep in mind that this flu season the USA alone has seen over 32 million people come down with the flu and over 18,000 of them have died. Much like the flu, we can all take positive steps to to prepare. AGC of America has assembled general guidance and links to information from our federal agency partners and health organizations.

Construction spending in January increased 1.8 percent to $1.369 trillion from December and 6.8 percent from January 2019 as all major segments logged gains, according to a new analysis of federal data released recently by AGC of America. Association officials cautioned that January results may have been boosted by unusually mild winter weather in much of the nation and that spending in future months could be impacted by uncertainty related to the coronavirus and its potential impacts on the supply chain for construction materials.

The United States’ historically low unemployment rate has elevated the importance of employee recruitment and retention for construction companies across the country. Human resources experts are relying on a range of best practices to entice the brightest and best workers to consider careers in the industry.

COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, is spreading in parts of the United States. The western region of the country has been hit the hardest, with nine deaths in the Seattle area and 43 cases of infections in California, 26 of those in the San Francisco Bay area.

Construction firms expect continued high demand for projects, yet they remain concerned about their ability to find and keep qualified workers, according to a new survey, Strong Demand for Work Amid Stronger Demand for Workers: The 2020 Construction Hiring and Business Outlook Report.

As the opioid epidemic rages on throughout the United States, crisis has been particularly hardhitting in the construction industry. Construction workers are the most likely of all occupations to misuse prescription opioids, according to a 2019 study by the Center for Drug Use and HIV/HCV Research at the New York University College of Global Public Health. Construction workers had the highest prevalence of misuse, at 3.2 percent, compared to 2 percent in all other occupations.

Overhead costs are a broad category of costs that are not applicable to one construction project. Instead, they are spread over all projects. Generally, there are two types of overhead costs: indirect costs and general and administrative costs (G&A).

Whether you have experienced dwindling employment applications, a lack of management-level talent, and/or delayed or canceled work yourself, you’ve likely already felt the widening shortage of skilled workers in some capacity. With more students being pushed to pursue bachelor’s degrees for white-collar jobs and the growing number of construction projects nationwide, recruiting a skilled workforce for your business is becoming increasingly challenging. In fact, the AGC of America reported that 70 percent of construction companies nationwide are having difficulty finding qualified workers.

Construction companies with heavy-duty trucks are increasingly realizing the need to upgrade the trucks in their fleet more frequently, replacing older, less-efficient units that cost more to operate and produce harmful emissions. According to the Truck Lifecycle Data Index, construction companies with heavy-duty truck equipment can realize a first-year, per-truck savings of $16,928 when upgrading from a 2015 Class 8 sleeper-model truck to a 2020 model. For a fleet of 100 vehicles, the savings can reach $1.7 million.

Industry 4.0 (I4.0 or I4) has been described as the subset of the fourth industrial revolution, which encompasses technology, software and processes that are not typically associated in discussions about constructing smart cities, buildings, hospitals and municipalities. Who builds those smart cities, buildings, hospitals and municipalities? I4.0 for the construction industry is present today and is growing at unbelievable rates or “growth at the speed of data."

CISCA is the global premier authority for the interior construction, acoustical ceilings and acoustical treatment industry, fostering professional development and exchanges for and between association members and industry professionals. Be sure to visit our website often as new material is posted regularly.

CISCA is the global premier authority for the interior construction, acoustical ceilings and acoustical treatment industry. Market your products/services to the multi-billion dollar interior systems industry today.

AD and SafetyNetwork (formerly SMG) are announcing that on Feb. 28, 2020, SafetyNetwork’s independent members overwhelmingly voted in favor to merge the two groups. The transaction is expected to close April 1, 2020. The merger is part of AD’s commitment to ensuring a strong future for independent distributors.

If you work on a construction project , then you need this training! Our online silica exposure awareness training is easy to take: 1) Each employee watches a high quality fall protection training video, and 2) Take a test and get a certificate of completion.

 

It's that easy!

Shop Lenovo's Annual Sale and receive up to 53% off award-winning technologies. Hurry, offers valid through 3/23/2020 or while supplies last!

 

Visit: www.lenovo.com/us/en/lsp

Call: 1-800-426-7235, ext. 3569 (M-F: 9am-9pm ET, Sat: 9am-6pm ET)

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