Eli Lilly said it plans to build a $5 billion manufacturing facility outside of Richmond, Virginia, focused on cancer and autoimmune treatments. It is expected to create 650 jobs, including roles for engineers, scientists, lab technicians and other personnel. Construction is slated to finish within the next five years.

The producer price index for materials and services used in nonresidential construction rose 0.2 percent in August and 2.5 percent from August 2024, driven by extreme increases in steel and aluminum prices, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of government data released today. Association officials noted a survey the association and NCCER recently released found rising costs were one of the key reasons for delayed, canceled, or scaled-back projects.

“The huge increases in steel and aluminum tariffs appears to have enabled domestic producers to push up their selling prices,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. He noted that the AGC-NCCER survey found that 43 percent of contractors reported at least one project in the past six months had been canceled, postponed or scaled back because of higher costs. “These price increases are prompting some owners to rethink planned construction projects.”

On Sept. 8, AGC submitted comments on the revised PART 36 of Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR). The FAR revision is due to President Trump’s Executive Order, Restoring Common Sense to Federal Procurement, directing sweeping changes to the federal procurement. The order intends to create a more efficient procurement system by removing undue regulatory barriers and eliminating FAR provisions not required by law or essential to sound procurement. Specifically, AGC called for restoring best practices like site visits and preconstruction conferences, refining Project Labor Agreement requirements, improving the timing of government cost estimates, and reducing the administrative load on contracting officers so projects can move forward fairly and on time. AGC will continue to report on this as it develops.

On Sept. 10, the Department of Defense (DoD) released the final regulation that requires Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) compliance for every DoD prime and subcontractor. The regulation will go into effect on November 10, 2025.

The DoD is implementing the CMMC requirements over four phases, starting with the inclusion of CMMC Level 1 and Level 2 Self-Assessment requirements in all applicable DoD solicitations. Most AGC members will fall under Level 1 or 2, and contractors should expect to see the CMMC clause in their contracts in the coming months. CMMC Level 3 requirements are expected to come into being in one year. The full rollout, which will see CMMC program requirements included in all applicable solicitations and contracts, is expected to continue through 2028.

As a critical mass of construction workers reach retirement age, less than half of the total workforce feels financially ready to walk away from a regular paycheck, PNC Bank found.

More than 3 in 4 employers said they believe their workers are prepared for retirement, yet less than half of workers think so, according to PNC Bank’s third annual Financial Wellness in the Workplace Report, released Aug. 27.

Construction workforce shortages are the leading cause of project delays as new immigration enforcement efforts have impacted near one-third of construction firms, according to the results of a workforce survey conducted by the Associated General Contractors of America and NCCER. Noting that 92 percent of contractors report they are having a hard time filling open positions, construction officials called for more funding for construction education and new, lawful ways for people to enter the country to work in the industry.

“As the survey results show, construction workforce shortages aren’t just a problem for the construction industry,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist, during a virtual media briefing to release the results. “Construction projects of all types are being delayed because there aren’t enough qualified workers available for firms to hire.”

September is officially recognized as National Suicide Prevention Month. AGC invites all construction professionals to prioritize mental health and well-being in our workplaces and beyond. To support you, AGC offers a wide range of resources, from training courses and best practice guides to toolbox talks and community initiatives, designed to help companies and individuals take meaningful action.

“Our findings show that choosing a Type II helmet can save lives,” said Steve Rowson, the lab's director. “The difference in protection during a fall is dramatic.” 

Beginning in summer 2024, the Helmet Lab focused on “severe but survivable” job-site falls and worked to translate falls from 14 and 25 feet to laboratory tests to evaluate concussion and skull fracture risk. The research team— which included about 25 combined faculty, graduate students, and undergraduate students—then used the lab’s Summation of Tests for the Analysis of Risk (STAR) framework to combine data from multiple tests and compute an overall performance score for nine Type I and seven Type II helmets.