This week's blog highlights from across the industry look at:
Construction Compliance: Who Contractors Answer To
As Jimmy Miller states in his The Construction and Real Estate Report blog, today’s construction market is very competitive. The tough competition for jobs, often determined by the lowest bid, can lead to extreme cost cutting. Such scrutiny of costs has led companies to economize on labor costs, avoid proper training and safety measures on construction sites, not adhere to environmental regulations and government contract requirements, among others. It might be helpful to review the list of agencies that construction companies must comply with in order to avoid fines, penalties and headaches.
Teaming Agreements: A Win-Win for All Parties
Navigating the bidding process and submitting RFPs is no small job. It requires a lot of effort from a team of designers and contractors. It might be assumed that the same team that worked on the proposal is the team that will work on the project when awarded. Whatever the case may be, it might be worth it for all parties to sign a teaming agreement prior to preparing a bid, so each member of the team understands their role, relationship, responsibilities, monetary compensation and legal obligations after award. Sean Gay addresses this issue in detail in the Stoel Rives blog.
More Efficient Bulbs Will Save U.S. Consumers More Than $10 Billion a Year
In fulfillment of its statutory obligations, the Department of Energy just issued the updated definition for the types of light bulbs that will be considered “general service lamps.” This step paves the way for the eventual conversion of our nation’s light bulbs to dramatically more efficient ones. Read more about new definitions, bipartisan law history, product availability and commercial solution in the Green Building Advisor Guest Blog.
6 Traits to Look for When Hiring Construction Executives
With increasing competition in the construction industry, the issue of hiring good personnel is becoming more important. According to Construction Hunters, in the next few years the construction industry in the USA is expected to witness an unprecedented growth. Bureau of Labor Statistics also predicts a 7% growth in demand for construction manager positions. So get prepared today for those interviews and take a brief look at what else you might want to see in a candidate besides technical skills – read more here.
