My boss at my first engineering job told me that a PE license and a dollar will get you a cup of coffee.
Now that’s one heck of a saying, and at 22 years old, I didn’t really get it. I eventually put two and two together and realized that since a cup of coffee […]
While we may not often talk about them, we all remember the dark ages. These are the years where work in the architecture, engineering, and construction field fell to levels not seen for, at a minimum, decades. I was not one of the lucky who lived in a castle with a moat, so I was […]
Everybody loves to get hung up in contract language. On construction projects, contractors, owners, and subs will fire contract language back and forth like missiles in what gets to be an arms race of legalities that negatively affects projects by creating panic and anxiety. When lawyers get involved, the language starts to get twisted and manipulated […]
I’ve spent the past four years starting a construction company through the public bidding process. While I have arguably been successful in doing this, it has not come without plenty of headache, heartache, and just plain unimaginable stress.
I’ve probably bid at least 100 public RFPs, but I’ve only been awarded less than 10. I’ve dealt […]
I will often get asked, “What is Constructonomics?”.
Actually, that’s a lie. I very rarely, if ever, get asked that question. I’m not sure why I lied about that, but most likely because that’s how a post like this would typically start.
Nevertheless, I do think about the question a lot […]
No, I don’t know where I’m going
But, I sure know where I’ve been
There is in fact very little doubt as to where we all have been on this treacherous journey through the rebuilding of a devastated construction industry.
Hanging on the promises
In songs of yesterday
Promises, promises, promises, from politicians, business leaders, employers, you name it….
And I’ve […]
A green job is any job that improves the environment. Green jobs are great opportunities that help revitalize the economy and get people to work. Unfortunately, just because a job is green, does not mean it is without risks. Workers in this field face the same challenges other workers do when it comes to staying […]
The construction industry is among the top ten industries worldwide using LinkedIn (as of March 2011), according to eMarketer. And not only LinkedIn, AEC companies are currently using every possible digital marketing technique for business development.
According to a survey conducted among real estate and construction companies in North America and published in Digital Marketing – […]
To tell you the honest to God truth, being stranded in Las Vegas while Hurricane Sandy is pummeling the east coast has its advantages. One of which is having the time to do a little snooping on a construction project that I have been hearing about for over five years. It’s a […]
Marketing in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction industry has for the most part been in a league of its own. Conventional marketing techniques just don’t typically apply. The reasons for this are of course unclear, much like the reasons for anything occurring in this World. However, as usual, I have some theories as to why […]
Commercial general contractors are used to build nonresidential structures such as schools, restaurants, office buildings and shopping centers. In order to choose a commercial general contractor, there are many things need to be taken into consideration.
There are a number of things you should consider: the reputation of the firm, their past history, financial records and […]
When business owners and potential home owners envision building an office or residence or expanding on an existing structure, they often limit themselves to traditional construction methods. But modular construction has become a fast-growing, cost-effective trend for many builders. And at a time when every business and household is looking to stretch their investment further, […]
The construction industry will tend to lag tremendously behind the rest of this country and perhaps even the rest of the free and modern World when it comes to technology. I’d love to know what percentage of construction organizations even have websites. I did a back of the envelope survey about ten years ago and […]
When it comes to measuring the success of a hospital building design, it’s to little surprise that strides are typically attributed to the doctors and nurses and the equipment and medicines available.
And they certainly should be.
But what about the building itself? Can a building be built for better patient care? Can a smarter structure […]
Have you ever had a boss you thought deserved a padded cell? You’re not alone. Nearly one third of employees think their bosses should see a psychologist. And as it turns out, your so-called jaded assumptions might not be that far off. Bosses are four times more likely to exhibit psychopathic […]
