In the summer of 2021, projects that had been placed on the back burner during the pandemic are resuming at full speed, which means high backlog and high optimism. Leaders of construction firms nationwide are, in a word, very busy.
As summer global temperatures soar along with that workload, the energy sector—which includes wind and solar farms, battery storage, cybersecurity upgrades and other resilient technologies—is a particularly hot topic. According to studies cited by the White House, infrastructure investments are anticipated to produce half a million jobs a year over the next decade—primarily in construction and manufacturing.
However, merit shop contractors are becoming increasingly concerned about provisions in the pending federal legislation that would funnel work to only a select few businesses. “Democrats Push Labor Fights on All Fronts” outlines the political challenges ahead to stop passage of the Protecting the Right to Organize Act and ensure bipartisan legislative agreements benefit all construction employers.
This issue’s cover story, “Energy Resiliency: Change Is Coming,” highlights several firms that are on the vanguard of performing highly valuable electrical work that will ensure a sustainable power source is available to buildings and communities despite challenges from natural disasters and other tragic events.
In addition, this issue features The Top 50 Construction Accounting Firms—including rankings of those with the most CPAs, most Certified Construction Industry Financial Professionals, and their top practice areas. These consultants are guiding their clients through concerns about supply chain stability, labor shortages and managing cash flow during the economic recovery.
Speaking of economic concerns trends: If you missed CE’s Q2 Construction Economic Update and Forecast with ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu, be sure to check out the archived presentation at webinars.constructionexec.com for a detailed look at construction input prices and local markets.
Next month will feature CE’s Top Tech Firms—stay tuned!
