Author: Jeanie Clapp

How AI is reshaping construction from the ground up By now, much ink has been spilled over the workforce shortage in the construction industry. But not only is there a lack of skilled workers, there’s also been a consistent loss of productivity. In fact, an August 2024 report from McKinsey Global Institute noted that there is a total of nearly $1 trillion in lost productivity each year. One way several major construction firms are addressing this is by incorporating AI to streamline their operations and catch expensive mistakes. But there’s often a hesitation within the construction industry to adopt new…

TrueLook camera helps monitor progress at NHL practice facility BY NICK FORTUNA When the Utah Mammoth opened rookie training camp at their new practice facility in September, there were cameras all around, as team videographers and local news crews worked to capture every slap shot and glove save. But in actuality, filming at the hockey facility had started a full year prior, with Layton Construction, a member of multiple AGC chapters, using a TrueLook camera to monitor activity at the fast-moving jobsite. As general contractor for the highprofile project in Sandy, Utah, Layton Construction had installed a single highresolution camera…

A guide for construction executives BY SCOTT SCHULTZ, CHIEF UNDERWRITING OFFICER, THE HARTFORD AND MICHAEL WOLF, U.S. ECONOMIST FOR THE HARTFORD’S GLOBAL INSIGHTS CENTER U.S. trade policy is adding another layer of challenges for construction companies after years of persistent inflation, supply chain concerns and critical labor shortages. Tariff policies could have wide-ranging cost implications for construction companies beyond the price of overseas building materials. Historically, global tariffs have also raised prices on domestically made materials. To help navigate ongoing uncertainty, below are four key strategies for construction leaders as trade and geopolitical developments continue to unfold. 1. Understand the…

A Closer Look at the Emerging Roles in Today’s Construction Industry BY JEANIE J. CLAPP This year marks the 100th anniversary of Columbia Construction, an AGC of Massachusetts member – a firm with projects spanning the academic, corporate, healthcare, hospitality, interiors, science + technology, and energy sectors. But Columbia’s centennial story is more than a milestone — it’s a reflection of the construction industry’s transformation. New roles in wellness, belonging, innovation, energy and technology show how the industry has expanded its scope while staying true to its foundation: building safely, efficiently and with purpose. The Past When Columbia President Shaun…

Construction of data centers is surging, but labor and supply-chain challenges persist. BY NICK FORTUNA Across the country, AGC members have been building large data centers at breakneck pace to fuel the rise of artificial intelligence, and by any metric, the race is just getting started. Technology giants such as Microsoft, Amazon, Alphabet, Meta and OpenAI have pledged trillions of dollars toward the construction of giant data centers, and in July, President Trump issued an executive order to streamline their development through accelerated permitting, financial incentives and the easing of environmental regulations. Data centers used about 4.4% of total U.S.…

Just about any business venture can be a gamble, but the construction industry is rife with risk across the spectrum. From rising tariffs to rising temps, here are some of AGC’s top concerns. BY A.D. THOMPSON Though no era is without its challenges – and certainly not without its risks – if ever there were a time when contractors, whether trade or specialty or general, could choose their work rather than beg for it, says Brian Turmail, it’s now. But owners, too, says Turmail, vice president of public affairs and workforce development at AGC of America, have leverage. “They’re more…

Healthcare construction is undergoing significant transformation, particularly as contractors leverage prefabrication and emerging technologies, while the sector faces uncertainty over tariffs, supply chain concerns and workforce shortages. BY KATIE KUEHNER-HEBERT The shift toward prefabrication and offsite manufacturing is picking up serious momentum across the sector, as hospitals and clinics are under pressure to open faster, safer and with greater cost control, said Dan Parker, vice president of sales, Wells’ Mountain States division, located in Brighton, Colorado. On a recent Wells project, the contractor enclosed 80% of a five-story, 138,000-square-foot medical office building in just 12 days using prefabricated, single-source façade…

How are audits and warrants impacting construction? What could trigger an investigation? How can you protect your business and stay cool? An AGC attorney has answers. Bruce Buchanan, senior counsel at Littler Mendelson in Nashville, Tennessee, a member of multiple AGC chapters, has been practicing law for 43 years, the last 18 of which have been focused on immigration, though his specialty, even in that field, is rare among his kind: compliance. It’s a field that has always included ICE audits, internal I-9 audits, IR (immediate relative) investigations and the like, but since Jan. 20 – when an executive order…

How Ryan Companies is elevating future builders As labor shortages and a widening skills gap continue to affect the construction industry, data from a recent AGC of America workforce survey, done in partnership with NCCER, show that nearly four out of five contractors currently have one or more unfilled craft positions and two-thirds have at least one unfilled salaried positions on the books. However, one construction firm has found a creative and effective way to address both issues at once: pairing seasoned superintendents with younger colleagues who are learning the ropes. Adopting this approach has allowed Ryan Companies, a member…

The evolution of head protection in the workplace BY SCOTT GREENHAUS In the realm of occupational safety, head protection has come a long way from its beginnings as a simple hard hat. The transition from hard hats to helmets represents a remarkable evolution in the goal to keep workers safe in a wide range of industries. From early designs to modern innovations, the progression of head protection underscores its critical role in keeping construction workers safe. Birth of the Hard Hat Hard hats made from leather, canvas or steel first made their appearance in the early 20th century. The first…