DETROIT — At Kevin Haner's construction company in Las Vegas, three of the four Dodge Ram pickup trucks are starting to get a little old. He may replace one if he gets a great deal, but he'll keep running the others until he's convinced that the housing slump has ended.
Haner's reluctance to spend is typical of contractors nationwide. This presents a huge problem for the Detroit automakers because truck sales are directly tied to new home construction. Pickup sales are on pace for their worst performance in 17 years, and GM, Chrysler and Ford still sell 91 percent of all full-size pickups in the U.S.
Even as Detroit tries to gain traction with new small cars and electric vehicles in a government-mandated shift toward greater fuel economy, it needs to sell more Rams, Chevrolet Silverados and Ford F-150s. Pickups often sell for $30,000 or more and typically command higher prices and generate more profits than small and midsize cars. They account for 22 percent of sales for the Detroit Three. Until pickup sales rebound, steady profits and solid financial footing will likely prove hard to come by.
Haner and others have reason to be cautious. While October new home sales were up 6.2 percent over September, construction of homes and apartments fell a larger-than-expected 10.6 percent, and building permits, a key indicator of future construction, slid 4 percent.
"I'm not inclined to take on any more exposure until I see that the building-housing market is thoroughly back out of recession," Haner said Wednesday after the Commerce Department released the latest reading on new home sales.
"Right now, construction companies are going out of business," said Erich Merkle, president of the auto industry consulting firm autoconomy.com in Grand Rapids, Mich. "And those companies that are surviving are making do with the existing fleet."
The housing slump has pushed U.S. pickup sales downward for the past three years. Sales routinely topped 200,000 per month as recently as 2007, but in February they fell to less than 89,000, the low point for the year. They're off 32 percent from the first 10 months of 2008, according to Ward's AutoInfoBank. Ford, Chrysler and GM combined to sell 843,000 pickups through October.
In Las Vegas, once among the hottest housing markets in the nation, building declined rapidly in the recession and is just starting to show signs of recovery, Haner said.
His work force surged to 25 during the boom years earlier this decade, but now its down to six. He paid off three of his trucks in 2007 while business was still good, and he's maintained them so they'll last.
With the casual truck buyer all but out of the market, automakers have been offering big incentives such as zero percent financing to entice contractors out of their bunkers. But like Haner, most are not budging because of uncertainty about a housing recovery.
The big drop in October home construction numbers brought fears of a double-dip recession in the industry and warnings that 2010 may still be sluggish for the sector. Yet inventory in October dropped to the lowest level in nearly four decades, leading at least one housing industry analyst to predict that builders will be swinging their hammers soon.
Mike DiGiovanni, General Motors' top sales analyst, said the automaker still projects an upward trend in new housing into the fourth quarter of next year.
Pickup sales are particularly critical to GM. The Chevy Silverado is by far the company's top-selling vehicle. Even in the recession, GM sold 261,142 Silverados through October, but that's 35 percent fewer than in 2008.
DiGiovanni believes a recent stabilization in home prices, after months of declines, indicate the industry is starting a comeback.
Markets like Las Vegas have seen prices drop for 12 straight months. But prices have risen for at least six consecutive months in Denver, Washington D.C. and Chicago, according to the Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller index of 20 major cities.
Nationally, the median price of a new home was $212,200 in October, almost even with $213,200 a year earlier, but up almost 1 percent from September's level of $210,700.
"We do think that as we move into next year, residential investment is going to become a small positive for the economy," DiGiovanni said.
Merkle predicts that housing, and pickup sales, will lag behind the rest of the economy in recovering but still show small improvements next year. But it may take until late next year before contractors like Haner feel safe enough to buy new pickups.
Haner may replace his own Ram pickup because his dealer is offering zero-percent financing. But he plans to run the three company pickups, one of which is nearly six years old, for 250,000 miles or more. A 2004 model has only about 60,000 miles on it, he said.
Haner, who builds custom homes and does renovations and other work, has lived in the west for 35 years. He's seen many boom-and-bust cycles in the real estate business, and he's sure the Las Vegas market will rebound.
But when asked what it would take for him to replace his trucks sooner, Haner said: "A hell of a lot more work than we've got right now."
Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Non Public Construction Grows
The value of new construction starts climbed 12 percent in October, at a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR), McGraw-Hill Construction (MHC) construction.com reported,, based on data it compiled. “The upward push came from double-digit gains for non-residential building and non-building construction (public works and electric utilities). At the same time, residential building in October was unchanged from its September pace.”
Real investment in private nonresidential structures dropped 15 percent after falling 17 percent in the second quarter and 43 percent in the first quarter. Real residential investment jumped 19.5 percent, breaking a string of 14 quarterly declines. Real government gross investment in structures rose 10 percent, following a 24 percent leap in the second quarter. The price index for private nonresidential structures dropped 10 percent (SAAR) in both quarters; the price index for residential investment, -2.6 percent in the third quarter and -5.2 percent in the second; the price index for government structures, -5.2 percent and -4.3 percent, respectively.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) www.bls.gov reported that, compared to October 2008, employment declined in every state but rose in Washington, D.C. Construction employment rose for the month in 17 states plus D.C., fell in 31 and was unchanged in Alaska and New Hampshire. Compared to October 2008, construction employment fell everywhere except in North Dakota, which had a rise of 400 jobs. The largest 12-month percentage declines were in Nevada, 27 percent; Arizona, 24 percent; Tennessee, 22 percent; Kentucky, 21 percent; and Connecticut, 19 percent.
“Preliminary tax collection data for the July-September quarter of 2009 show continued widespread and sharp declines for most states for all three major sources of tax revenue, as well as for overall taxes,” the Rockefeller Institute www.rockinst.org reported on Monday. These shortfalls are likely to mean cuts to state-funded construction; several state departments of transportation (DOTs) have already made additional cuts.
The Federal Highway Administration on November 2 distributed internally a spreadsheet that showed state DOTs have obligated (committed to specific projects) 77percent of the $20 billion in stimulus money for highway construction they received. (An additional $7 billion of highway funding was sent to local agencies.) About 14 percent had been expended (payments made to contractors for work completed and billed). Wyoming had obligated 100 percent of its funds, followed by Utah, 97 percent; Maine, 95 percent; and Nevada, 93 percent. Maine led in percent expended, 56 percent; followed by Iowa, 46 percent; Utah, 44 percent, Vermont, 42 percent; and Wyoming, 41 percent.
Edited by Kevin Doyle
The Data DIGest is a weekly summary of economic news compiled by Ken Simonson, the Chief Economist of The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC).
How has the recession affected you? Are you seeing an upturn? Contact Construction Digital Editor Kevin Doyle Email Me to tell us more.
Real investment in private nonresidential structures dropped 15 percent after falling 17 percent in the second quarter and 43 percent in the first quarter. Real residential investment jumped 19.5 percent, breaking a string of 14 quarterly declines. Real government gross investment in structures rose 10 percent, following a 24 percent leap in the second quarter. The price index for private nonresidential structures dropped 10 percent (SAAR) in both quarters; the price index for residential investment, -2.6 percent in the third quarter and -5.2 percent in the second; the price index for government structures, -5.2 percent and -4.3 percent, respectively.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) www.bls.gov reported that, compared to October 2008, employment declined in every state but rose in Washington, D.C. Construction employment rose for the month in 17 states plus D.C., fell in 31 and was unchanged in Alaska and New Hampshire. Compared to October 2008, construction employment fell everywhere except in North Dakota, which had a rise of 400 jobs. The largest 12-month percentage declines were in Nevada, 27 percent; Arizona, 24 percent; Tennessee, 22 percent; Kentucky, 21 percent; and Connecticut, 19 percent.
“Preliminary tax collection data for the July-September quarter of 2009 show continued widespread and sharp declines for most states for all three major sources of tax revenue, as well as for overall taxes,” the Rockefeller Institute www.rockinst.org reported on Monday. These shortfalls are likely to mean cuts to state-funded construction; several state departments of transportation (DOTs) have already made additional cuts.
The Federal Highway Administration on November 2 distributed internally a spreadsheet that showed state DOTs have obligated (committed to specific projects) 77percent of the $20 billion in stimulus money for highway construction they received. (An additional $7 billion of highway funding was sent to local agencies.) About 14 percent had been expended (payments made to contractors for work completed and billed). Wyoming had obligated 100 percent of its funds, followed by Utah, 97 percent; Maine, 95 percent; and Nevada, 93 percent. Maine led in percent expended, 56 percent; followed by Iowa, 46 percent; Utah, 44 percent, Vermont, 42 percent; and Wyoming, 41 percent.
Edited by Kevin Doyle
The Data DIGest is a weekly summary of economic news compiled by Ken Simonson, the Chief Economist of The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC).
How has the recession affected you? Are you seeing an upturn? Contact Construction Digital Editor Kevin Doyle Email Me to tell us more.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Building Contractors Needed for Installation Services
VersaTube seeks building contractors to provide installation services to purchasers of their popular metal building, carport and shelter kits.
Collierville, TN (PRWEB) November 27, 2009 -- VersaTube® Building Systems has announced the launch of a new Authorized Installer Program designed to link local contractors with building installation experience to its customers in need of installation services. For many licensed construction contractors and handymen, this program represents an opportunity to add a new revenue stream in an otherwise challenging economic market.
“Our mission [for the program is quite simple and serves two purposes. First, we want to offer building installation services to our purchasing customers who request it. They may be customers buying direct from us or from our retail partners like Lowe’s, The Home Depot, Menards, Northern Tool, Sutherlands, Rural King, and others. And second, we want to build a nationwide network of licensed professionals willing to become a partner with VersaTube in servicing our customers. And, after experiencing how easy it is to work with our building system, if some wish to become VersaTube dealers, then that’s an added benefit,” stated Tim Soder, VersaTube® Building Systems’ President.
Because steel frame components have been pre-engineered, pre-cut, smartly packaged, and are ready to assemble, VersaTube has positioned itself as a unique source for metal building kits. Among customers who purchase a VersaTube metal carport, garage, loafing shed, or metal building, most plan to find an outside source to build it for them. It is estimated that 80-90% of customers in the small to mid-sized building market require installation services. VersaTube’s steel tube frame system features patented “Slip-Fit” frame connections that simplify assembly and reduce construction time for installing contractors.
VersaTube will develop a database of authorized installers available to provide turnkey installation services to its retail customers. Authorized installers will be encouraged to contact local VersaTube retail partner stores (i.e. Lowe’s, Menards, Rural King, etc.) to offer their services to purchasing customers. VersaTube’s strong brand recognition and current national advertising efforts generate a steady stream of sales leads and installation opportunities.
Interested companies and contractors can learn more about the VersaTube Authorized Installer Program and submit an online application from the VersaTube.com website. Each applicant will be contacted by a VersaTube Business Development Manager with additional program details.
VersaTube® Building Systems, with plants at corporate headquarters in Collierville, TN and near Phoenix, AZ, designs, manufactures, distributes and markets pre-engineered metal building components and ready-to-assemble kits for residential, agricultural, commercial, light industrial, public works, and custom metal building applications.
VersaTube’s packaged kits offer the premier do-it-yourself, prefabricated metal building system for storage buildings, carports, RV and boat covers, detached garages, horse barns, animal shelters, buildings for indoor athletic use, and simple structures for start-up and expanding businesses.
Additional company and product information is available from the VersaTube® Building Systems’ website at www.VersaTube.com.
Collierville, TN (PRWEB) November 27, 2009 -- VersaTube® Building Systems has announced the launch of a new Authorized Installer Program designed to link local contractors with building installation experience to its customers in need of installation services. For many licensed construction contractors and handymen, this program represents an opportunity to add a new revenue stream in an otherwise challenging economic market.
“Our mission [for the program is quite simple and serves two purposes. First, we want to offer building installation services to our purchasing customers who request it. They may be customers buying direct from us or from our retail partners like Lowe’s, The Home Depot, Menards, Northern Tool, Sutherlands, Rural King, and others. And second, we want to build a nationwide network of licensed professionals willing to become a partner with VersaTube in servicing our customers. And, after experiencing how easy it is to work with our building system, if some wish to become VersaTube dealers, then that’s an added benefit,” stated Tim Soder, VersaTube® Building Systems’ President.
Because steel frame components have been pre-engineered, pre-cut, smartly packaged, and are ready to assemble, VersaTube has positioned itself as a unique source for metal building kits. Among customers who purchase a VersaTube metal carport, garage, loafing shed, or metal building, most plan to find an outside source to build it for them. It is estimated that 80-90% of customers in the small to mid-sized building market require installation services. VersaTube’s steel tube frame system features patented “Slip-Fit” frame connections that simplify assembly and reduce construction time for installing contractors.
VersaTube will develop a database of authorized installers available to provide turnkey installation services to its retail customers. Authorized installers will be encouraged to contact local VersaTube retail partner stores (i.e. Lowe’s, Menards, Rural King, etc.) to offer their services to purchasing customers. VersaTube’s strong brand recognition and current national advertising efforts generate a steady stream of sales leads and installation opportunities.
Interested companies and contractors can learn more about the VersaTube Authorized Installer Program and submit an online application from the VersaTube.com website. Each applicant will be contacted by a VersaTube Business Development Manager with additional program details.
VersaTube® Building Systems, with plants at corporate headquarters in Collierville, TN and near Phoenix, AZ, designs, manufactures, distributes and markets pre-engineered metal building components and ready-to-assemble kits for residential, agricultural, commercial, light industrial, public works, and custom metal building applications.
VersaTube’s packaged kits offer the premier do-it-yourself, prefabricated metal building system for storage buildings, carports, RV and boat covers, detached garages, horse barns, animal shelters, buildings for indoor athletic use, and simple structures for start-up and expanding businesses.
Additional company and product information is available from the VersaTube® Building Systems’ website at www.VersaTube.com.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Green Building Grows in Importance USA
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/11/waste-solutions-play-key-role-green-building.php
Earlier this month, construction and building professionals from around the globe met in Phoenix, for the annual Greenbuild International Conference and Expo. Green building has grown dramatically in recent years and according to the latest SmartMarket Report from McGraw-Hill Construction, Sustainable Construction Waste Management: Creating Value in the Built Environment, by 2013, the green building market will be up to 25% of all new construction starts and along with an increase of 20-30% in retrofit and renovation activity, which will equate to a $140 billion market.
The report also revealed that construction waste management and the reuse of existing structures ranked in the top three important aspects of a green building, just behind energy efficiency. The study, which was produced with support from Waste Management, reveals that 61 percent of contractor's rate waste management plans as the second-most important aspect of green building.
The demand for greater waste diversion practices can be attributed to customer demands for using sustainable waste handling practices, increasing regulatory pressures from state and local governments to ban construction and demolition waste from landfills and improved diversion and recycling rates as well as green building certification through the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED program as well as customers own sustainability goals.
Construction waste supply still exceeds demand.
During 2008, the U.S. generated 143.5 million tons of building-related construction and demolition debris, and according to the Waste Business Journal, only 28 percent of this waste was reused, recycled or sent to waste-to-energy facilities. Contractors have realized the substantial business impact of improving the management of construction waste and the study illustrates that a growing number of contractors are adopting environmentally conscious practices to divert and recycle more materials and reduce disposal to landfills. In fact, despite the recession, waste diversion activity among construction firms is increasing, with 20 percent diverting half of their construction waste on 60 percent or more of their projects throughout the year.
Beyond the clear incentives of increasing efficiency in buildings and protecting the health of surrounding communities, contractors have found additional benefit in becoming LEED-certified. Across the country, local mandates for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification on all new building projects have increased, helping also to grow the overall green building market. LEED is an internationally recognized third-party certification system that assures these buildings are constructed as intended, using strategies to improve energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality and stewardship of resources.
With green building becoming an expectation across the country, there are also challenges contractors face in implementing sustainable waste strategies. One is the availability of suppliers and vendors that can help them achieve their green building goals as well as recycling markets are more available in some regions versus others as well as more available for some materials over others. Waste Management's Construction Solutions has been offering a variety of services that not only help contractors meet their green building goals through increased materials diversion and recycling, but can also help them earn points toward LEED certification. Some of these services include waste audits for businesses through programs like Green Squad and Upstream, materials management and recycling through WM Recycle America, WM LampTracker® and Bagster, as well as self-powered trash receptacles, WM Solar Compactor. All of these environmentally conscious solutions help reduce the impact of construction waste on the environment and are available throughout the green building process to further sustainable solutions.
As the green building trend continues to grow , it is important to realize the needs of contractors working to create sustainable solutions, including their desire for construction waste management and reuse processes. Through studies like the SmartMarket Report, leaders in the green building and waste management industries can determine the services needed to improve sustainable design and construction, and help create more green buildings across the country.
More posts on construction debris.
Hudson Valley Warehouse Finds New Homes for Waste and Debris ...
First Platinum LEED Grocery Store Opens in Maine
Earlier this month, construction and building professionals from around the globe met in Phoenix, for the annual Greenbuild International Conference and Expo. Green building has grown dramatically in recent years and according to the latest SmartMarket Report from McGraw-Hill Construction, Sustainable Construction Waste Management: Creating Value in the Built Environment, by 2013, the green building market will be up to 25% of all new construction starts and along with an increase of 20-30% in retrofit and renovation activity, which will equate to a $140 billion market.
The report also revealed that construction waste management and the reuse of existing structures ranked in the top three important aspects of a green building, just behind energy efficiency. The study, which was produced with support from Waste Management, reveals that 61 percent of contractor's rate waste management plans as the second-most important aspect of green building.
The demand for greater waste diversion practices can be attributed to customer demands for using sustainable waste handling practices, increasing regulatory pressures from state and local governments to ban construction and demolition waste from landfills and improved diversion and recycling rates as well as green building certification through the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED program as well as customers own sustainability goals.
Construction waste supply still exceeds demand.
During 2008, the U.S. generated 143.5 million tons of building-related construction and demolition debris, and according to the Waste Business Journal, only 28 percent of this waste was reused, recycled or sent to waste-to-energy facilities. Contractors have realized the substantial business impact of improving the management of construction waste and the study illustrates that a growing number of contractors are adopting environmentally conscious practices to divert and recycle more materials and reduce disposal to landfills. In fact, despite the recession, waste diversion activity among construction firms is increasing, with 20 percent diverting half of their construction waste on 60 percent or more of their projects throughout the year.
Beyond the clear incentives of increasing efficiency in buildings and protecting the health of surrounding communities, contractors have found additional benefit in becoming LEED-certified. Across the country, local mandates for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification on all new building projects have increased, helping also to grow the overall green building market. LEED is an internationally recognized third-party certification system that assures these buildings are constructed as intended, using strategies to improve energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality and stewardship of resources.
With green building becoming an expectation across the country, there are also challenges contractors face in implementing sustainable waste strategies. One is the availability of suppliers and vendors that can help them achieve their green building goals as well as recycling markets are more available in some regions versus others as well as more available for some materials over others. Waste Management's Construction Solutions has been offering a variety of services that not only help contractors meet their green building goals through increased materials diversion and recycling, but can also help them earn points toward LEED certification. Some of these services include waste audits for businesses through programs like Green Squad and Upstream, materials management and recycling through WM Recycle America, WM LampTracker® and Bagster, as well as self-powered trash receptacles, WM Solar Compactor. All of these environmentally conscious solutions help reduce the impact of construction waste on the environment and are available throughout the green building process to further sustainable solutions.
As the green building trend continues to grow , it is important to realize the needs of contractors working to create sustainable solutions, including their desire for construction waste management and reuse processes. Through studies like the SmartMarket Report, leaders in the green building and waste management industries can determine the services needed to improve sustainable design and construction, and help create more green buildings across the country.
More posts on construction debris.
Hudson Valley Warehouse Finds New Homes for Waste and Debris ...
First Platinum LEED Grocery Store Opens in Maine
Thursday, November 26, 2009
GSA Contract for Design Firm
http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/marketwire/0562939.htm
North American design firm Stantec is leading a seven-firm team awarded a major contract by the United States General Services Administration (GSA) to provide 3D laser scanning and surveying services for federal building projects across the country. The contract is worth US$30 million over the next five years of which Stantec is allotted 50% of the fee volume.
"This is a significant win for Stantec's US operations," says Bob Gomes, Stantec President & CEO. "This contract allows us to demonstrate our full range of surveying and mapping capabilities on a large scale and to contribute to an important federal initiative."
Stantec's surveying and mapping group has developed a particular specialty in 3D laser scanning, which involves using lasers to scan a building or scene and nearly instantly create 3D images that users can view from any angle. The firm has used the technology for reconstruction and renovation projects at such sites as Yankee Stadium, New York City's City Hall, a levee break in Fernley, Nevada, and the construction crane collapses in New York City and Miami in 2008. With this new contract, Stantec will help the GSA augment its existing building information modeling (BIM) program and further build a comprehensive database of federal facilities.
"Laser scanning has significantly helped develop the way we document existing buildings and plan their upkeep and renovation," says Christopher Zmijewski, a principal in Stantec's survey and geomatics division. "With this new effort, the US government will have a tremendously robust database and a much more efficient way of managing its building projects."
Stantec's team for the contract includes Stantec Consulting Services Inc., CH2M Hill, Optira, CHA, Taylor Wiseman & Taylor, Adept Project Delivery, and QinetiQ North America. The Company is also involved in a number of other federal projects throughout North America, including an effort to help the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) undertake a massive flood risk mapping and planning program known as Risk MAP.
Stantec provides professional consulting services in planning, engineering, architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, surveying, environmental sciences, project management, and project economics for infrastructure and facilities projects. We support public and private sector clients in a diverse range of markets in the infrastructure and facilities sector at every stage, from initial concept and financial feasibility to project completion and beyond. Our services are offered through approximately 10,000 employees operating out of more than 130 locations in North America. Stantec trades on the TSX and the NYSE under the symbol STN. Stantec is One Team providing Infinite Solutions.
Contacts:
Stantec
Alison Smith
(978) 577-1443
alison.smith@stantec.com
Stantec
Jay Averill
(780) 917-7441
jay.averill@stantec.com
North American design firm Stantec is leading a seven-firm team awarded a major contract by the United States General Services Administration (GSA) to provide 3D laser scanning and surveying services for federal building projects across the country. The contract is worth US$30 million over the next five years of which Stantec is allotted 50% of the fee volume.
"This is a significant win for Stantec's US operations," says Bob Gomes, Stantec President & CEO. "This contract allows us to demonstrate our full range of surveying and mapping capabilities on a large scale and to contribute to an important federal initiative."
Stantec's surveying and mapping group has developed a particular specialty in 3D laser scanning, which involves using lasers to scan a building or scene and nearly instantly create 3D images that users can view from any angle. The firm has used the technology for reconstruction and renovation projects at such sites as Yankee Stadium, New York City's City Hall, a levee break in Fernley, Nevada, and the construction crane collapses in New York City and Miami in 2008. With this new contract, Stantec will help the GSA augment its existing building information modeling (BIM) program and further build a comprehensive database of federal facilities.
"Laser scanning has significantly helped develop the way we document existing buildings and plan their upkeep and renovation," says Christopher Zmijewski, a principal in Stantec's survey and geomatics division. "With this new effort, the US government will have a tremendously robust database and a much more efficient way of managing its building projects."
Stantec's team for the contract includes Stantec Consulting Services Inc., CH2M Hill, Optira, CHA, Taylor Wiseman & Taylor, Adept Project Delivery, and QinetiQ North America. The Company is also involved in a number of other federal projects throughout North America, including an effort to help the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) undertake a massive flood risk mapping and planning program known as Risk MAP.
Stantec provides professional consulting services in planning, engineering, architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, surveying, environmental sciences, project management, and project economics for infrastructure and facilities projects. We support public and private sector clients in a diverse range of markets in the infrastructure and facilities sector at every stage, from initial concept and financial feasibility to project completion and beyond. Our services are offered through approximately 10,000 employees operating out of more than 130 locations in North America. Stantec trades on the TSX and the NYSE under the symbol STN. Stantec is One Team providing Infinite Solutions.
Contacts:
Stantec
Alison Smith
(978) 577-1443
alison.smith@stantec.com
Stantec
Jay Averill
(780) 917-7441
jay.averill@stantec.com
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Indoor Sports Center Moving Forward in New Zealand
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/3090517/4m-cut-in-Kilbirnie-sports-centre-bill
Competition and cheaper building materials have cut costs for the Kilbirnie indoor sports centre by more than $4 million but the total bill is still expected to hit $46m.
Work on the centre at Cobham Park will start on December 7 after Wellington City Council awarded the building contract to Mainzeal Property and Construction.
It will take 18 months to complete the 12-court centre, which could have three courts added later.
A report by Sir John Anderson, commissioned this year by the council, estimated building costs would be $40.45m.
Mainzeal's contract with the council is for $36.24m – a saving of $4.21m.
The saving comes after a review by council officers of the building materials, designs and construction methods that were originally proposed. Wellington Mayor Kerry Prendergast said the review took into account advice from experts about construction methods and materials the council previously had not been aware of.
"We went away and ... built those into the tender document."
The economic recession also played a part in pushing down costs by sharpening competition for contracts among construction companies, she said.
"It has certainly played into our favour."
She was delighted with the saving but said the centre was still expected to cost $46m to complete – taking into account architectural design, project management, landscaping and traffic improvements, as well as construction costs.
"Wellington has been waiting for this for a long time ... [and it] will be a huge boost for community sport, a superb facility for the whole city and is something all Wellingtonians can be proud of."
Ms Prendergast has said she wanted to open the centre when it was completed, but would not confirm yesterday if that meant she would be running for a fourth mayoral term next year.
"What that means is I hope I'll be invited ... no matter what role I'm in."
Athletics Wellington spokesman Geoff Henry said sporting codes had been demanding a modern indoor facility for more than a decade.
"The large indoor space will provide a focal point for the community and a valuable asset, not just for indoor sports but also for schools' physical education and the health and recreation of the wider community."
TIMELINE
* June 2007: The council approves construction after seven years of investigations.
* January 2009: Resource consent granted; two people appeal, including councillor Andy Foster.
* April 2009: Sir John Anderson review finds in favour of Cobham Park site.
* June 2009: Environment Court amends the resource consent conditions.
* August 2009: Building consent granted.
* December 7, 2009: Construction to start. June 2011: Centre scheduled to open.
Competition and cheaper building materials have cut costs for the Kilbirnie indoor sports centre by more than $4 million but the total bill is still expected to hit $46m.
Work on the centre at Cobham Park will start on December 7 after Wellington City Council awarded the building contract to Mainzeal Property and Construction.
It will take 18 months to complete the 12-court centre, which could have three courts added later.
A report by Sir John Anderson, commissioned this year by the council, estimated building costs would be $40.45m.
Mainzeal's contract with the council is for $36.24m – a saving of $4.21m.
The saving comes after a review by council officers of the building materials, designs and construction methods that were originally proposed. Wellington Mayor Kerry Prendergast said the review took into account advice from experts about construction methods and materials the council previously had not been aware of.
"We went away and ... built those into the tender document."
The economic recession also played a part in pushing down costs by sharpening competition for contracts among construction companies, she said.
"It has certainly played into our favour."
She was delighted with the saving but said the centre was still expected to cost $46m to complete – taking into account architectural design, project management, landscaping and traffic improvements, as well as construction costs.
"Wellington has been waiting for this for a long time ... [and it] will be a huge boost for community sport, a superb facility for the whole city and is something all Wellingtonians can be proud of."
Ms Prendergast has said she wanted to open the centre when it was completed, but would not confirm yesterday if that meant she would be running for a fourth mayoral term next year.
"What that means is I hope I'll be invited ... no matter what role I'm in."
Athletics Wellington spokesman Geoff Henry said sporting codes had been demanding a modern indoor facility for more than a decade.
"The large indoor space will provide a focal point for the community and a valuable asset, not just for indoor sports but also for schools' physical education and the health and recreation of the wider community."
TIMELINE
* June 2007: The council approves construction after seven years of investigations.
* January 2009: Resource consent granted; two people appeal, including councillor Andy Foster.
* April 2009: Sir John Anderson review finds in favour of Cobham Park site.
* June 2009: Environment Court amends the resource consent conditions.
* August 2009: Building consent granted.
* December 7, 2009: Construction to start. June 2011: Centre scheduled to open.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Tax Exempt Bonds Raised for Construction
By Jeremy R. Cooke
Nov. 16 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. state and local governments plan to sell the most fixed-rate bonds in almost seven months this week, including at least $2.5 billion of Build America Bonds and non-subsidized taxable issues.
New York’s Urban Development Corp. leads more than $12 billion in municipal borrowing plans, with a $1.5 billion sale of bonds backed by revenue from personal income taxes. Half of the offering may come in the form of taxable BABs, for which the U.S. government pays 35 percent of the interest expense under the Obama administration’s two-year economic stimulus.
The authorization to sell Build America Bonds, which have helped raise more than $51 billion for infrastructure and bring down long-term, tax-exempt borrowing costs, sunsets at the end of 2010. The program’s success so far may merit an extension, Obama’s nominee to be assistant secretary for tax policy at the Treasury, Michael Mundaca, said earlier this month.
“The future of the BAB program is the most important question facing the municipal bond market today,” John Dillon, a fixed-income strategist in Purchase, New York, for Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, the world’s largest retail brokerage, said in a Nov. 12 report. “The landscape could be permanently altered by an extension and/or expansion of the program.”
If the BAB program sunsets and municipal issuers have to rely more on tax-exempt issues to fund public works again, municipal bond yields may be dragged higher along with rates on Treasuries, Dillon said. If Congress allows Build America issues to continue past the end of next year, municipals may “significantly outperform” U.S. debt, he said.
20-Year Index Falls
The weekly Bond Buyer 20 index of benchmark 20-year yields has dropped 52 basis points, or hundredths of a percentage point, to 4.4 percent since the first public Build America offerings in mid-April.
A daily index of 10-year general obligation bond yields compiled by Municipal Market Advisors of Concord, Massachusetts, fell 1 basis point today to 3.14 percent, the lowest since Oct. 9.
The New York issuer, which also does business as Empire State Development Corp., is offering $775.6 million of Build America Bonds, $501.5 million of tax-exempt debt and $224.1 million of taxable notes without federal subsidies.
Individual investors can place orders today through banks led by Goldman Sachs Group Inc. Ten-year bonds were being offered with an estimated yield of 3.46 percent, traders said. Tomorrow, institutions such as mutual funds can buy the debt, rated AAA by Standard & Poor’s and AA- by Fitch Ratings.
Use of Proceeds
The proceeds will fund projects for state prisons, courts, public universities and police facilities; grants to local governments; and state agency equipment purchases. The deal also will help fund a computer-chip research and development center for Globalfoundries Inc., created by Advanced Micro Devices Inc. and the government of Abu Dhabi, Lisa Willner, an Empire State Development spokeswoman, said in an e-mail.
New York has twice previously sold Build America bonds backed by personal income tax revenue through the state’s Dormitory Authority. Taxable bonds set to pay 5.628 percent until March 2039 recently had a yield of 5.67 percent, JPMorgan Chase & Co. analysts said in a Nov. 14 note to clients. That was 131 basis points more than Treasuries and 40 basis points more than comparable corporate bonds, according to the note.
The last time municipal issuers sold more than $12 billion of fixed-rate bonds in a week was the one ended April 24, when a taxable California deal pushed the total to $15.4 billion, Bloomberg data show.
Following are descriptions of additional pending municipal- bond sales; the timing and amounts may change.
CALIFORNIA’S STATE PUBLIC WORKS BOARD intends to raise about $1.34 billion by selling federally subsidized taxable Build America Bonds and tax-exempt securities, all payable from state appropriations on Nov. 19. Banks led by Jefferies Group Inc. and Wells Fargo & Co. will underwrite the offering, the sixth of $1 billion or larger in the state since the beginning of October. The money raised will fund capital projects including work at San Quentin State Prison, veterans homes in Fresno and Redding and the J. Paul Leonard & Sutro Library at San Francisco State University. All of the bonds received ratings of BBB- from Fitch and A- from S&P. Moody’s Investors Service gave an A1 to the $162.7 million portion of the deal for the university library, and Baa2 to the rest. (Updated Nov. 16)
LOS ANGELES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, the third-busiest in the U.S. last year, is planning to sell as much as $1.3 billion of bonds beginning this week through banks including Barclays Plc, Morgan Stanley and Ramirez & Co. The sales, comprising taxable Build America and tax-exempt bonds, will cover construction costs and refinance as much as $610 million of debt subject to the federal alternative minimum tax. The two-year U.S. stimulus law passed in February allows airports to replace select recent issues of AMT debt with lower-cost, tax-exempt bonds. Only airports in Atlanta and Chicago handled more passengers than the facility known as LAX last year, according to Airports Council International. (Added Nov. 16)
AMERICAN MUNICIPAL POWER, a Columbus, Ohio-based supplier to public electric systems, intends to offer $600 million of bonds this week to refinance short-term notes and fund work on three hydroelectric generators on the Ohio River. Underwriters led by Bank of Montreal’s BMO Capital Markets GKST Inc. will handle the offering. It may include a mix of tax-exempt securities and taxable Build America Bonds, for which the federal government pays 35 percent of the interest cost. The bonds are secured by payments made under power sales contracts with municipal utilities in Ohio, Kentucky, Michigan, Virginia and West Virginia. (Updated Nov. 16)
PENNSYLVANIA TURNPIKE COMMISSION, operator of the state’s toll-road system, plans to sell $524.8 million of fixed-rate, tax-exempt bonds as soon as tomorrow through Morgan Stanley to replace variable-rate debt and make termination payments on associated interest-rate swaps. The bonds, backed by a senior lien on revenue from the Pennsylvania Turnpike, are rated A+ by Fitch and S&P. (Added Nov. 16)
LOS ANGELES DEPARTMENT OF WATER & POWER, the largest U.S. municipal utility, plans to raise $500 million for its water system by selling a mix of federally subsidized, taxable Build America Bonds and tax-exempt securities. Banks led by Citigroup Inc. and Siebert Brandford Shank & Co. are to underwrite the taxable series of bonds, and De La Rosa & Co. will handle the tax-exempt portion. The bonds, backed by revenue from a system that serves about 4.1 million residents in the city of Los Angeles, received ratings of AA from Fitch and S&P and Aa3 from Moody’s. (Added Nov. 12)
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA, the state’s most populous city, plans to borrow $367 million for improvements to its water and sewer system and to pay off commercial paper. The tax-exempt revenue bonds, which underwriters led by Wells Fargo & Co.’s Wachovia Bank will market to investors this week, are rated Aa1 by Moody’s and AAA by S&P and Fitch. After the latest sale, Charlotte’s water and sewer system will have more than $1.5 billion in equivalent debt. (Added Nov. 12)
CHILDREN’S HEALTHCARE OF ATLANTA plans to refinance variable-rate debt by selling $302.2 million of fixed-rate, tax- exempt bonds as soon as this week through public authorities in DeKalb and Fulton counties and underwriters led by JPMorgan Chase & Co. Children’s is the only independent, freestanding pediatric hospital in Georgia’s most populous city, according to Moody’s. Its bonds are rated Aa2 by Moody’s and AA by S&P. After the latest deal, about 60 percent of Children’s $500 million in long-term debt will be fixed-rate bonds. The rest is variable and paired with interest-rate swaps, according to S&P. (Added Nov. 16)
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL plans to sell $115 million of 30-year taxable Build America Bonds and $109 million of tax-exempt securities due from 2010 through 2029. Underwriters led by Bank of America Corp.’s Merrill Lynch & Co. will underwrite the offering as soon as tomorrow. The proceeds will pay off commercial paper and fund capital projects for utility infrastructure and facilities for athletics and research, Fitch said. The public university, which enrolls almost 29,000 students, is rated AA+ by Fitch and S&P and a comparable Aa1 by Moody’s. (Added Nov. 16)
NEW YORK, the third most-populous U.S. state after California and Texas, will take bids Nov. 23 from banks seeking to underwrite $351.3 million of tax-exempt general obligation bonds. The transaction will replace variable-rate debt with fixed-rate securities due from 2010 through 2030. The state, home to about 19.5 million people, carries ratings of AA- by Fitch, AA by S&P and Aa3 by Moody’s. Only about 7 percent of New York’s debt carries its general obligation pledge, Fitch said. The rest is secured by state appropriations or dedicated revenue streams. (Added Nov. 17)
To contact the reporter on this story: Jeremy R. Cooke in New York at jcooke8@bloomberg.net.
Last Updated: November 16, 2009 15:43 EST
Nov. 16 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. state and local governments plan to sell the most fixed-rate bonds in almost seven months this week, including at least $2.5 billion of Build America Bonds and non-subsidized taxable issues.
New York’s Urban Development Corp. leads more than $12 billion in municipal borrowing plans, with a $1.5 billion sale of bonds backed by revenue from personal income taxes. Half of the offering may come in the form of taxable BABs, for which the U.S. government pays 35 percent of the interest expense under the Obama administration’s two-year economic stimulus.
The authorization to sell Build America Bonds, which have helped raise more than $51 billion for infrastructure and bring down long-term, tax-exempt borrowing costs, sunsets at the end of 2010. The program’s success so far may merit an extension, Obama’s nominee to be assistant secretary for tax policy at the Treasury, Michael Mundaca, said earlier this month.
“The future of the BAB program is the most important question facing the municipal bond market today,” John Dillon, a fixed-income strategist in Purchase, New York, for Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, the world’s largest retail brokerage, said in a Nov. 12 report. “The landscape could be permanently altered by an extension and/or expansion of the program.”
If the BAB program sunsets and municipal issuers have to rely more on tax-exempt issues to fund public works again, municipal bond yields may be dragged higher along with rates on Treasuries, Dillon said. If Congress allows Build America issues to continue past the end of next year, municipals may “significantly outperform” U.S. debt, he said.
20-Year Index Falls
The weekly Bond Buyer 20 index of benchmark 20-year yields has dropped 52 basis points, or hundredths of a percentage point, to 4.4 percent since the first public Build America offerings in mid-April.
A daily index of 10-year general obligation bond yields compiled by Municipal Market Advisors of Concord, Massachusetts, fell 1 basis point today to 3.14 percent, the lowest since Oct. 9.
The New York issuer, which also does business as Empire State Development Corp., is offering $775.6 million of Build America Bonds, $501.5 million of tax-exempt debt and $224.1 million of taxable notes without federal subsidies.
Individual investors can place orders today through banks led by Goldman Sachs Group Inc. Ten-year bonds were being offered with an estimated yield of 3.46 percent, traders said. Tomorrow, institutions such as mutual funds can buy the debt, rated AAA by Standard & Poor’s and AA- by Fitch Ratings.
Use of Proceeds
The proceeds will fund projects for state prisons, courts, public universities and police facilities; grants to local governments; and state agency equipment purchases. The deal also will help fund a computer-chip research and development center for Globalfoundries Inc., created by Advanced Micro Devices Inc. and the government of Abu Dhabi, Lisa Willner, an Empire State Development spokeswoman, said in an e-mail.
New York has twice previously sold Build America bonds backed by personal income tax revenue through the state’s Dormitory Authority. Taxable bonds set to pay 5.628 percent until March 2039 recently had a yield of 5.67 percent, JPMorgan Chase & Co. analysts said in a Nov. 14 note to clients. That was 131 basis points more than Treasuries and 40 basis points more than comparable corporate bonds, according to the note.
The last time municipal issuers sold more than $12 billion of fixed-rate bonds in a week was the one ended April 24, when a taxable California deal pushed the total to $15.4 billion, Bloomberg data show.
Following are descriptions of additional pending municipal- bond sales; the timing and amounts may change.
CALIFORNIA’S STATE PUBLIC WORKS BOARD intends to raise about $1.34 billion by selling federally subsidized taxable Build America Bonds and tax-exempt securities, all payable from state appropriations on Nov. 19. Banks led by Jefferies Group Inc. and Wells Fargo & Co. will underwrite the offering, the sixth of $1 billion or larger in the state since the beginning of October. The money raised will fund capital projects including work at San Quentin State Prison, veterans homes in Fresno and Redding and the J. Paul Leonard & Sutro Library at San Francisco State University. All of the bonds received ratings of BBB- from Fitch and A- from S&P. Moody’s Investors Service gave an A1 to the $162.7 million portion of the deal for the university library, and Baa2 to the rest. (Updated Nov. 16)
LOS ANGELES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, the third-busiest in the U.S. last year, is planning to sell as much as $1.3 billion of bonds beginning this week through banks including Barclays Plc, Morgan Stanley and Ramirez & Co. The sales, comprising taxable Build America and tax-exempt bonds, will cover construction costs and refinance as much as $610 million of debt subject to the federal alternative minimum tax. The two-year U.S. stimulus law passed in February allows airports to replace select recent issues of AMT debt with lower-cost, tax-exempt bonds. Only airports in Atlanta and Chicago handled more passengers than the facility known as LAX last year, according to Airports Council International. (Added Nov. 16)
AMERICAN MUNICIPAL POWER, a Columbus, Ohio-based supplier to public electric systems, intends to offer $600 million of bonds this week to refinance short-term notes and fund work on three hydroelectric generators on the Ohio River. Underwriters led by Bank of Montreal’s BMO Capital Markets GKST Inc. will handle the offering. It may include a mix of tax-exempt securities and taxable Build America Bonds, for which the federal government pays 35 percent of the interest cost. The bonds are secured by payments made under power sales contracts with municipal utilities in Ohio, Kentucky, Michigan, Virginia and West Virginia. (Updated Nov. 16)
PENNSYLVANIA TURNPIKE COMMISSION, operator of the state’s toll-road system, plans to sell $524.8 million of fixed-rate, tax-exempt bonds as soon as tomorrow through Morgan Stanley to replace variable-rate debt and make termination payments on associated interest-rate swaps. The bonds, backed by a senior lien on revenue from the Pennsylvania Turnpike, are rated A+ by Fitch and S&P. (Added Nov. 16)
LOS ANGELES DEPARTMENT OF WATER & POWER, the largest U.S. municipal utility, plans to raise $500 million for its water system by selling a mix of federally subsidized, taxable Build America Bonds and tax-exempt securities. Banks led by Citigroup Inc. and Siebert Brandford Shank & Co. are to underwrite the taxable series of bonds, and De La Rosa & Co. will handle the tax-exempt portion. The bonds, backed by revenue from a system that serves about 4.1 million residents in the city of Los Angeles, received ratings of AA from Fitch and S&P and Aa3 from Moody’s. (Added Nov. 12)
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA, the state’s most populous city, plans to borrow $367 million for improvements to its water and sewer system and to pay off commercial paper. The tax-exempt revenue bonds, which underwriters led by Wells Fargo & Co.’s Wachovia Bank will market to investors this week, are rated Aa1 by Moody’s and AAA by S&P and Fitch. After the latest sale, Charlotte’s water and sewer system will have more than $1.5 billion in equivalent debt. (Added Nov. 12)
CHILDREN’S HEALTHCARE OF ATLANTA plans to refinance variable-rate debt by selling $302.2 million of fixed-rate, tax- exempt bonds as soon as this week through public authorities in DeKalb and Fulton counties and underwriters led by JPMorgan Chase & Co. Children’s is the only independent, freestanding pediatric hospital in Georgia’s most populous city, according to Moody’s. Its bonds are rated Aa2 by Moody’s and AA by S&P. After the latest deal, about 60 percent of Children’s $500 million in long-term debt will be fixed-rate bonds. The rest is variable and paired with interest-rate swaps, according to S&P. (Added Nov. 16)
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL plans to sell $115 million of 30-year taxable Build America Bonds and $109 million of tax-exempt securities due from 2010 through 2029. Underwriters led by Bank of America Corp.’s Merrill Lynch & Co. will underwrite the offering as soon as tomorrow. The proceeds will pay off commercial paper and fund capital projects for utility infrastructure and facilities for athletics and research, Fitch said. The public university, which enrolls almost 29,000 students, is rated AA+ by Fitch and S&P and a comparable Aa1 by Moody’s. (Added Nov. 16)
NEW YORK, the third most-populous U.S. state after California and Texas, will take bids Nov. 23 from banks seeking to underwrite $351.3 million of tax-exempt general obligation bonds. The transaction will replace variable-rate debt with fixed-rate securities due from 2010 through 2030. The state, home to about 19.5 million people, carries ratings of AA- by Fitch, AA by S&P and Aa3 by Moody’s. Only about 7 percent of New York’s debt carries its general obligation pledge, Fitch said. The rest is secured by state appropriations or dedicated revenue streams. (Added Nov. 17)
To contact the reporter on this story: Jeremy R. Cooke in New York at jcooke8@bloomberg.net.
Last Updated: November 16, 2009 15:43 EST
Monday, November 23, 2009
Green Jobs New Focus for Contractors
Weatherization a key area for stimulus funds
BY KATHERINE YUNG
FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER
On a recent weekday morning at the Focus: HOPE complex in Detroit, Mark Brisker was nailing shingles to a makeshift roof, undergoing training for one of the most popular new green jobs in the country.
Quantcast
The 51-year-old Detroit resident hopes to become a weatherization specialist. That's a fancy-sounding name for someone who installs energy-saving products in homes, such as insulation and low-flow shower heads.
"I'm always looking for something cutting-edge," said Brisker, who recently returned to his native city after losing his job as a chemical plant operator in Georgia. "This is the shape of things to come."
Weatherization specialist is one of the major new jobs expected to be created from the federal stimulus package. Getting unemployed Michiganders back on their feet doing this work not only lowers the heating bills for the state's lower-income residents but also helps the environment.
So far, though, thousands of Michigan homes are still waiting for energy conservation improvements. But with nearly $250 million heading to the state for this purpose, building contractors are expected to need hundreds of weatherization specialists.
In Detroit alone, at least 300 of these kinds of jobs should be available in coming months, said Christopher Pratt, a workforce trainer at WARM Training Center, a nonprofit organization in the city.
He has been teaching weatherization-specialist training classes at Focus: HOPE. So far, 31 people have completed the program, which was started by Henry Ford Community College.
"There's money out there to be spent on making homes more energy efficient," Pratt said.
Training to heat up
Nine months after the economic stimulus package went into effect promising thousands of new green jobs, only a small number of Michiganders have been trained to go into homes and make them more energy efficient. But that's likely to change in coming months.
Efforts to teach residents the skills needed to become weatherization specialists are expected to intensify, just as the state starts to unleash the millions it has received for home energy-conservation improvements.
http://www.freep.com/article/20091122/BUSINESS06/911220469/1002/Business/Green-jobs-are-built-for-the-future
BY KATHERINE YUNG
FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER
On a recent weekday morning at the Focus: HOPE complex in Detroit, Mark Brisker was nailing shingles to a makeshift roof, undergoing training for one of the most popular new green jobs in the country.
Quantcast
The 51-year-old Detroit resident hopes to become a weatherization specialist. That's a fancy-sounding name for someone who installs energy-saving products in homes, such as insulation and low-flow shower heads.
"I'm always looking for something cutting-edge," said Brisker, who recently returned to his native city after losing his job as a chemical plant operator in Georgia. "This is the shape of things to come."
Weatherization specialist is one of the major new jobs expected to be created from the federal stimulus package. Getting unemployed Michiganders back on their feet doing this work not only lowers the heating bills for the state's lower-income residents but also helps the environment.
So far, though, thousands of Michigan homes are still waiting for energy conservation improvements. But with nearly $250 million heading to the state for this purpose, building contractors are expected to need hundreds of weatherization specialists.
In Detroit alone, at least 300 of these kinds of jobs should be available in coming months, said Christopher Pratt, a workforce trainer at WARM Training Center, a nonprofit organization in the city.
He has been teaching weatherization-specialist training classes at Focus: HOPE. So far, 31 people have completed the program, which was started by Henry Ford Community College.
"There's money out there to be spent on making homes more energy efficient," Pratt said.
Training to heat up
Nine months after the economic stimulus package went into effect promising thousands of new green jobs, only a small number of Michiganders have been trained to go into homes and make them more energy efficient. But that's likely to change in coming months.
Efforts to teach residents the skills needed to become weatherization specialists are expected to intensify, just as the state starts to unleash the millions it has received for home energy-conservation improvements.
http://www.freep.com/article/20091122/BUSINESS06/911220469/1002/Business/Green-jobs-are-built-for-the-future
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Seattle Building Pays Attention to the Electrical
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/homegarden/2010312150_plumber21.html
Q: I'm a builder and I never miss a chance to read your column. With the slowdown in construction, I've been doing research on new building trends so I can be ahead of the curve once I get back into action. What do you see for the future as far as new trends that builders may want to include in new home construction?
— Don, Kentucky
A: When a building trend catches on, it usually follows three guidelines: 1) Ease of initial installation; 2) Materials that stay within budget; 3) A good payback for the builder and homeowner. According to those rules, two new homebuilding trends jump out at me: generator-ready homes and waterless urinals.
A generator-ready home basically means that the home's electrical breaker panel is set up by the contractor to accept the additional "transfer switch" and electrical equipment needed to install a standby private generator system. The payback for the contractor? It's an easily added electrical-panel option that may make the difference in a home sale for the contractor. Payback for the homeowner? Because the special electrical panel is ready to accept the transfer switches and controls, future installation costs for the standby generator system can be cut by a sizable amount.
Residential waterless urinals are another new-home trend that can easily be installed in a bathroom. All that's needed is a small drain line, since water lines are not required. The payback for the contractor? Waterless urinals add "green value" to the home and can be part of a complete water-saving package offered to the buyer. Payback to the homeowner? Thousands of gallons of clean, potable water can be saved per year without changing the homeowner's lifestyle.
These new trends are so cool you might want to consider installing them for existing homes, as well.
Q: About eight years ago, we bought an old farmhouse that uses well water. Recently we noticed that when we run our water it has a very musty smell and looks cloudy. It will clear up after a while, but comes back again in a few hours. We thought it was the water heater, but I shut off the heater and just ran cold for a day and the same thing happened. Where do we check next?
— John, Nebraska
A: If you ever notice strange odors, colors or tastes, the water quality needs to be checked as soon as possible. You'll need a licensed well company to test and check the water for impurities. It sounds as though you may be on a shallow-type well system that may be vulnerable to contaminants and critters that may find their way into your water system.
I don't want to gross anyone out, but strange problems can happen with a private well. Years ago, I had friends living in an old farmhouse, and their water started to "taste funny." So, they called in the well guy. Turned out that the well was full of snakes, and not all of them were moving. I believe my friends may still be in therapy!
Master Contractor/Plumber Ed Del Grande is known as the author of the book "Ed Del Grande's House Call" and for hosting TV shows on Scripps Networks and HGTVPro.com. For information visit eddelgrande.com or write eddelgrande@hgtvpro.com. Always consult local contractors and codes.
Q: I'm a builder and I never miss a chance to read your column. With the slowdown in construction, I've been doing research on new building trends so I can be ahead of the curve once I get back into action. What do you see for the future as far as new trends that builders may want to include in new home construction?
— Don, Kentucky
A: When a building trend catches on, it usually follows three guidelines: 1) Ease of initial installation; 2) Materials that stay within budget; 3) A good payback for the builder and homeowner. According to those rules, two new homebuilding trends jump out at me: generator-ready homes and waterless urinals.
A generator-ready home basically means that the home's electrical breaker panel is set up by the contractor to accept the additional "transfer switch" and electrical equipment needed to install a standby private generator system. The payback for the contractor? It's an easily added electrical-panel option that may make the difference in a home sale for the contractor. Payback for the homeowner? Because the special electrical panel is ready to accept the transfer switches and controls, future installation costs for the standby generator system can be cut by a sizable amount.
Residential waterless urinals are another new-home trend that can easily be installed in a bathroom. All that's needed is a small drain line, since water lines are not required. The payback for the contractor? Waterless urinals add "green value" to the home and can be part of a complete water-saving package offered to the buyer. Payback to the homeowner? Thousands of gallons of clean, potable water can be saved per year without changing the homeowner's lifestyle.
These new trends are so cool you might want to consider installing them for existing homes, as well.
Q: About eight years ago, we bought an old farmhouse that uses well water. Recently we noticed that when we run our water it has a very musty smell and looks cloudy. It will clear up after a while, but comes back again in a few hours. We thought it was the water heater, but I shut off the heater and just ran cold for a day and the same thing happened. Where do we check next?
— John, Nebraska
A: If you ever notice strange odors, colors or tastes, the water quality needs to be checked as soon as possible. You'll need a licensed well company to test and check the water for impurities. It sounds as though you may be on a shallow-type well system that may be vulnerable to contaminants and critters that may find their way into your water system.
I don't want to gross anyone out, but strange problems can happen with a private well. Years ago, I had friends living in an old farmhouse, and their water started to "taste funny." So, they called in the well guy. Turned out that the well was full of snakes, and not all of them were moving. I believe my friends may still be in therapy!
Master Contractor/Plumber Ed Del Grande is known as the author of the book "Ed Del Grande's House Call" and for hosting TV shows on Scripps Networks and HGTVPro.com. For information visit eddelgrande.com or write eddelgrande@hgtvpro.com. Always consult local contractors and codes.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
October Home Building Down
By ALAN ZIBEL (AP) – 2 days ago
WASHINGTON — Construction of new homes unexpectedly plunged last month, as builders waited to see whether lawmakers would extend a tax credit for homebuyers.
The results show how much the housing market has been relying on government support for its fledgling recovery. The tax credit of up to $8,000 for first-time owners was due to expire on Nov. 30, but Congress voted to extend it earlier this month and expand it to more buyers, after intense pressure from real estate agents and homebuilders.
"The end of the tax credit was looming," said David Crowe, chief economist at the National Association of Home Builders. "At that point, builders were real uncertain about whether it would ever be extended, so they pulled way back."
A strong housing market is needed to support a broad economic recovery, and the building industry says the government's support is essential.
The Commerce Department said Wednesday that construction of new homes and apartments fell 10.6 percent in October to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 529,000, from an upwardly revised 592,000 in September. That's the lowest level since April, and economists polled by Thomson Reuters expected a pace of 600,000.
Buyers who have owned their current homes for at least five years are now eligible for tax credits of up to $6,500, while first-time homebuyers would still get up to $8,000. To qualify, buyers have to sign a purchase agreement by April 30.
Applications for building permits, a gauge of future activity, fell 4 percent to an annual rate of 552,000 units. That was the lowest since May and missed analysts' expectations of 580,000. But permits for single-family homes fell only 0.2 percent.
Meanwhile, the National Association of Home Builders said Tuesday its housing market index remained unchanged in November, reflecting a cautious outlook from residential developers as they waited to learn the credit's fate.
The trade association said its index stood at 17 for the second straight month. Index readings below 50 indicate negative sentiment about the market.
Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
WASHINGTON — Construction of new homes unexpectedly plunged last month, as builders waited to see whether lawmakers would extend a tax credit for homebuyers.
The results show how much the housing market has been relying on government support for its fledgling recovery. The tax credit of up to $8,000 for first-time owners was due to expire on Nov. 30, but Congress voted to extend it earlier this month and expand it to more buyers, after intense pressure from real estate agents and homebuilders.
"The end of the tax credit was looming," said David Crowe, chief economist at the National Association of Home Builders. "At that point, builders were real uncertain about whether it would ever be extended, so they pulled way back."
A strong housing market is needed to support a broad economic recovery, and the building industry says the government's support is essential.
The Commerce Department said Wednesday that construction of new homes and apartments fell 10.6 percent in October to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 529,000, from an upwardly revised 592,000 in September. That's the lowest level since April, and economists polled by Thomson Reuters expected a pace of 600,000.
Buyers who have owned their current homes for at least five years are now eligible for tax credits of up to $6,500, while first-time homebuyers would still get up to $8,000. To qualify, buyers have to sign a purchase agreement by April 30.
Applications for building permits, a gauge of future activity, fell 4 percent to an annual rate of 552,000 units. That was the lowest since May and missed analysts' expectations of 580,000. But permits for single-family homes fell only 0.2 percent.
Meanwhile, the National Association of Home Builders said Tuesday its housing market index remained unchanged in November, reflecting a cautious outlook from residential developers as they waited to learn the credit's fate.
The trade association said its index stood at 17 for the second straight month. Index readings below 50 indicate negative sentiment about the market.
Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Friday, November 20, 2009
San Mateo Green Building Law Starts January 1, 2010
http://www.mercurynews.com/peninsula/ci_13825982?nclick_check=1
Builders will be ringing in the new year with water and energy conservation.
Starting Jan. 1, San Mateo will require developers of most new homes and commercial buildings to use a minimum amount of environmentally friendly materials. The green building ordinance the San Mateo City Council adopted Monday had been a voluntary program for more than a year.
"With these green building standards, residents will enjoy lower energy bills and healthier homes," Mayor Brandt Grotte said in a statement.
Specifically, the law requires a minimum number of green "points" for all new single- and multifamily residential properties, as well as commercial, municipal and multiuse buildings. Small residential renovations and tenant improvement projects will be exempt, while larger construction will require more green aspects.
Builders will be able to pick which eco-friendly elements they want to use in their construction. Each product or design choice will earn them points depending on the environmental effect.
Examples of products that would get builders closer to certification include low-flow toilets, nontoxic paints, wood products that do not emit formaldehyde, insulation made of recycled denim, and high-efficiency showerheads.
Residential products must meet Berkeley-based Build it Green's rating system, while others will use the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED certification standards.
San Mateo resident Rafael Reyes, a directorof the national Sierra Club, called the guidelines the toughest in San Mateo County. He said it could help influence other cities such as Daly City, which is considering a similar measure, to follow suit.
When it comes to green building, the initial costs for the products are often higher than their less efficient counterparts. Reyes said that the rules, however, will help stimulate the local clean energy economy and provide more than just green living for residents and businesses.
"There is clear evidence that green building standards reduce the cost of ownership over the lifetime of a building," he said.
San Mateo County had previously adopted green building ordinances for its unincorporated areas, while Redwood City approved environmentally friendly construction codes a few weeks ago. Reyes said that more than 40 cities in California have green building standards.
Builders will be ringing in the new year with water and energy conservation.
Starting Jan. 1, San Mateo will require developers of most new homes and commercial buildings to use a minimum amount of environmentally friendly materials. The green building ordinance the San Mateo City Council adopted Monday had been a voluntary program for more than a year.
"With these green building standards, residents will enjoy lower energy bills and healthier homes," Mayor Brandt Grotte said in a statement.
Specifically, the law requires a minimum number of green "points" for all new single- and multifamily residential properties, as well as commercial, municipal and multiuse buildings. Small residential renovations and tenant improvement projects will be exempt, while larger construction will require more green aspects.
Builders will be able to pick which eco-friendly elements they want to use in their construction. Each product or design choice will earn them points depending on the environmental effect.
Examples of products that would get builders closer to certification include low-flow toilets, nontoxic paints, wood products that do not emit formaldehyde, insulation made of recycled denim, and high-efficiency showerheads.
Residential products must meet Berkeley-based Build it Green's rating system, while others will use the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED certification standards.
San Mateo resident Rafael Reyes, a directorof the national Sierra Club, called the guidelines the toughest in San Mateo County. He said it could help influence other cities such as Daly City, which is considering a similar measure, to follow suit.
When it comes to green building, the initial costs for the products are often higher than their less efficient counterparts. Reyes said that the rules, however, will help stimulate the local clean energy economy and provide more than just green living for residents and businesses.
"There is clear evidence that green building standards reduce the cost of ownership over the lifetime of a building," he said.
San Mateo County had previously adopted green building ordinances for its unincorporated areas, while Redwood City approved environmentally friendly construction codes a few weeks ago. Reyes said that more than 40 cities in California have green building standards.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Building Energy Electrical Improvement Mandatory in EU
European legislators and countries struck a deal last night to introduce tough new energy-efficiency regulations for all electricity-using appliances and buildings within the next decade.
Most significantly, the European Union directive will require that nearly all buildings, including large houses, constructed after 2020 include stark efficiency improvements or generate most of their energy from renewable sources, coming close to "nearly zero" energy use.
European countries will also be required to establish a certification system to measure buildings' energy efficiency. These certificates will be required for any new construction or buildings that are sold or rented to new tenants. Existing buildings will also have to, during any major renovation, improve their efficiency if at all feasible.
Buildings are responsible for about 36 percent of Europe's greenhouse gas emissions, and stricter efficiency requirements have been sought for the past several years as absolutely necessary for the bloc to meets its goal of cutting emissions 20 percent from 1990 levels by 2020. Other regions should take note, said Andris Piebalgs, the E.U. energy commissioner, in a statement.
"By this agreement, the E.U. is sending a strong message to the forthcoming climate negotiations in Copenhagen," Piebalgs said. "Improving the energy performance of buildings is a cost effective way of fighting against climate change and improving energy security, while also boosting the building sector and the E.U. economy as a whole."
A second directive agreed on yesterday will expand the scope of efficiency labeling to all consumer products that use energy, eventually covering everything from hot water taps to vending machines.
Most prominently, all electricity-using appliances for the home will have to be accompanied by an efficiency rating -- from a green "A" to a red "G" -- in any advertisement that touts price or energy savings. The rule is meant to raise consumer awareness of the gradient in energy savings available when purchasing televisions, freezers and washing machines, for example.
In the future, these labels will also be attached to industrial products, such as cold storage rooms, display cabinets or vending machines. The labels will also apply to products that have indirect energy costs, including construction products like window glazing and frames, or exterior doors.
Striking a deal on the efficiency package has been one of the most important goals of the Swedish presidency of the European Union, which ends next month. By strengthening efficiency requirements, Europe could reduce greenhouse gas emissions equal to 70 percent of its Kyoto targets and save each household about €300 a year in energy bill expenses.
Few hurdles now remain for the directives, which are expected to be formally approved by the European Parliament early next year. Once adopted, E.U. countries will have two years to write the directives into their domestic laws.
Copyright 2009 E&E Publishing. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2009/11/18/18greenwire-eu-to-mandate-nearly-zero-power-use-by-buildin-59814.html
Most significantly, the European Union directive will require that nearly all buildings, including large houses, constructed after 2020 include stark efficiency improvements or generate most of their energy from renewable sources, coming close to "nearly zero" energy use.
European countries will also be required to establish a certification system to measure buildings' energy efficiency. These certificates will be required for any new construction or buildings that are sold or rented to new tenants. Existing buildings will also have to, during any major renovation, improve their efficiency if at all feasible.
Buildings are responsible for about 36 percent of Europe's greenhouse gas emissions, and stricter efficiency requirements have been sought for the past several years as absolutely necessary for the bloc to meets its goal of cutting emissions 20 percent from 1990 levels by 2020. Other regions should take note, said Andris Piebalgs, the E.U. energy commissioner, in a statement.
"By this agreement, the E.U. is sending a strong message to the forthcoming climate negotiations in Copenhagen," Piebalgs said. "Improving the energy performance of buildings is a cost effective way of fighting against climate change and improving energy security, while also boosting the building sector and the E.U. economy as a whole."
A second directive agreed on yesterday will expand the scope of efficiency labeling to all consumer products that use energy, eventually covering everything from hot water taps to vending machines.
Most prominently, all electricity-using appliances for the home will have to be accompanied by an efficiency rating -- from a green "A" to a red "G" -- in any advertisement that touts price or energy savings. The rule is meant to raise consumer awareness of the gradient in energy savings available when purchasing televisions, freezers and washing machines, for example.
In the future, these labels will also be attached to industrial products, such as cold storage rooms, display cabinets or vending machines. The labels will also apply to products that have indirect energy costs, including construction products like window glazing and frames, or exterior doors.
Striking a deal on the efficiency package has been one of the most important goals of the Swedish presidency of the European Union, which ends next month. By strengthening efficiency requirements, Europe could reduce greenhouse gas emissions equal to 70 percent of its Kyoto targets and save each household about €300 a year in energy bill expenses.
Few hurdles now remain for the directives, which are expected to be formally approved by the European Parliament early next year. Once adopted, E.U. countries will have two years to write the directives into their domestic laws.
Copyright 2009 E&E Publishing. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2009/11/18/18greenwire-eu-to-mandate-nearly-zero-power-use-by-buildin-59814.html
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Local Bids for Board of Commissioners
http://www.times-georgian.com/pages/full_story/push?article-BOC+wants+local+firms+to+bid+on+justice+center%20&id=4501853-BOC+wants+local+firms+to+bid+on+justice+center&instance=home_news_top
Members of the Carroll County Board of Commissioners say that local companies will get top consideration when the board sits down to determine who will serve as general contractor for the new $28 million county justice center.
Right now, said Commissioner Trent North, the architects behind the project are in the process of completing pre-construction efforts on the building, determining what work will need to be done and in what order. After that’s decided and a recommendation is made to the board as a whole, it will then be up to the board to determine what contractor is scheduled to perform what part of the construction process.
While of course the varying rates that building contractors charge for the work they perform will play a large part in the board’s decision, it’s not the only thing that the board will take into account, North said. If the pricing among the various contractors is similar, he said, the board should give the work to local companies, ensuring that the money that is spent by the Carroll County government remains in the county.
“It is my preference that a local contractor builds our courthouse. That’s just my preference. Even if the economy wasn’t the way it was, I’d still think that,” North said. “As long as it is fiscally feasible and the experience is there, we should always try to keep the work at home.”
Commissioner Kevin Jackson agreed, saying that the board has in the past elected to contract with local companies even though it might cost a little more in the end.
“If we have the opportunity to turn some work locally, we’re inclined to do that unless they’re not competitive,” Jackson said. “In the past, we’ve done it even though sometimes it may be just a little more expensive. We do it because any time we can help Carroll Countians, that’s what we need to do. That’s what we were elected to do.”
Commissioner Vicki Anderson said that it only makes sense to help local companies when the option presents itself.
“You always like to give business to people in the county. I think if things work out right, that’s the preferable thing to do, and I think we’ve been consistent in that in the past,” Anderson said. “You like doing business with people you see every day.”
Members of the Carroll County Board of Commissioners say that local companies will get top consideration when the board sits down to determine who will serve as general contractor for the new $28 million county justice center.
Right now, said Commissioner Trent North, the architects behind the project are in the process of completing pre-construction efforts on the building, determining what work will need to be done and in what order. After that’s decided and a recommendation is made to the board as a whole, it will then be up to the board to determine what contractor is scheduled to perform what part of the construction process.
While of course the varying rates that building contractors charge for the work they perform will play a large part in the board’s decision, it’s not the only thing that the board will take into account, North said. If the pricing among the various contractors is similar, he said, the board should give the work to local companies, ensuring that the money that is spent by the Carroll County government remains in the county.
“It is my preference that a local contractor builds our courthouse. That’s just my preference. Even if the economy wasn’t the way it was, I’d still think that,” North said. “As long as it is fiscally feasible and the experience is there, we should always try to keep the work at home.”
Commissioner Kevin Jackson agreed, saying that the board has in the past elected to contract with local companies even though it might cost a little more in the end.
“If we have the opportunity to turn some work locally, we’re inclined to do that unless they’re not competitive,” Jackson said. “In the past, we’ve done it even though sometimes it may be just a little more expensive. We do it because any time we can help Carroll Countians, that’s what we need to do. That’s what we were elected to do.”
Commissioner Vicki Anderson said that it only makes sense to help local companies when the option presents itself.
“You always like to give business to people in the county. I think if things work out right, that’s the preferable thing to do, and I think we’ve been consistent in that in the past,” Anderson said. “You like doing business with people you see every day.”
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
600 People Going to Work in North Charleston
By Molly Parker
mparker@scbiznews.com
Published Nov. 16, 2009
The team charged with construction of Boeing’s Dreamliner factory in North Charleston is meeting with executives in Seattle today to make decisions about critical subcontractors and to work with Boeing executives on the final design.
“This is moving very, very quickly as you might expect,” said Luther Cochrane, chairman and CEO of BE&K Building Group. A joint venture between that company and Turner Construction Co. is Boeing’s general contractor for the new Dreamliner assembly plant in North Charleston.
Cochrane took a few minutes to speak with the Business Journal before catching a flight to Seattle to meet up with the team, which has been engaged in meetings with Boeing executives since this morning.
“The critical things to get done right now are to plan how we finalize the design, dovetail that with permitting and come up with a procurement plan,” Cochrane said.
Cochrane said the company is also finalizing a plan to inform local subcontractors of the work that is needed and to educate them on how to bid their services. The joint venture likely will hold a local event for contractors as part of that process and create a Web site and e-mail address specifically aimed at answering subcontractors’ questions.
“We hope a great deal of the work will be subcontracted to people who are prominent here locally,” he said. “Boeing is very big on inclusiveness and diversity, and we are, too.”
Boeing has scheduled an official groundbreaking for Friday. This will largely be ceremonial in nature.
“You won’t see steel going up,” Cochrane said. “But we will start site clearing — the early preparatory work will start as soon as possible.”
Cochrane said the project will directly employ about 600 people at the height of production. Gov. Mark Sanford has said the construction could mean up to 2,000 additional jobs.
Cochrane said that S.C. officials are considering the spin-off impact, which he also anticipates will be significant.
“There’ll be a very good impact on the local trade situation, meaning people will get a lot of work out of this,” he said.
Reach Molly Parker at 843-849-3144.
mparker@scbiznews.com
Published Nov. 16, 2009
The team charged with construction of Boeing’s Dreamliner factory in North Charleston is meeting with executives in Seattle today to make decisions about critical subcontractors and to work with Boeing executives on the final design.
“This is moving very, very quickly as you might expect,” said Luther Cochrane, chairman and CEO of BE&K Building Group. A joint venture between that company and Turner Construction Co. is Boeing’s general contractor for the new Dreamliner assembly plant in North Charleston.
Cochrane took a few minutes to speak with the Business Journal before catching a flight to Seattle to meet up with the team, which has been engaged in meetings with Boeing executives since this morning.
“The critical things to get done right now are to plan how we finalize the design, dovetail that with permitting and come up with a procurement plan,” Cochrane said.
Cochrane said the company is also finalizing a plan to inform local subcontractors of the work that is needed and to educate them on how to bid their services. The joint venture likely will hold a local event for contractors as part of that process and create a Web site and e-mail address specifically aimed at answering subcontractors’ questions.
“We hope a great deal of the work will be subcontracted to people who are prominent here locally,” he said. “Boeing is very big on inclusiveness and diversity, and we are, too.”
Boeing has scheduled an official groundbreaking for Friday. This will largely be ceremonial in nature.
“You won’t see steel going up,” Cochrane said. “But we will start site clearing — the early preparatory work will start as soon as possible.”
Cochrane said the project will directly employ about 600 people at the height of production. Gov. Mark Sanford has said the construction could mean up to 2,000 additional jobs.
Cochrane said that S.C. officials are considering the spin-off impact, which he also anticipates will be significant.
“There’ll be a very good impact on the local trade situation, meaning people will get a lot of work out of this,” he said.
Reach Molly Parker at 843-849-3144.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Adams Contractors Adding Workers
Two years ago, Adams Building Contractors employed 30 and had an annual sales volume of about $4 million.
Today, it has 130 employees and sales approaching $40 million.
The Jackson-based builder hopes to add 70 more workers in 2010 as it continues to expand its business here and out of state.
In the past year the company had projects in 16 states; it recently opened offices in Pennsylvania and Indiana.
It twice has added on to its headquarters at 3300 Yukon Drive since moving there in 2002, and is in the midst of a third, 4,000-square-foot addition to expand office space.
"Every employee here has contributed to our growth," said Toby Jones, director of marketing.
Company President David Adams said the company does its best to create a family atmosphere where people enjoy coming to work. With each hire, the company's leaders look for intelligent, capable people they can trust to make decisions.
"You're only as good as the people you surround yourself with," Adams said.
To showcase the team atmosphere, Vice President Gary Adams moved his office into one of the two temporary trailers set up at the headquarters while work is done.
Technology has also helped the company grow, David Adams said. On the second floor of the office, a few engineers and employees design 3-D renderings of all projects.
"This is more helpful for the customer," he said. "It's more work, but we see the value is there."
Because the company designs the projects, and serves as the construction manager and general contractor, it employs a range of employees from general laborers and carpenters to crane operators and engineers.
Doing it all, Adams said, improves quality control and ensures deadlines are met.
Project managers often juggle 30 projects, Adams said. Projects have included school additions, ethanol plants, slip silos, and several municipal and industrial projects.
Jones said the company supports local businesses when they can, going so far as to bring local subcontractors with them recently to a job in Wyoming.
He said they would like to do more work locally.
"If we can do projects out of state, we can do them here," he said.
Jones said the company's ability to not only stay in business but continue to grow is because it didn't choose to specialize in any one sector. It actively seeks out work across the country and often gets repeat business from clients.
"We're ready for anything that comes around," Adams said.
Today, it has 130 employees and sales approaching $40 million.
The Jackson-based builder hopes to add 70 more workers in 2010 as it continues to expand its business here and out of state.
In the past year the company had projects in 16 states; it recently opened offices in Pennsylvania and Indiana.
It twice has added on to its headquarters at 3300 Yukon Drive since moving there in 2002, and is in the midst of a third, 4,000-square-foot addition to expand office space.
"Every employee here has contributed to our growth," said Toby Jones, director of marketing.
Company President David Adams said the company does its best to create a family atmosphere where people enjoy coming to work. With each hire, the company's leaders look for intelligent, capable people they can trust to make decisions.
"You're only as good as the people you surround yourself with," Adams said.
To showcase the team atmosphere, Vice President Gary Adams moved his office into one of the two temporary trailers set up at the headquarters while work is done.
Technology has also helped the company grow, David Adams said. On the second floor of the office, a few engineers and employees design 3-D renderings of all projects.
"This is more helpful for the customer," he said. "It's more work, but we see the value is there."
Because the company designs the projects, and serves as the construction manager and general contractor, it employs a range of employees from general laborers and carpenters to crane operators and engineers.
Doing it all, Adams said, improves quality control and ensures deadlines are met.
Project managers often juggle 30 projects, Adams said. Projects have included school additions, ethanol plants, slip silos, and several municipal and industrial projects.
Jones said the company supports local businesses when they can, going so far as to bring local subcontractors with them recently to a job in Wyoming.
He said they would like to do more work locally.
"If we can do projects out of state, we can do them here," he said.
Jones said the company's ability to not only stay in business but continue to grow is because it didn't choose to specialize in any one sector. It actively seeks out work across the country and often gets repeat business from clients.
"We're ready for anything that comes around," Adams said.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Green Building Growing in Michigan
KALAMAZOO -- As Kermit used to say, its not easy being green, but it can pay off.
They are green buildings, structures designed to use less fuel and have a smaller carbon footprint. They may have cost a little more to build or remodel, but in the long run, will save their owners big bucks.
Kalamazoo’s Prairie Ridge Elementary is the first Public School in the state to win Gold Leed Certification for its sustainable design and operation. Last Night the School Board Received the Award.
LEED Certification comes with a big tax break, but because the schools aren’t taxed, the Archetechs claimed the tax benefit. This week the Archetectural firm handed over a check for $25,000 to the schools as a gesture. The money will be used to support the school’s literacy program.
WMU’s Health and Human Services Building is also the first Higher Education building on the Planet to get the LEED Gold Certification.
Spokesperson Cheryl Roland says it’s the technology….
They unveiled the plaque in Ceremonies this week.
http://new.wkzo.com/news/articles/2009/nov/13/number-green-buildings-growing-kalamazoo/
They are green buildings, structures designed to use less fuel and have a smaller carbon footprint. They may have cost a little more to build or remodel, but in the long run, will save their owners big bucks.
Kalamazoo’s Prairie Ridge Elementary is the first Public School in the state to win Gold Leed Certification for its sustainable design and operation. Last Night the School Board Received the Award.
LEED Certification comes with a big tax break, but because the schools aren’t taxed, the Archetechs claimed the tax benefit. This week the Archetectural firm handed over a check for $25,000 to the schools as a gesture. The money will be used to support the school’s literacy program.
WMU’s Health and Human Services Building is also the first Higher Education building on the Planet to get the LEED Gold Certification.
Spokesperson Cheryl Roland says it’s the technology….
They unveiled the plaque in Ceremonies this week.
http://new.wkzo.com/news/articles/2009/nov/13/number-green-buildings-growing-kalamazoo/
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Big Company Acquisitions Need L.A. Electrician Know-How
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/6717974.html
Houston-based SpawMaxwell Co.is being acquired by Balfour Beatty Construction of Dallas.
The deal will combine SpawMaxwell's work in corporate and health care interior construction with Balfour Beatty's ground-up construction specialty, the companies said Thursday. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“We do a growing practice in ground-up, but this will take us to the next level,” said SpawMaxwell CEO David Spaw.
The Houston company, which collected $350 million in revenue last year, also has offices in Austin and Dallas. It was founded in 1998 with the merger of David Spaw Co. and Maxwell Company Construction. It has 141 employees throughout Texas.
The Houston company, which collected $350 million in revenue last year, also has offices in Austin and Dallas. It was founded in 1998 with the merger of David Spaw Co. and Maxwell Company Construction. It has 141 employees throughout Texas.
Spaw said there are no planned staff reductions as a result of the acquisition.
Founded 76 years ago, Balfour Beatty Construction has 1,600 employees in 10 offices nationwide. Its 2008 revenue was more than $2.4 billion.
The company is part of London-based Balfour Beatty plc.
SpawMaxwell will operate as a full-service division headquarters, continuing to do business in Houston, Dallas and Austin. Balfour Beatty's other headquarter locations are in Dallas, Washington D.C., Charlotte, N.C., and Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
SpawMaxwell will retain its brand and the local leadership will not change.
nancy.sarnoff@chron.com
Houston-based SpawMaxwell Co.is being acquired by Balfour Beatty Construction of Dallas.
The deal will combine SpawMaxwell's work in corporate and health care interior construction with Balfour Beatty's ground-up construction specialty, the companies said Thursday. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“We do a growing practice in ground-up, but this will take us to the next level,” said SpawMaxwell CEO David Spaw.
The Houston company, which collected $350 million in revenue last year, also has offices in Austin and Dallas. It was founded in 1998 with the merger of David Spaw Co. and Maxwell Company Construction. It has 141 employees throughout Texas.
The Houston company, which collected $350 million in revenue last year, also has offices in Austin and Dallas. It was founded in 1998 with the merger of David Spaw Co. and Maxwell Company Construction. It has 141 employees throughout Texas.
Spaw said there are no planned staff reductions as a result of the acquisition.
Founded 76 years ago, Balfour Beatty Construction has 1,600 employees in 10 offices nationwide. Its 2008 revenue was more than $2.4 billion.
The company is part of London-based Balfour Beatty plc.
SpawMaxwell will operate as a full-service division headquarters, continuing to do business in Houston, Dallas and Austin. Balfour Beatty's other headquarter locations are in Dallas, Washington D.C., Charlotte, N.C., and Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
SpawMaxwell will retain its brand and the local leadership will not change.
nancy.sarnoff@chron.com
Friday, November 13, 2009
$35 Million Federal Job Corp Project
By KATHY McCORMACK (AP) – 6 hours ago
CONCORD, N.H. — Construction of a $35 million federal Job Corps center in New Hampshire, where union workers amount to only a small percentage of the work force, has been stalled over contract language that requires the center be built by union labor.
Planned for Manchester, the center will offer education and vocational training to students, ages 16 to 24. It has been in the works for years and the government wanted to break ground this fall on the six-building complex.
But last month, a Concord-based nonunion firm protested the requirement. And the U.S. Labor Department recently canceled the bidding process to evaluate the "project labor agreement" that requires union workers.
New Hampshire and Wyoming are the only two states without Job Corps centers. Money has been allotted for the Wyoming center. It is scheduled to be complete in 2011.
When asked Thursday if there was a timetable for reopening the bidding process on the Manchester center, Labor Department spokesman Jesse Lawder said, "I don't think it's been established yet. They're looking into the options."
In February, President Barack Obama issued an executive order encouraging federal agencies to have construction contractors and subcontractors enter project labor agreements that require them to negotiate with union officials, recognize union wages and generally abide by collective-bargaining agreements.
The Associated Builders and Contractors, a national trade group, believes the agreement for the Manchester project is the first project labor agreement issued by the federal government since the president's order.
Thursday, Republican Sen. Judd Gregg, who had lobbied for the Job Corps center, called the Labor Department's recent decision "just another unnecessary bureaucratic delay to the progress of this critically important project."
"This setback clearly illustrates that the administration's decision to discriminate against successful, independent construction firms because Granite State employees choose to work in a union-free environment simply does not hold water in New Hampshire," he said.
In September, Gregg had urged the department to reconsider its decision, saying that only 8.7 percent of the construction workers in New Hampshire were unionized — the smallest unionized work force in New England.
Kenneth Holmes, president of North Branch Construction, which filed the protest, said he wants his company to get the job but wouldn't be able to under a project labor agreement.
"I wouldn't have been able to have put my employees on the payroll, on the job. Or I would've had to not only pay my guys and pay their benefits, but I'd have to have doubled up and paid benefits into the union halls for benefits that my employees would never receive because they're not union," he said.
Holmes said he was hopeful the government would reopen the bidding process without the conditional agreement.
Gary Chaison, professor of industrial relations at Clark University in Worcester, Mass., said project labor agreements in construction have existed for at least 50 years. He said they are made on the front end so that work won't be disrupted during the course of the project.
"The federal government believes huge projects involving many millions of dollars could be delayed or ended if there's a dispute about whether or not the workers will be represented by unions or what their wage will be," he said.
He noted, however, that the proportion of the work force in construction unions has diminished. And while the agreements are supposed to provide stability during construction, disputes over them delay the projects "and make them messier," he said.
Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
CONCORD, N.H. — Construction of a $35 million federal Job Corps center in New Hampshire, where union workers amount to only a small percentage of the work force, has been stalled over contract language that requires the center be built by union labor.
Planned for Manchester, the center will offer education and vocational training to students, ages 16 to 24. It has been in the works for years and the government wanted to break ground this fall on the six-building complex.
But last month, a Concord-based nonunion firm protested the requirement. And the U.S. Labor Department recently canceled the bidding process to evaluate the "project labor agreement" that requires union workers.
New Hampshire and Wyoming are the only two states without Job Corps centers. Money has been allotted for the Wyoming center. It is scheduled to be complete in 2011.
When asked Thursday if there was a timetable for reopening the bidding process on the Manchester center, Labor Department spokesman Jesse Lawder said, "I don't think it's been established yet. They're looking into the options."
In February, President Barack Obama issued an executive order encouraging federal agencies to have construction contractors and subcontractors enter project labor agreements that require them to negotiate with union officials, recognize union wages and generally abide by collective-bargaining agreements.
The Associated Builders and Contractors, a national trade group, believes the agreement for the Manchester project is the first project labor agreement issued by the federal government since the president's order.
Thursday, Republican Sen. Judd Gregg, who had lobbied for the Job Corps center, called the Labor Department's recent decision "just another unnecessary bureaucratic delay to the progress of this critically important project."
"This setback clearly illustrates that the administration's decision to discriminate against successful, independent construction firms because Granite State employees choose to work in a union-free environment simply does not hold water in New Hampshire," he said.
In September, Gregg had urged the department to reconsider its decision, saying that only 8.7 percent of the construction workers in New Hampshire were unionized — the smallest unionized work force in New England.
Kenneth Holmes, president of North Branch Construction, which filed the protest, said he wants his company to get the job but wouldn't be able to under a project labor agreement.
"I wouldn't have been able to have put my employees on the payroll, on the job. Or I would've had to not only pay my guys and pay their benefits, but I'd have to have doubled up and paid benefits into the union halls for benefits that my employees would never receive because they're not union," he said.
Holmes said he was hopeful the government would reopen the bidding process without the conditional agreement.
Gary Chaison, professor of industrial relations at Clark University in Worcester, Mass., said project labor agreements in construction have existed for at least 50 years. He said they are made on the front end so that work won't be disrupted during the course of the project.
"The federal government believes huge projects involving many millions of dollars could be delayed or ended if there's a dispute about whether or not the workers will be represented by unions or what their wage will be," he said.
He noted, however, that the proportion of the work force in construction unions has diminished. And while the agreements are supposed to provide stability during construction, disputes over them delay the projects "and make them messier," he said.
Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Green Building Means Job Hirings
Green building could create an economic boom when the real estate market recovers, according to a study by the U.S. Green Building Council, which says the industry could generate 7.9 million jobs in the next four years.
The study, released on the first day of the council’s Greenbuild International Conference and Expo in Phoenix and conducted with Booz Allen Hamilton, said green building could generate about $554 billion in gross domestic product between now and 2013 with about $396 billion of that coming in wages.
That would be a big increase from the roughly 2 million people employed nationwide by the green building industry that currently pumps about $100 million into the GDP. Between 2000 and 2008, green building contributed $173 billion to the economy.
“Our goal is for the phrase ‘green building’ to become obsolete, by making all building and retrofits green and transforming every job in our industry into a green job,” said Rick Fedrizzi, president, chief executive and founding chairman of the Green Building Council.
The study looked at the total value of green buildings from the architects to the laborers.
Green building has been an increasing industry standard as more companies adopt Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, standards.
That designation itself, according to the study, will contribute about $12.5 billion to the green building total and provide about 230,000 jobs
http://sacramento.bizjournals.com/sacramento/stories/2009/11/09/daily51.html
The study, released on the first day of the council’s Greenbuild International Conference and Expo in Phoenix and conducted with Booz Allen Hamilton, said green building could generate about $554 billion in gross domestic product between now and 2013 with about $396 billion of that coming in wages.
That would be a big increase from the roughly 2 million people employed nationwide by the green building industry that currently pumps about $100 million into the GDP. Between 2000 and 2008, green building contributed $173 billion to the economy.
“Our goal is for the phrase ‘green building’ to become obsolete, by making all building and retrofits green and transforming every job in our industry into a green job,” said Rick Fedrizzi, president, chief executive and founding chairman of the Green Building Council.
The study looked at the total value of green buildings from the architects to the laborers.
Green building has been an increasing industry standard as more companies adopt Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, standards.
That designation itself, according to the study, will contribute about $12.5 billion to the green building total and provide about 230,000 jobs
http://sacramento.bizjournals.com/sacramento/stories/2009/11/09/daily51.html
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Builders and Contractors Looking for Building Locations
By ALEX VEIGA (AP) – 4 days ago
LOS ANGELES — The housing bust left homebuilders with plenty of red ink on their books as they walked away from swaths of land they no longer needed.
But now homebuilders are on the hunt again, vying for choice parcels even in foreclosure-riddled markets like Las Vegas, Southern California and Orlando, Fla., where prices are cheap and there are early signs of a recovery.
While not a full-blown land rush, experts point to a surge in land deals since early summer as home sales and prices began to stabilize. For the better lots, the competition is fueling bids well above the asking price.
"In the past (builders) had really been the ones that had been feeding the market and selling lots to investors," said Tom Dallape, a principal at The Hoffman Co., a land brokerage firm based in Irvine, Calif. "Now all of a sudden they are rushing back in."
Major players such as Ryland Group Inc. and Meritage Homes Corp., are among those that jumped into the fray.
Meritage recently signed contracts to buy 2,500 lots spread out over new communities in several states, including California. The builder plans to open nine new communities this year or early next.
This summer, Ryland bought land or signed option contracts to do so in several markets, including Indianapolis, Atlanta, Houston, Las Vegas and Baltimore.
"We are pursuing more deals than at any time in the past several years," said CEO Larry Nicholson.
Of course, not all builders are looking to expand their land stockpile.
Pulte Homes Inc., for example, has been more conservative. The builder added thousands of acres to its land holdings when it acquired rival Centex Corp. in August. And roughly half of those parcels are already primed for construction.
"We're not one of those who need land," said Richard Dugas, Pulte's CEO.
The timing of these land deals could also be risky.
"The stability we've seen has been nice, but it hasn't been for long, only five or six months," said Megan McGrath, an analyst with Barclays Capital. "There is certainly some risk that if the market tails off again or we start to see cancelations pick up, some of those deals that previously penciled may not pencil anymore."
Still, with new home sales up 22 percent this year, builders have grown more confident in their ability to estimate what they should pay for land and expect to profit after construction costs.
Builders are primarily looking for land in areas that are already cleared for home construction. That way, they will be ready to build and sell in just a few months.
In May, Trumark Homes bought 39 lots in Upland, Calif., where it plans to build homes early next year.
The Irvine-based company bought the land — which already had paved streets and utility connections ready for construction — for less money than the previous developer owed the bank.
The previous owner planned to build and sell homes in the $500,000-range. Trumark's homes will be priced $200,000 less.
"We were able to get the land for free and the improvements they made we got at like 45 cents on the dollar," said Michael Maples, Trumark's chief executive. "The market changed."
Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
LOS ANGELES — The housing bust left homebuilders with plenty of red ink on their books as they walked away from swaths of land they no longer needed.
But now homebuilders are on the hunt again, vying for choice parcels even in foreclosure-riddled markets like Las Vegas, Southern California and Orlando, Fla., where prices are cheap and there are early signs of a recovery.
While not a full-blown land rush, experts point to a surge in land deals since early summer as home sales and prices began to stabilize. For the better lots, the competition is fueling bids well above the asking price.
"In the past (builders) had really been the ones that had been feeding the market and selling lots to investors," said Tom Dallape, a principal at The Hoffman Co., a land brokerage firm based in Irvine, Calif. "Now all of a sudden they are rushing back in."
Major players such as Ryland Group Inc. and Meritage Homes Corp., are among those that jumped into the fray.
Meritage recently signed contracts to buy 2,500 lots spread out over new communities in several states, including California. The builder plans to open nine new communities this year or early next.
This summer, Ryland bought land or signed option contracts to do so in several markets, including Indianapolis, Atlanta, Houston, Las Vegas and Baltimore.
"We are pursuing more deals than at any time in the past several years," said CEO Larry Nicholson.
Of course, not all builders are looking to expand their land stockpile.
Pulte Homes Inc., for example, has been more conservative. The builder added thousands of acres to its land holdings when it acquired rival Centex Corp. in August. And roughly half of those parcels are already primed for construction.
"We're not one of those who need land," said Richard Dugas, Pulte's CEO.
The timing of these land deals could also be risky.
"The stability we've seen has been nice, but it hasn't been for long, only five or six months," said Megan McGrath, an analyst with Barclays Capital. "There is certainly some risk that if the market tails off again or we start to see cancelations pick up, some of those deals that previously penciled may not pencil anymore."
Still, with new home sales up 22 percent this year, builders have grown more confident in their ability to estimate what they should pay for land and expect to profit after construction costs.
Builders are primarily looking for land in areas that are already cleared for home construction. That way, they will be ready to build and sell in just a few months.
In May, Trumark Homes bought 39 lots in Upland, Calif., where it plans to build homes early next year.
The Irvine-based company bought the land — which already had paved streets and utility connections ready for construction — for less money than the previous developer owed the bank.
The previous owner planned to build and sell homes in the $500,000-range. Trumark's homes will be priced $200,000 less.
"We were able to get the land for free and the improvements they made we got at like 45 cents on the dollar," said Michael Maples, Trumark's chief executive. "The market changed."
Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Congratulations to Builders Preserving America
A Santa Fe contractor’s work preserving an historic building has been honored by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Crocker Ltd. shares the award with Bernalillo County for work on the Gutierrez-Hubbell House in Albuquerque’s South Valley.
The National Trust cited several reasons for honoring the project, including the use of the property as an achetype for drafting a completely new building code that applies specifically to historic adobe structures. This building is the first in the state to be restored under the new guidelines.
The house is a mid-19th century hacienda that once encompassed more than 40,000 acres and now sits on 10 acres along Isletea Boulevard. It was a stop on the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro between Mexico City and the San Juan Pueblo, the earliest permanent colonial settlement in New Mexico.
The building has housed a post office and was the center of the Hubbell mercantile interests, including trading posts on the Navajo Nation and the Hubbell Trading Post in Ganado, Ariz., which is now a National Historic site.
The same family owned the home from the 1850s until 1997. In the late 1990s, Bernalillo County voters passed a mil levy approving the purchase and restoration of the property.
The building had severe deterioration and some walls had to be repaired by inserting whole or partial adobe bricks into vacant spaces. Some sections had to be completely rebuilt.
This is the fourth National Trust award Crocker has received. It specializes in earthen architecture construction and repair.
Crocker Ltd. shares the award with Bernalillo County for work on the Gutierrez-Hubbell House in Albuquerque’s South Valley.
The National Trust cited several reasons for honoring the project, including the use of the property as an achetype for drafting a completely new building code that applies specifically to historic adobe structures. This building is the first in the state to be restored under the new guidelines.
The house is a mid-19th century hacienda that once encompassed more than 40,000 acres and now sits on 10 acres along Isletea Boulevard. It was a stop on the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro between Mexico City and the San Juan Pueblo, the earliest permanent colonial settlement in New Mexico.
The building has housed a post office and was the center of the Hubbell mercantile interests, including trading posts on the Navajo Nation and the Hubbell Trading Post in Ganado, Ariz., which is now a National Historic site.
The same family owned the home from the 1850s until 1997. In the late 1990s, Bernalillo County voters passed a mil levy approving the purchase and restoration of the property.
The building had severe deterioration and some walls had to be repaired by inserting whole or partial adobe bricks into vacant spaces. Some sections had to be completely rebuilt.
This is the fourth National Trust award Crocker has received. It specializes in earthen architecture construction and repair.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Korea Testing Electric Fuel from Natural Gas
By Shinhye Kang
Nov. 9 (Bloomberg) -- Korea Gas Corp. plans to test market a low-cost clean fuel derived from natural gas and coal in South Korea before signing a final contract to build a plant costing as much as 400 billion won ($342 million) in Saudi Arabia.
The distributor will blend dimethyl ether, commonly used in spray cans, with liquefied petroleum gas to be sold as cooking fuel for a year starting this month, Baek Young Soon, a project manager at Korea Gas, said in an interview. The state utility signed a preliminary agreement with the Saudi Arabian government on Nov. 1 to build a 300,000 ton-a-year plant in Jubail by 2013.
“Supplying the mixed fuel to households is the first stage,” Baek, 52, said at his office in Incheon, west of Seoul. “DME could eventually replace diesel in trucks and buses once it gains wider recognition as an alternative fuel.”
The world’s biggest buyer of liquefied natural gas plans to invest in the venture as South Korea seeks to cut greenhouse gas emissions. DME releases 95 percent less carbon dioxide than diesel and no soot particles, according to Volvo AB, which will test the fuel next year. Baek said production costs are about half of diesel and 30 percent less than LPG.
“DME is eco-friendly and cost effective,” said Kim Seung Woo, a Seoul-based analyst at Samsung Securities Co. “Still, future demand as a new auto fuel isn’t guaranteed because the automobile industry is focusing more on electric cars rather than on introducing models for new types of fossil fuels.”
Overseas Plants
Korea Gas and the Saudi Arabian government will conduct a feasibility study and decide the stakes each will hold before signing a final contract next year, the project manager said. The venture may receive natural gas from Saudi Arabia at less than $1 per million British thermal units for between 15 and 20 years, and the proposed plant’s capacity may be increased to as much as 1 million tons a year if demand increases, he said.
The company is also considering building plants in Oman and Iran and would ship the fuel to South Korea, he said.
Baek said Korea Gas currently isn’t in talks with carmakers to use the fuel, though it expects companies to show interest once supplies from the plant in Saudi Arabia become available. Even if demand for DME as a transport fuel is weak in the early stages, output from the plant will used as cooking fuel, he said. South Korea uses 400,000 metric tons of cooking gas annually.
DME is made from a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide that is synthesized from natural gas, coal and biomass. The fuel is compatible with diesel engines and more powerful than compressed natural gas, which is used in cars and city buses and requires a different engine, according to Baek.
Volvo Trucks
“The success of DME depends on oil prices and how carmakers will respond to the fuel,” said Cho Seung Yeon, an analyst at LIG Investment & Securities Co. Incentives including tax breaks may be needed to persuade automakers, he said.
Volvo unveiled one DME-powered demonstration truck in 2007 and plans to test run 14 trucks using the fuel in Sweden between 2010 and 2012, according to the company’s Web site. Hyundai Motor Co., South Korea’s biggest carmaker, couldn’t immediately confirm plans to use the fuel, the Seoul-based company said by e-mail.
“It will take at least 40 years until electric cars become mainstream,” Baek of Korea Gas said. Until then, DME will be one of the best alternative fuels, he said.
For Related News and Information:
To contact the reporter on this story: Shinhye Kang in Seoul at skang24@bloomberg.net.
Nov. 9 (Bloomberg) -- Korea Gas Corp. plans to test market a low-cost clean fuel derived from natural gas and coal in South Korea before signing a final contract to build a plant costing as much as 400 billion won ($342 million) in Saudi Arabia.
The distributor will blend dimethyl ether, commonly used in spray cans, with liquefied petroleum gas to be sold as cooking fuel for a year starting this month, Baek Young Soon, a project manager at Korea Gas, said in an interview. The state utility signed a preliminary agreement with the Saudi Arabian government on Nov. 1 to build a 300,000 ton-a-year plant in Jubail by 2013.
“Supplying the mixed fuel to households is the first stage,” Baek, 52, said at his office in Incheon, west of Seoul. “DME could eventually replace diesel in trucks and buses once it gains wider recognition as an alternative fuel.”
The world’s biggest buyer of liquefied natural gas plans to invest in the venture as South Korea seeks to cut greenhouse gas emissions. DME releases 95 percent less carbon dioxide than diesel and no soot particles, according to Volvo AB, which will test the fuel next year. Baek said production costs are about half of diesel and 30 percent less than LPG.
“DME is eco-friendly and cost effective,” said Kim Seung Woo, a Seoul-based analyst at Samsung Securities Co. “Still, future demand as a new auto fuel isn’t guaranteed because the automobile industry is focusing more on electric cars rather than on introducing models for new types of fossil fuels.”
Overseas Plants
Korea Gas and the Saudi Arabian government will conduct a feasibility study and decide the stakes each will hold before signing a final contract next year, the project manager said. The venture may receive natural gas from Saudi Arabia at less than $1 per million British thermal units for between 15 and 20 years, and the proposed plant’s capacity may be increased to as much as 1 million tons a year if demand increases, he said.
The company is also considering building plants in Oman and Iran and would ship the fuel to South Korea, he said.
Baek said Korea Gas currently isn’t in talks with carmakers to use the fuel, though it expects companies to show interest once supplies from the plant in Saudi Arabia become available. Even if demand for DME as a transport fuel is weak in the early stages, output from the plant will used as cooking fuel, he said. South Korea uses 400,000 metric tons of cooking gas annually.
DME is made from a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide that is synthesized from natural gas, coal and biomass. The fuel is compatible with diesel engines and more powerful than compressed natural gas, which is used in cars and city buses and requires a different engine, according to Baek.
Volvo Trucks
“The success of DME depends on oil prices and how carmakers will respond to the fuel,” said Cho Seung Yeon, an analyst at LIG Investment & Securities Co. Incentives including tax breaks may be needed to persuade automakers, he said.
Volvo unveiled one DME-powered demonstration truck in 2007 and plans to test run 14 trucks using the fuel in Sweden between 2010 and 2012, according to the company’s Web site. Hyundai Motor Co., South Korea’s biggest carmaker, couldn’t immediately confirm plans to use the fuel, the Seoul-based company said by e-mail.
“It will take at least 40 years until electric cars become mainstream,” Baek of Korea Gas said. Until then, DME will be one of the best alternative fuels, he said.
For Related News and Information:
To contact the reporter on this story: Shinhye Kang in Seoul at skang24@bloomberg.net.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Builders Benefit from Financial Aid to the Unemployed
BY JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Emergency help for the jobless will be a huge windfall for Realtors, home builders, mortgage bankers and others, and that’s no accident.
Those industries have spent months and millions of dollars making the case for $20 billion in tax cuts for home buyers and businesses to help create jobs and revive a sluggish housing market. Their lobbying campaign paid off Thursday when Congress voted to pass the tax breaks as part of an extension of unemployment benefits. President Barack Obama signed the bill into law Friday.
The legislation, which provides up to 20 weeks in additional pay to more than 1 million people who have lost or are in danger of losing jobless aid, passed by overwhelming bipartisan margins.
It also extends until spring a tax credit of up to $8,000 for first-time home buyers that had been slated to expire at the end of the month, adds smaller credits for some who own a home and makes the money available to wealthier people. The tax break is estimated to cost $10.8 billion over the next decade, and businesses that stand to benefit flooded Capitol Hill in recent weeks to push it through.
Realtors mobilized their 1.2 million members nationwide to write and call their representatives and senators to urge extension of the credit, saying failure to do so could cause this year’s housing market uptick to grind to a halt.
Several dozen of them flew to Washington recently to visit members of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee to press the point. In case legislators didn’t get the message, Realtors sent more than 500,000 letters to Capitol Hill and made nearly 13,000 phone calls to Senate offices last weekend to corral support before a key procedural vote, according to a spokesman.
"There are Realtors everywhere who understand the impact of the tax credit to moving the housing market," said the National Association of Realtors’ Lucien Salvant.
Lawmakers tend to listen to the politically active bunch. Public disclosures show that Realtors have spent nearly $14 million lobbying Congress this year, and their political action committee gave about $12 million to candidates in the last election, according to federal campaign finance records compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics.
Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., an architect of the tax credit, was a Realtor before he was elected. He was instrumental in pushing through the original credit as part of housing legislation last year and extending it in the stimulus bill enacted in February.
Among the other prominent boosters of the home buyer break were the National Association of Homebuilders and the Mortgage Bankers Association, whose members depend on robust housing sales to survive. They joined Realtors in saying that allowing the tax break to end could drag down a weak economy.
Bill Killmer of the Homebuilders called the credit "a pretty powerful tool" in getting people contemplating buying a house to "move to yes and be motivated" to close the deal. Like the Realtors, home builders have been citing the tax credit in their marketing campaigns, using the government subsidy to propel their "Buy now!" message.
There have been bumps in the road, including a recent audit by an Internal Revenue Service watchdog that detailed mistakes, questionable claims and criminal schemes in the program. Proponents of the tax break scrambled to assuage lawmakers’ fears.
Nor did cost concerns derail the measure in the face of determined lobbying. The package contains a $10 billion tax break that allows companies that suffered during the last two years to use recent losses to reclaim taxes paid in the previous five years, when times were good.
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Emergency help for the jobless will be a huge windfall for Realtors, home builders, mortgage bankers and others, and that’s no accident.
Those industries have spent months and millions of dollars making the case for $20 billion in tax cuts for home buyers and businesses to help create jobs and revive a sluggish housing market. Their lobbying campaign paid off Thursday when Congress voted to pass the tax breaks as part of an extension of unemployment benefits. President Barack Obama signed the bill into law Friday.
The legislation, which provides up to 20 weeks in additional pay to more than 1 million people who have lost or are in danger of losing jobless aid, passed by overwhelming bipartisan margins.
It also extends until spring a tax credit of up to $8,000 for first-time home buyers that had been slated to expire at the end of the month, adds smaller credits for some who own a home and makes the money available to wealthier people. The tax break is estimated to cost $10.8 billion over the next decade, and businesses that stand to benefit flooded Capitol Hill in recent weeks to push it through.
Realtors mobilized their 1.2 million members nationwide to write and call their representatives and senators to urge extension of the credit, saying failure to do so could cause this year’s housing market uptick to grind to a halt.
Several dozen of them flew to Washington recently to visit members of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee to press the point. In case legislators didn’t get the message, Realtors sent more than 500,000 letters to Capitol Hill and made nearly 13,000 phone calls to Senate offices last weekend to corral support before a key procedural vote, according to a spokesman.
"There are Realtors everywhere who understand the impact of the tax credit to moving the housing market," said the National Association of Realtors’ Lucien Salvant.
Lawmakers tend to listen to the politically active bunch. Public disclosures show that Realtors have spent nearly $14 million lobbying Congress this year, and their political action committee gave about $12 million to candidates in the last election, according to federal campaign finance records compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics.
Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., an architect of the tax credit, was a Realtor before he was elected. He was instrumental in pushing through the original credit as part of housing legislation last year and extending it in the stimulus bill enacted in February.
Among the other prominent boosters of the home buyer break were the National Association of Homebuilders and the Mortgage Bankers Association, whose members depend on robust housing sales to survive. They joined Realtors in saying that allowing the tax break to end could drag down a weak economy.
Bill Killmer of the Homebuilders called the credit "a pretty powerful tool" in getting people contemplating buying a house to "move to yes and be motivated" to close the deal. Like the Realtors, home builders have been citing the tax credit in their marketing campaigns, using the government subsidy to propel their "Buy now!" message.
There have been bumps in the road, including a recent audit by an Internal Revenue Service watchdog that detailed mistakes, questionable claims and criminal schemes in the program. Proponents of the tax break scrambled to assuage lawmakers’ fears.
Nor did cost concerns derail the measure in the face of determined lobbying. The package contains a $10 billion tax break that allows companies that suffered during the last two years to use recent losses to reclaim taxes paid in the previous five years, when times were good.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Australian Ocean Power Project Electrical Power
LONDON (Reuters) - Renewable energy firm Ocean Power Technologies has won a A$66.5 million ($61 million) grant from the Australian government for a project set to be one of the first to generate power from waves on a utility scale.
Ocean Power, which is listed in both the U.S. and London, said on Friday work on the 19 megawatt project, enough to power 10,000 homes, was expected to begin by the second quarter of 2010.
The company uses buoys floating up and down to drive an electrical generator, with the power generated being transmitted onshore via an underwater cable.
The project off the coast of Victoria is being carried out in conjunction with Leighton Contractors, a unit of Australian mining contractor Leighton Holdings.
The Australian government is aiming to generate 20 percent of the country's electricity from renewable sources by 2020 and the grant awarded to Ocean Power forms part of funding totaling A$235 million for four renewable energy projects.
Ocean Power said, however, further funding would be needed to complete the wave power station.
Ocean Power's London shares, which have gained 30 percent over the last month, closed up 6 percent at 432.5 pence. It was trading up 25 percent on Nasdaq by 1706 GMT.
(Reporting by Victoria Bryan; Editing by Paul Sandle)
($1=1.091 Australian Dollar)
Ocean Power, which is listed in both the U.S. and London, said on Friday work on the 19 megawatt project, enough to power 10,000 homes, was expected to begin by the second quarter of 2010.
The company uses buoys floating up and down to drive an electrical generator, with the power generated being transmitted onshore via an underwater cable.
The project off the coast of Victoria is being carried out in conjunction with Leighton Contractors, a unit of Australian mining contractor Leighton Holdings.
The Australian government is aiming to generate 20 percent of the country's electricity from renewable sources by 2020 and the grant awarded to Ocean Power forms part of funding totaling A$235 million for four renewable energy projects.
Ocean Power said, however, further funding would be needed to complete the wave power station.
Ocean Power's London shares, which have gained 30 percent over the last month, closed up 6 percent at 432.5 pence. It was trading up 25 percent on Nasdaq by 1706 GMT.
(Reporting by Victoria Bryan; Editing by Paul Sandle)
($1=1.091 Australian Dollar)
Friday, November 6, 2009
Panasonic Wants Sanyo Electric's Batteries
Shares in Asia closed mostly lower today with Japan's Nikkei Index falling 1.3 percent to 9,717. In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index fell 0.6 percent to close at 21,479, and in China, the Shanghai Composite Index rose 0.9 percent, ending the day at 3,155.
In Japan, Sanyo Electric Co. (SANYY) plunged 20 percent to 174 yen ($1.93) per share as Panasonic Corp. (PC) made an offer to buy the company at 131 yen ($1.45) a share. Panasonic hopes to acquire Sanyo, which makes rechargeable batteries and other appliances, including vending machines, and has several contracts to provide batteries for hybrid cars.
Despite recently sealing deals with major automotive companies like Ford, Honda and PSA Peugeot Citroen Group to provide car batteries, Sanyo has floundered. It has laid off thousands of employees and sold unprofitable operations. But the company is still a leader in green energy technology, making solar panels and batteries that could make Panasonic even more competitive. Panasonic lost 1.9 percent in today's trading.
Other electronics makers also slid today. Olympus Corp. (OCPNY) plunged 4.5 percent, Fuji Electric Holdings Co. Ltd. (FELTF) lost 3.6 percent and Alps Electric Co. Ltd. (APELF), which manufactures electronics for cars, dropped 3.9 percent.
Japanese consumer lenders fared well after a Citigroup analyst raised his rating on the industry. Takefuji Corp. (TAKAY) soared 19 percent, Promise Co. (PMSEY) climbed 15 percent and Acom Co. (ACMUY) added 7.6 percent.
In its Hong Kong debut, Evergrande Real Estate Group Ltd. rocketed up 34 percent today. The developer is one of the largest in Mainland China, developing high-end luxury residential buildings in Guangzhou in southern China, which their brochure describes as "foreign-style houses with scenes." The properties represent the newest of new in China – tower blocks with sports and shopping facilities, bordered by manicured gardens. Many have lakefront views and provide easy access to business areas. The company currently has projects in 23 cities.
Other Hong Kong developers fell today, as investors worried that the government would take action to control the surging property market. Sun Hung Kai Properties Ltd. (SUHJY) slid 1.7 percent. Cheung Kong Holdings Ltd. (CHEUY) lost 1.5 percent and Henderson Land Development Co. Ltd. (HLDVF) slipped 0.9 percent.
In China, shares in railroad companies continued to climb with both Daqin Railway Co. Ltd. and Guangshen Railway Co. (GSH) climbing 4 percent. Shanghai Pudong Road & Bridge Construction Co. climbed 4.4 percent today on expectations that it will profit as building begins on the newly approved Walt Disney theme park, now slated to begin construction in Shanghai's Pudong area. In a region now accustomed to nonstop building, the new Disney project will fit right in.
http://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/11/05/sanyo-plunges-after-takeover-bid-in-japan-chinese-developer-sur/
In Japan, Sanyo Electric Co. (SANYY) plunged 20 percent to 174 yen ($1.93) per share as Panasonic Corp. (PC) made an offer to buy the company at 131 yen ($1.45) a share. Panasonic hopes to acquire Sanyo, which makes rechargeable batteries and other appliances, including vending machines, and has several contracts to provide batteries for hybrid cars.
Despite recently sealing deals with major automotive companies like Ford, Honda and PSA Peugeot Citroen Group to provide car batteries, Sanyo has floundered. It has laid off thousands of employees and sold unprofitable operations. But the company is still a leader in green energy technology, making solar panels and batteries that could make Panasonic even more competitive. Panasonic lost 1.9 percent in today's trading.
Other electronics makers also slid today. Olympus Corp. (OCPNY) plunged 4.5 percent, Fuji Electric Holdings Co. Ltd. (FELTF) lost 3.6 percent and Alps Electric Co. Ltd. (APELF), which manufactures electronics for cars, dropped 3.9 percent.
Japanese consumer lenders fared well after a Citigroup analyst raised his rating on the industry. Takefuji Corp. (TAKAY) soared 19 percent, Promise Co. (PMSEY) climbed 15 percent and Acom Co. (ACMUY) added 7.6 percent.
In its Hong Kong debut, Evergrande Real Estate Group Ltd. rocketed up 34 percent today. The developer is one of the largest in Mainland China, developing high-end luxury residential buildings in Guangzhou in southern China, which their brochure describes as "foreign-style houses with scenes." The properties represent the newest of new in China – tower blocks with sports and shopping facilities, bordered by manicured gardens. Many have lakefront views and provide easy access to business areas. The company currently has projects in 23 cities.
Other Hong Kong developers fell today, as investors worried that the government would take action to control the surging property market. Sun Hung Kai Properties Ltd. (SUHJY) slid 1.7 percent. Cheung Kong Holdings Ltd. (CHEUY) lost 1.5 percent and Henderson Land Development Co. Ltd. (HLDVF) slipped 0.9 percent.
In China, shares in railroad companies continued to climb with both Daqin Railway Co. Ltd. and Guangshen Railway Co. (GSH) climbing 4 percent. Shanghai Pudong Road & Bridge Construction Co. climbed 4.4 percent today on expectations that it will profit as building begins on the newly approved Walt Disney theme park, now slated to begin construction in Shanghai's Pudong area. In a region now accustomed to nonstop building, the new Disney project will fit right in.
http://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/11/05/sanyo-plunges-after-takeover-bid-in-japan-chinese-developer-sur/
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Electric Scissor Lift a One of a Kind
DSP Electrical Contractors has conquered narrow 1.75 m aisles and high level work on a current warehouse refit project using the UK’s first 1.2 m wide, 22.5 m working height electric scissor lift.
Driveable at full height, the new PB Lifttechnik S225-12ES platform is on hire from access rental firm Lifterz.
DSP is using the scissor to install over 1800 linear metres of roof-suspended, smoke detection equipment at heights up to 20 m. The 6-week contract is part of refurbishment work at the 212,000 sq ft Big Blue Warehouse in Birmingham, which is to be occupied by WHSmith.
The PB S225-12ES scissor also has a 10.3 degrees patented levelling system and is wind-rated at full height for work outdoor off-slab, as well as indoor on-slab.
Driveable at full height, the new PB Lifttechnik S225-12ES platform is on hire from access rental firm Lifterz.
DSP is using the scissor to install over 1800 linear metres of roof-suspended, smoke detection equipment at heights up to 20 m. The 6-week contract is part of refurbishment work at the 212,000 sq ft Big Blue Warehouse in Birmingham, which is to be occupied by WHSmith.
The PB S225-12ES scissor also has a 10.3 degrees patented levelling system and is wind-rated at full height for work outdoor off-slab, as well as indoor on-slab.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
NEMA Electrical Baseboard Heaters Standards Published
Nov 3, 2009 9:12 AM
DC 10-2009 covers temperature limit controls for residential electrical baseboard heaters
The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), Rossyln, Va., has published DC 10-2009, "Residential Controls—Temperature Limit Controls for Electrical Baseboard Heaters," which revises the 1983 version reaffirmed in 1989 and 2003.
DC 10 defines the basic standards for rating, classification, construction, testing, and performance of temperature limit controls for application on electric baseboard heaters. These controls or controls systems, of either the automatic- or manual-reset type, are responsible for disconnecting the electrical load when the heater reaches abnormally high temperatures.
Revisions include the addition of metric units and updates to the voltage ratings and marking requirements.
"DC 10 was designed to promote direct interchangeability of temperature limit controls for electrical baseboard heaters through industry standardization and assist users in selecting the proper controls for a particular application," says Tuong Nguyen, member of NEMA’s Residential and Commercial Controls Technical Committee. "This new revision will be very helpful for residential home builders and electrical contractors.”
DC 10 may be downloaded at no charge from the NEMA Web site.
DC 10-2009 covers temperature limit controls for residential electrical baseboard heaters
The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), Rossyln, Va., has published DC 10-2009, "Residential Controls—Temperature Limit Controls for Electrical Baseboard Heaters," which revises the 1983 version reaffirmed in 1989 and 2003.
DC 10 defines the basic standards for rating, classification, construction, testing, and performance of temperature limit controls for application on electric baseboard heaters. These controls or controls systems, of either the automatic- or manual-reset type, are responsible for disconnecting the electrical load when the heater reaches abnormally high temperatures.
Revisions include the addition of metric units and updates to the voltage ratings and marking requirements.
"DC 10 was designed to promote direct interchangeability of temperature limit controls for electrical baseboard heaters through industry standardization and assist users in selecting the proper controls for a particular application," says Tuong Nguyen, member of NEMA’s Residential and Commercial Controls Technical Committee. "This new revision will be very helpful for residential home builders and electrical contractors.”
DC 10 may be downloaded at no charge from the NEMA Web site.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Electrical Contractors Working at the University
ENTINEL STAFF WRITER
October 19, 2009
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Suburban apartment-rental markets in Casselberry, Winter Springs and Oviedo are outperforming the Orlando area as whole, which has a 12 percent vacancy rate, according to a report by Charles Wayne Consulting Inc.
Complexes in those Seminole County cities are only 7 percent vacant, based on the Maitland real-estate research firm's September apartment census.
More than one-fourth of the 623 rental complexes in the region were 95 percent full, which is considered capacity by industry standards. And 245 of them had managed to boost their occupancy rates during the last six months.
Apartment complexes in west Orange County appeared to be the hardest hit in the market, with vacancy rates of more than 20 percent.
Apartment properties built from 1990 to 2004 had vacancy rates of less than 10 percent.
Mortgage activity up
Mortgage payments for homebuyers are now hovering around $1,200 a month, more in line with Orlando-area rents, according to a quarterly report by FBC Mortgage of Orlando.
In keeping with Orlando's high sales volume and plummeting prices, mortgage amounts are dropping while the number of transactions increases, said Rob Nunziata, FBC president.
"Although credit and underwriting guidelines have tightened, buyers are still able to get financing and rates are still at historically low levels," he said.
The report noted an increase in federally backed mortgages, with the local market in a position to loan more than 50 percent of its mortgage money via FHA, VA and USDA loans. The last time government financing reached such a level was in 2003. Refinancing activity ground to a halt, as 90percent of loans in the market went to homebuyers.
Credit scores dropped in the third quarter of the year, following two quarters of improved credit ratings, according to credit-reporting agencies.
Construction
HW Davis Construction Inc. of Orlando recently completed the Solantic walk-in, urgent-care facility on South Orange Avenue in Orlando and a new cardiac-catheterization lab for Health Central. The company was also selected by Orlando Health to construct a data center in the SunTrust Tower in downtown Orlando. Fred M. Humphrey & Associates Inc. was the architect for the project. ...
Altamonte Springs-based Tri-City Electrical Contractors Inc. is doing $5.8 million worth of work at Orange County Public Schools' 438,765-square-foot Edgewater High School replacement-and-renovation project in Orlando, under its contract with W.G. Mills Inc. of Orlando. Completion is slated for April 2011. ...
Kissimmee-based Terry's Electric Inc. was awarded a contract by the school district of Osceola County for the multimillion-dollar, 105,000-square-foot Elementary School "N" in Kissimmee. W.G. Mills is the general contractor for the project, which is slated for completion in July 2010.
Leases
Cushman & Wakefield of Florida Inc. announced a lease for Massachusetts-based Autopart International, an after-market automotive-parts distributor moving into the Florida market. The industrial-brokerage team of Lee Morris and Jared Bonshire represented the tenant in the deal for 15,000 square feet at 613 Triumph Court, Orlando, from landlord Harrel & Davis. Autopart International is owned by Advance Auto Parts. ...
Highwoods Properties Inc. announced that Medtronic, a global medical-technology company, has renewed its lease on 2,836 square feet in Highwoods' Capital Plaza II building at 301 E. Pine St. in Orlando. Catherine Reeves represented Highwoods and Medtronic was represented by Sarah Castor of Cresa Partners. ...
Grubb & Ellis Commercial Florida recently negotiated a new office lease for 7,000 square feet at 1505 E. Colonial Drive in downtown Orlando. Jay Dixon and Robert Kellogg, vice presidents in the office group at Grubb & Ellis, negotiated the five-year lease representing the landlord Evans Groves Inc. of Orlando. The new tenant, the Orlando Weekly newspaper, was represented by Shipley Hall of Flagler Development. ...
Southern Commercial Real Estate Advisors LLC principals Tom McFadden and William Bradford Jr. represented the landlord, RREEF, in a five-year lease of 31,500 square feet in Orlando Central Park at 2900 Titan Row, Orlando. The tenant, Carolina Mattress, was represented by Jonathan Moore of Acquisition Consultants in Orlando. ...
Vince Arch, commercial broker with CitiSpace Orlando, recently represented the tenant Kramer America Inc. in a three-year lease of a 4,800-square-foot office/ warehouse space at 3764 Silver Star Road, Orlando. The landlord was represented by Iris Segal of Dr. Phillips Inc.
Installations
Casselberry-based Signature Systems of Florida completed the installation of Access Control and IP Video Systems in the multimillion-dollar University of Central Florida Burnett biomedical center, is the first building on the new UCF College of Medicine campus in southeast Orlando. The building contains a Vivarium, a highly secure research facility, which required sophisticated integration of access-control and closed-circuit TV systems. The company is also serving as prime contractor for the alarm retrofit of Northrop Grumman Corp.'s four-story office in Melbourne. The facility contains more than 100,000 square feet of space. ...
Cuhaci & Peterson Architects LLC of Orlando has been awarded a contract to design the remodeling of two Winn-Dixie stores in Alabama.
Mary Shanklin can be reached at mshanklin@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5538.
October 19, 2009
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Suburban apartment-rental markets in Casselberry, Winter Springs and Oviedo are outperforming the Orlando area as whole, which has a 12 percent vacancy rate, according to a report by Charles Wayne Consulting Inc.
Complexes in those Seminole County cities are only 7 percent vacant, based on the Maitland real-estate research firm's September apartment census.
More than one-fourth of the 623 rental complexes in the region were 95 percent full, which is considered capacity by industry standards. And 245 of them had managed to boost their occupancy rates during the last six months.
Apartment complexes in west Orange County appeared to be the hardest hit in the market, with vacancy rates of more than 20 percent.
Apartment properties built from 1990 to 2004 had vacancy rates of less than 10 percent.
Mortgage activity up
Mortgage payments for homebuyers are now hovering around $1,200 a month, more in line with Orlando-area rents, according to a quarterly report by FBC Mortgage of Orlando.
In keeping with Orlando's high sales volume and plummeting prices, mortgage amounts are dropping while the number of transactions increases, said Rob Nunziata, FBC president.
"Although credit and underwriting guidelines have tightened, buyers are still able to get financing and rates are still at historically low levels," he said.
The report noted an increase in federally backed mortgages, with the local market in a position to loan more than 50 percent of its mortgage money via FHA, VA and USDA loans. The last time government financing reached such a level was in 2003. Refinancing activity ground to a halt, as 90percent of loans in the market went to homebuyers.
Credit scores dropped in the third quarter of the year, following two quarters of improved credit ratings, according to credit-reporting agencies.
Construction
HW Davis Construction Inc. of Orlando recently completed the Solantic walk-in, urgent-care facility on South Orange Avenue in Orlando and a new cardiac-catheterization lab for Health Central. The company was also selected by Orlando Health to construct a data center in the SunTrust Tower in downtown Orlando. Fred M. Humphrey & Associates Inc. was the architect for the project. ...
Altamonte Springs-based Tri-City Electrical Contractors Inc. is doing $5.8 million worth of work at Orange County Public Schools' 438,765-square-foot Edgewater High School replacement-and-renovation project in Orlando, under its contract with W.G. Mills Inc. of Orlando. Completion is slated for April 2011. ...
Kissimmee-based Terry's Electric Inc. was awarded a contract by the school district of Osceola County for the multimillion-dollar, 105,000-square-foot Elementary School "N" in Kissimmee. W.G. Mills is the general contractor for the project, which is slated for completion in July 2010.
Leases
Cushman & Wakefield of Florida Inc. announced a lease for Massachusetts-based Autopart International, an after-market automotive-parts distributor moving into the Florida market. The industrial-brokerage team of Lee Morris and Jared Bonshire represented the tenant in the deal for 15,000 square feet at 613 Triumph Court, Orlando, from landlord Harrel & Davis. Autopart International is owned by Advance Auto Parts. ...
Highwoods Properties Inc. announced that Medtronic, a global medical-technology company, has renewed its lease on 2,836 square feet in Highwoods' Capital Plaza II building at 301 E. Pine St. in Orlando. Catherine Reeves represented Highwoods and Medtronic was represented by Sarah Castor of Cresa Partners. ...
Grubb & Ellis Commercial Florida recently negotiated a new office lease for 7,000 square feet at 1505 E. Colonial Drive in downtown Orlando. Jay Dixon and Robert Kellogg, vice presidents in the office group at Grubb & Ellis, negotiated the five-year lease representing the landlord Evans Groves Inc. of Orlando. The new tenant, the Orlando Weekly newspaper, was represented by Shipley Hall of Flagler Development. ...
Southern Commercial Real Estate Advisors LLC principals Tom McFadden and William Bradford Jr. represented the landlord, RREEF, in a five-year lease of 31,500 square feet in Orlando Central Park at 2900 Titan Row, Orlando. The tenant, Carolina Mattress, was represented by Jonathan Moore of Acquisition Consultants in Orlando. ...
Vince Arch, commercial broker with CitiSpace Orlando, recently represented the tenant Kramer America Inc. in a three-year lease of a 4,800-square-foot office/ warehouse space at 3764 Silver Star Road, Orlando. The landlord was represented by Iris Segal of Dr. Phillips Inc.
Installations
Casselberry-based Signature Systems of Florida completed the installation of Access Control and IP Video Systems in the multimillion-dollar University of Central Florida Burnett biomedical center, is the first building on the new UCF College of Medicine campus in southeast Orlando. The building contains a Vivarium, a highly secure research facility, which required sophisticated integration of access-control and closed-circuit TV systems. The company is also serving as prime contractor for the alarm retrofit of Northrop Grumman Corp.'s four-story office in Melbourne. The facility contains more than 100,000 square feet of space. ...
Cuhaci & Peterson Architects LLC of Orlando has been awarded a contract to design the remodeling of two Winn-Dixie stores in Alabama.
Mary Shanklin can be reached at mshanklin@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5538.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Electrical Contractors at Full Strength in San Jose
Rosendin Electric (www.rosendin.com), one of the nation’s top five electrical contractors and a 100 percent employee-owned company, has named Sam Lamonica as Chief Information Officer. He comes to Rosendin Electric with more than 15 years of professional information systems experience.
Prior to joining Rosendin Electric, Lamonica worked for more than six years as CIO of Rudolph and Sletten, one of the largest general contractors on the west coast. He also has held executive information technology roles with other companies, including Phoenix Technologies, Macromedia, NorthPoint Communications, and Network Equipment Technology. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Information Systems from the University of San Francisco.
In his new role as Rosendin Electric’s CIO, Lamonica will apply his combined high-technology and construction experience to help Rosendin Electric leverage new technologies, such as Building Information Modeling (BIM). He also will be able to apply his strategic knowledge to identify best-of-breed solutions to help Rosendin Electric compete more effectively and achieve strategic operational objectives.
“Sam brings a reputation for building strong, effective teams that are committed to providing superior customer service,” said Tom K. Sorley, chairman and CEO of Rosendin Electric. “We are looking to Sam to keep Rosendin ahead of the competition when it comes to the latest technology and techniques, and to help keep the company connected as we expand into new markets.”
About Rosendin Electric
Rosendin Electric, Inc., headquartered in San Jose, California, is a 100% employee-owned electrical engineering, power, and communications provider that consistently ranks in the top ten electrical contractors in the United States. Our 3,000 employees have built upon a 90-year reputation for quality installations nationally, with branch offices in San Francisco, CA; Los Angeles, CA; Sacramento, CA; Tempe, AZ; Albuquerque, NM; Hillsboro, OR; and Las Vegas, NV. To keep pace with today's innovative high-tech business climate, we strive to remain on the cutting edge of electrical technology. With our in-house training and new installation methods, we set the standards for our industry. We attribute our success to building strategic partnerships with our clients and ensuring complete customer satisfaction. For additional information on Rosendin Electric, visit our website at www.rosendin.com.
Contact:
Shelly Goulart
Marketing Manager
Rosendin Electric
(408) 534-2819
sgoulart@rosendin.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Prior to joining Rosendin Electric, Lamonica worked for more than six years as CIO of Rudolph and Sletten, one of the largest general contractors on the west coast. He also has held executive information technology roles with other companies, including Phoenix Technologies, Macromedia, NorthPoint Communications, and Network Equipment Technology. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Information Systems from the University of San Francisco.
In his new role as Rosendin Electric’s CIO, Lamonica will apply his combined high-technology and construction experience to help Rosendin Electric leverage new technologies, such as Building Information Modeling (BIM). He also will be able to apply his strategic knowledge to identify best-of-breed solutions to help Rosendin Electric compete more effectively and achieve strategic operational objectives.
“Sam brings a reputation for building strong, effective teams that are committed to providing superior customer service,” said Tom K. Sorley, chairman and CEO of Rosendin Electric. “We are looking to Sam to keep Rosendin ahead of the competition when it comes to the latest technology and techniques, and to help keep the company connected as we expand into new markets.”
About Rosendin Electric
Rosendin Electric, Inc., headquartered in San Jose, California, is a 100% employee-owned electrical engineering, power, and communications provider that consistently ranks in the top ten electrical contractors in the United States. Our 3,000 employees have built upon a 90-year reputation for quality installations nationally, with branch offices in San Francisco, CA; Los Angeles, CA; Sacramento, CA; Tempe, AZ; Albuquerque, NM; Hillsboro, OR; and Las Vegas, NV. To keep pace with today's innovative high-tech business climate, we strive to remain on the cutting edge of electrical technology. With our in-house training and new installation methods, we set the standards for our industry. We attribute our success to building strategic partnerships with our clients and ensuring complete customer satisfaction. For additional information on Rosendin Electric, visit our website at www.rosendin.com.
Contact:
Shelly Goulart
Marketing Manager
Rosendin Electric
(408) 534-2819
sgoulart@rosendin.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Sunday, November 1, 2009
West Virginia Seeking Electricians
School board, lawmakers to meet
CUMBERLAND — The District 1 legislative delegation will meet with the Allegany County Board of Education on Monday at 10 a.m. at the board’s Central Office to discuss educational issues prior to the start of the 2010 legislative session.
All board meetings except executive sessions and hearings are open to the public.
Trades group to meet Wednesday
MCHENRY — The Garrett County Electrical Mechanical Association will meet Wednesday at 7 p.m. in Room 224 at Garrett College.
Jim Torrington, chief of Garrett County Permits and Inspection Division, will review procedures and application for the electrical permit required for all electrical work in the county beginning Jan. 1.
The meeting is open to all area contractors and their employees associated with electrical, plumbing and HVAC work.
Garrett College has scheduled two classes for electricians preparing to take the Maryland master electricians license exam. Preregistration deadline for the Nov. 20 class is Nov. 11. The Dec. 14 class will focus on calculations required of electricians. Both classes will be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Contact Connie Meyers, program director at Garrett College, at (301) 387-3084.
Jazz concert set at PSC
KEYSER, W.Va. — The Potomac State College Jazz Ensemble and the cast from the upcoming spring production of “Beauty and the Beast” will present a free concert Nov. 11 at 7:30 p.m. in the Church-McKee Arts Center Auditorium. The concert is free and open to the public.
The PSC cast will open the concert with a preview of six numbers from the show, which is under the direction of John Hawkins, professor of music.
The jazz ensemble, directed by Fred Kesner, will perform a variety of jazz styles and feature Jon Bush performing a trumpet solo.
For more information, contact Hawkins at (304) 788-9695.
CUMBERLAND — The District 1 legislative delegation will meet with the Allegany County Board of Education on Monday at 10 a.m. at the board’s Central Office to discuss educational issues prior to the start of the 2010 legislative session.
All board meetings except executive sessions and hearings are open to the public.
Trades group to meet Wednesday
MCHENRY — The Garrett County Electrical Mechanical Association will meet Wednesday at 7 p.m. in Room 224 at Garrett College.
Jim Torrington, chief of Garrett County Permits and Inspection Division, will review procedures and application for the electrical permit required for all electrical work in the county beginning Jan. 1.
The meeting is open to all area contractors and their employees associated with electrical, plumbing and HVAC work.
Garrett College has scheduled two classes for electricians preparing to take the Maryland master electricians license exam. Preregistration deadline for the Nov. 20 class is Nov. 11. The Dec. 14 class will focus on calculations required of electricians. Both classes will be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Contact Connie Meyers, program director at Garrett College, at (301) 387-3084.
Jazz concert set at PSC
KEYSER, W.Va. — The Potomac State College Jazz Ensemble and the cast from the upcoming spring production of “Beauty and the Beast” will present a free concert Nov. 11 at 7:30 p.m. in the Church-McKee Arts Center Auditorium. The concert is free and open to the public.
The PSC cast will open the concert with a preview of six numbers from the show, which is under the direction of John Hawkins, professor of music.
The jazz ensemble, directed by Fred Kesner, will perform a variety of jazz styles and feature Jon Bush performing a trumpet solo.
For more information, contact Hawkins at (304) 788-9695.
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