Harry Truman often said give me a one handed economist because they always seemed to be offering two opinions of the future. January offers a great opportunity for economists to prognosticate on the future; however, there has been a common theme among the forecasts. We are...
Owners, Developers, Contractors, and Designers are all experiencing the current economic expansion. With project volume up, most parties are enjoying a profitable 2014; however, now is often when management makes the critical mistake that has a long term effect on the company. The key pitfalls...
As Atlanta was constructing the Olympic venues, the impact on development was felt around the southeast region. Design and Contraction firms focused on Atlanta for a part of the $1.5 Billion Olympic development program. The labor force migrated to Atlanta and the competition for materials...
Over the past few weeks, multiple TV talking heads have been discussing the pros and cons of our economic recovery. It has been interesting the generalities they use to offer an opinion as to what is going on but rarely do they offer facts to...
December is when businesses take time to assess their successes and establish goals for the following year. Looking forward into 2014, business goals will include increasing revenue and adjustments to construction products and services. Price adjustments for 2014 will have an effect on your project...
Perspective can radically change what you achieve without changing anything in your existing environment. When projecting construction trends and their resulting costs, I have long been a proponent of finding leading indicators that can provide the insight and perspective related development and construction. Recently we hosted a...
In our June 2012 newsletter, we began advising readers that the commercial construction recovery was on its way. November 2012 was the second consecutive month of commercial construction growth and December numbers to continue the trend. Some clients are feeling the improvement, and depending on...
Over the last 30 plus years I have observed a number of economic recoveries and have discovered patterns that repeat themselves each time. These early economic indicators foretell the economic trends and future events. Over the last 4 months, a clear indication has surfaced as to where the...
Ever go to a doctor because you felt bad only to be told that you are on the road to recovery – yet you don’t feel that way. Our economy could be experiencing the same condition. Leading indicator points to a recovery. Our March newsletter highlighted...
News about the economy reminds me of the story where a shoe company sent two salesmen to Africa. The first salesman wrote back “this is a terrible market, no one wears shoes.” The second salesman offered “what a fantastic market – everyone needs shoes!” The media coverage focuses on the unemployment...
