Newsletter

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In this issue, we are including information about:

Sports In The News...
Florida Gators News

Buccaneers.com      University of South Florida Bulls
 

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Construction News

Cam Tech does not endorse any of these companies or websites. This is a list of construction-related news, companies and websites provided for your convenience. Cam Tech is not responsible for the content of the following websites.
 

 

"Visualize this thing you want. See it, feel it, believe in it.
Make your mental blueprint and begin."
Author: Robert Collier

Construction Forecasts
Based on job-site activity levels for all of 2006 and the first month of 2007, Reed Construction Data (RCD) now expects total U.S. construction spending to increase +1.1% in 2007 versus +4.8% last year. (2007 has been cut by 1.2 percentage points versus RCD's previous monthly forecast.) Total residential investment (new and improvements) will decline -7.8% in 2007 (versus -1.8% in 2006) as housing starts will fall -9.2% this year (versus -12.9% last year). Non-residential building put-in-place investment is now expected to increase +12.7% in 2007 (versus +13.5% in 2006). Non-building (heavy engineering) work will grow +8.5% in 2007 (versus +13.1% in 2006.)U.S. Construction Forecast Tables

OSHA’s Ability to Cite General Contractors for Subcontractors’ Safety Violations Now in Doubt

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration's authority to issue citations to general contractors for subcontractors’ violations under OSHA’s “Multi-Employer Citation Policy” has been called into question by the decision of a divided Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. Secretary of Labor v. Summit Contractors, Inc., OSHRC No. 03-1622 (April 27, 2007).OSHA

"When employees come to you with suggestions or ideas about how they might approach something differently, do you move immediately to no? Do you kill an idea before it is even off the tongue?
(Tell the truth.)
We hear that employees feel put down and turned down far more than their managers are aware. And that makes leaving easier. Instead try listening to the entire idea, try playing with it as a "what if." Ask for more information. Sleep on it, mull it over. Think, "Isn't that interesting" before you think, "It will never work."
Author: Beverly Kay and Sharon Jordan-Evans

Hotels, other employers cautiously welcome immigration compromise

Companies in South Florida, and especially those in hospitality and construction, cautiously welcomed a recent Senate proposal to bring illegal immigrants into the legal workforce. The proposal would allow immigrants who entered the country illegally before Jan. 1, 2007, the chance to work in the country after paying a $1,000 fine, passing a criminal background check and maintaining employment. The Miami Herald

" My advice is find fuel in failure. Sometimes failure gets you closer to where you want to be."
Author: Michael Jordan

 

Construction boom raises demand for crane operators

As commercial construction booms, the demand for cranes and crane operators is rising. While the number of crane operators seeking certification is increasing, the number of young workers seeking to become crane operators is low and attrition is thinning operators' ranks. The Cincinnati Enquirer/Associated Press

Point system for visas considered in immigration reform
A point system, much like one used in Canada, is being considered as a key feature in immigration reform for the U.S. The system would award visas based on factors including education, age, job skills and English proficiency and would represent a radical change from the current system.
San Francisco Chronicle

" If it is worth doing, it is worth taking a risk."
Author: Coach Rachelle Disbennett-Lee, PhD

Wind power installations pick up speed in 2007

More than 100 megawatts of wind power has come online in the U.S. so far this year, and more than 1,000 more are under construction in Texas alone, according the American Wind Energy Association. Altogether, more than 3,000 megawatts of wind power generating capacity is due to be installed in 2007. FacilitiesNet

San Diego office building may put flights at risk, FAA says
The FAA says a 180-foot office building built in the bad-weather flight path of the San Diego airport is a hazard because it is 20 feet too tall. A review of internal city and FAA documents indicate that the city's Development Services Department had at least two opportunities to limit the building's height before construction began. A city attorney hopes to sue the building's developer for an ethics violation related to the building.
San Diego Union-Tribune

Solar-heated homebuilding system wins invention award

Enertia Building System, which uses a patented process to increase the latent solar heat storage capabilities of wood materials, has won the top invention award of 2007 from The History Channel and Invent Now Inc. The efficiency of a house made with the system is said to be the equivalent of taking 50 cars off the road. IndustryWeek

Family House on the Lake , Lake George, N.Y.

Thinking practically about cost and construction has allowed the firm to come up with some techniques to seamlessly and easily incorporate green elements into their designs. This is a rendering of a private residence being built on Lake George. Because the family rooms are built into the ground, the house essentially provides its own insulation, and includes a natural green roof.

" Be determined... Be courageous... You're only as good as what you think you are,
so make the most of your opportunities and give it your best shot.
Remember this, tough times don't last... but tough people do!"
Author Unknown

New hurricane risk model spurs debate
Risk Management Solutions' new risk model predicts a 19.5% chance a catastrophic hurricane hitting the U.S. would strike Florida's West Palm Beach-Boca Raton area. State lawmakers have argued the new model departs from long-accepted standards for determining risks.
The Palm Beach Post

Widening I-95 in Florida under way

Construction crews are preparing to begin building inner third lanes along a 12.4 mile stretch of I-95 in Brevard County, Fla. The project is part of a $642 million overhaul of the highway, and officials say the payoff will be less congestion and better safety. Florida Today (Melbourne)

Florida school strives for green certification
Gulf Trace Elementary School, in Holiday, Fla., is set to become one of the first schools in the state to receive certification from the U.S. Green Building Council as an eco-friendly building. Another 283 schools have registered for the certification. St. Petersburg Times (Fla.)

Florida hospital built to withstand Category 5 hurricanes

Construction on the Homestead Hospital, in Homestead, Fla., is nearing completion, and the building will be the first hospital designed to withstand Category 5 hurricanes in Miami-Dade County. The building's exterior walls are constructed of eight-inch precast concrete panels welded to concrete columns and the floor for strength and wind resistance. Buildings.com

Tree house builders no longer out on a limb
Treehouses for adults have become highly trendy, and demand at a treehouse building workshop has reached a "fevered pitch," according to the workshop company's owner. One reason for the increase in popularity is an engineering breakthrough called the Garnier Limb that is said to give the houses more stability. The New York Times
 

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BUILDING A BETTER CONSTRUCTION BUSINESS:
Below are some highly informative articles to help you be the best Contractor you can be.

The Many Benefits of a Lead Tradesman System
This construction production system has been around for a little over a decade now and, when implemented properly, can yield better profitability, productivity and customer communications. Other company personnel have more time to do other things. The company owner and other staff that formerly managed the jobs in-progress can concentrate on other responsibilities focused on improving company revenue. Tradesman System

CONTRACTOR LICENSING
The substantial compliance doctrine, among other things, states that the court may determine there has been substantial compliance with the licensing requirements if it is shown at an evidentiary hearing that the person who engaged in the business or acted in the capacity of a contractor. 
Licensing

Selection of good management team essential for building projects
The selection of the best possible management team is critical in construction and renovation projects. The responsibility for setting up that team lies with the building owner, and most experts agree that it is important to involve all parties from the start and keep them on the project through completion. Buildings.com

Reduce Worker's Compensation Costs
How do we keep score in workers' compensation? Typically insurance carriers provide "top of the line measurements" such as total number of claim dollars spent in a given year, average claims costs for medical-only claims and average claims costs for lost-time claims to employers. They may even break down some injury costs by department. Not surprisingly, these metrics drive decisions. They become goals and measures of success. In fact, metrics on claims costs have become so predominant that companies often reward their employees based on them.
Workers' Compensation

HOW DO YOU HANDLE "WE WANT TO DO SOME OF THE WORK OURSELVES?"
We want to do some of the work ourselves. Most of us have had a potential customer say that. Should you let a customer work on their jobs while you and your company are doing the work?
There are several reasons that customers tell you they want to do some of their own work. Almost all boil down to money. They are willing to trade their time to do the work in exchange for all the big bucks you will charge them. Or perhaps they have been watching TV and someone built their own room addition or remodeled their kitchen in a day. It looked so easy, obviously anyone can do it. Your customer says, "Why not me?"
Some contractors will say, "It is their job, I can't stop them from working on it!" There probably is some truth in that. Others will say, "Not in this life, buddy." Been there, done that, have too many t-shirts.
How To Handle It

SWEETS e-BUYLINE
Sweets e-BuyLine connects you with a regional product representative. You can get more product information or find out where and how to purchase your building products.