The construction sector has been battered since the economic downturn, impacted by weak demand from the private-sector and cutthroat competition for a dwindling number of local and state projects. Making matters worse, indust...

Published Jan 10, 2011

The construction industry is still feeling the ill effects of the economic downturn, but voters sent a clear message in the midterms that they want to see the government restrain its spending. This predicament has left the co...

Published Nov 23, 2010

President Barack Obama introduced a plan to invest $50 billion in the nation's roads, railways, and airports to the public on Labor Day weekend, and it has received wide applause from the construction industry. The President ...

Published Sep 20, 2010

Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBEs) are not taking advantaged of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) bond reimbursement dollars, says the US Department of Transportation (US DOT)."It is surprising ...

Published Jul 16, 2010

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is proposing to expand its disadvantaged business enterprise (DBE) program and crackdown on agencies that fail to meet their annual DBE goals. "When we help small busin...

Published May 11, 2010

In recent months, multiple sources have reported that the Obama administration is drafting an overhaul to federal bidding procedures. The administration has not formally announced these proposals, although they have acknowled...

Published Apr 20, 2010

Earlier this month, President Barack Obama signed the HIRE act into law, which provides $17.5 billion in various tax incentives for businesses to hire new workers and moves $20 billion into the highway trust fund....

Published Mar 29, 2010

Frustrating the hopes of infrastructure advocates, the U.S. Senate's jobs bill, known as the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment (HIRE) Act, will contain no new federal dollars for public works projects. After discussions...

Published Feb 19, 2010

Speaking at a news conference earlier this month, U.S. House Transportation Committee Chairman James Oberstar (D. - Minn.) pushed for a second stimulus bill for the road and highway construction industry. He said that the fed...

Published Feb 19, 2010

Transportation infrastructure across the nation is crumbling, and cash-strapped states are seeking financial assistance from the federal government for maintenance, enhancement, and expansion projects. The U.S. Congress is cu...

Published Feb 19, 2010

Public spending on construction projects increased by 6.1 percent nationwide from September 2008 to September 2009, according to federal figures released at the beginning of the month. In 2008, governments spent only $308 bil...

Published Feb 19, 2010

The present economic crisis initiated the demise of some of the world?s biggest companies and is forcing other businesses to tighten their belts. The construction market has especially felt the pinch, as the home building mar...

Published Mar 12, 2009

When it comes to the government contracting market, it is often fruitful for prime contractors to build working relationships with small, disadvantaged, and disabled veteran-owned businesses (SBE/DBE/MBE/WBE/DVBE). Through th...

Published Jan 27, 2009

In order to bid or perform work on a government-funded project, prime contractors are required to provide guarantees to the contracting agency and the subcontractors participating on the project so that they are protected fro...

Published Jan 27, 2009

A construction site's ground cover is sometimes contaminated with toxic materials, posing a hazard to individuals working on the site and the environment in general. For many contractors, contaminated soil is a difficult prob...

Published Jan 27, 2009