Greetings!

 

Amid questions about the effectiveness of President Obama's stimulus, I am prompted to hone in on the construction industry and wonder where the local building projects funded by this stimulus money are? It has been one year since the implementation of the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act and what is there to show for it? Heavy civil contractors are seeing many road construction projects out for bid but did the government overlook the building projects? Perhaps the projects are on the horizon sitting on the drafting table or maybe ready for permitting, as typically it takes anywhere from 12 to 24 months to develop the concept, design it, and bid the project out for construction. What concerns me is the stimulus has finite conditions with funding only existing for the next couple years; so when the pot runs dry, and it quickly will, where will the local building contracts land or will they even exist?
 
While I am hopeful the federal promise is more than just a façade, I am prepared to face the reality that the stimulus money set aside for building projects may very well not come for some time or to fruition at all. In the meantime, we will stay the course of our commitment to a culture of smart growth, proportionate expansion and taking on new projects and new employees that we can afford to keep regardless of the economic status. I am a huge proponent of growth and I think risk is necessary for success; while safe growth isn't always smart growth, I do practice the mantra that it is imperative to live within your means, expand and diversify business in a palatable manner and craft a solid team of employees that can endure both the economic booms and busts.

Sincerely,
 
Matt Seals