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Today’s Prefab: Just the Tip of the Iceberg
Nothing is more exciting for contractors than to reach the next level profitability or to reduce their costs so they become more competitive. For this reason, when something comes along that promises...
View ArticleGetting Paid
Clients’ expectations are high, margins are thin and competition is fierce. In our current economic environment, contractors work tirelessly to get ahead of the curve. Countless hours are exhausted to...
View ArticleGeographic Expansion as a Market Strategy
Provide your key employees transparency around your strategic and financial intentions to avoid costly distractions. Are you over the “defensive mode” of 2008–2012? You are not alone. In fact, improved...
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Challenges and Opportunity in the U.S. Water Infrastructure Market
While project funding remains unpredictable, this market offers significant opportunity in the coming years. Trends in the U.S. infrastructure market are constantly shifting, driven by economic cycles,...
View ArticleAssessing the Value of Private Equity
A private equity transaction could present a “best-of-both-worlds” scenario. For most owners in our industry, the mental image of a private equity firm does not match their idea of an ideal partner....
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Where to Profit From the Changing Electric Generation Market
Take the next step forward to drive capital spending for electric generation. As the debate continues over the impact of climate change, regulations are already being put into place. The regulations...
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U.S. Water Infrastructure Funding Needs: Who Picks Up the Tab?
Close the funding gap with improved spending across the board and direct access for private investment. Consumers, utilities, politicians, investors and international onlookers are well aware of the...
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America’s Energy Transformation: Petrochemical Manufacturing’s 21st Century...
Based on exciting trends for the petrochemical production community, the opportunities for firms in the industrial construction segment are especially ATTRACTIVE for the next several years. For the...
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Financial Controls for Value Creation
This article contains an excerpt from Hank Harris’s forthcoming book, “Creating Value in an Engineering Construction Business,” a comprehensive guide to creating and perpetuating value in a design or...
View ArticleAre you Proactively Managing Your Subcontractors to Avoid Defaults?
Incorporating the subcontractor prequalification program into project life cycles and the corporate culture is critical to the successful management of subcontractors. The number of construction cranes...
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Public Company Underperformance — How Long Will It Last?
The Engineering and Construction (E&C) industry is certainly no stranger to volatility. It is normal for the industry to outperform the market during periods of expansion and underperform the...
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Pricing for Profit
Exploring common challenges in overhead allocation/recovery in the construction industry. “We lost a little bit, but the job still made money.” If you are a construction business owner, and you have...
View ArticleUnderstanding the Fundamental Risks of Mergers and Acquisitions
Every industry sector is experiencing brisk merger and acquisition activity in 2015 — from pharma and food to technology and construction. Like companies across all industries, construction firms are...
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Hire or Acquire?
Adding some rigor to the decision of whether to hire versus acquire employees. There are a number of reasons why buyers acquire companies. Buyers often use acquisitions to expand and diversify into new...
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Five Pitfalls to Avoid When Selling Your Company
How to successfully transition ownership while managing risk in the process As the famous generation of baby boomers reaches retirement age, much has been made about the tremendous wealth transfer of...
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A Blueprint for Risk Management in Construction
Nine elements that should be included in every construction firm’s formal risk management strategy Construction is all about managing risk. Whether the concern is employee safety, contract terms,...
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Will the Federal Reserve’s Actions Affect the E&C Industry?
An in-depth look at how the Federal Reserve could impact the engineering and construction industry. The engineering and construction industry has always kept a close eye on interest rate fluctuations...
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The Capitalization of Earnings Method for Construction Firms
Leverage the right metrics to better support and justify your company’s value. Construction firm owners are no different from any other business owner when it comes to wanting to know their business’s...
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Time to Drain the Pool
Re-inventing your bonus pool structure: a new model The economy has improved and you have two job offers. If these were your choices, how would you rather work? The Old Way: 100% Discretionary “Trust...
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Why Large Contractors Fail – A Fresh Perspective
During the past few decades, there have been dozens of large contractors that, after many years of growth and apparent prosperity, experienced notable financial disasters, resulting in bankruptcy or a...
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