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It is with profound sadness that The Korte Company announces the passing of its founder, Ralph Korte, who passed away on August 26, 2025 – surrounded by family. Born in 1934 in rural Highland, Illinois, Ralph was one of 14 children raised on a small family farm. With little formal schooling beyond the eighth grade, […]

The post The Korte Company Announces the Passing of Founder Ralph Korte appeared first on Construction Forum.

A new national survey of organizations serving low- to moderate-income communities indicates poor economic conditions led by lack of affordable housing and personal finance difficulties. Respondents to The Community Perspectives Survey: Insights from the Field gave slightly more positive ratings on employment and education conditions, driven by the ability to find work and uptake of […]

The post New National Survey: Poor Economic Conditions Hampering Community Improvement appeared first on Construction Forum.

by Jeani Ringkob, Chief Growth Officer, StoryBuilt Marketing Your employer brand is just as valuable—if not more—than your customer brand. And yet, most construction companies don’t even realize they have one—let alone that it’s bleeding talent and dragging down productivity. The Pain: Workforce Turnover Isn’t Just a People Problem—It’s a Strategic One Turnover isn’t just […]

The post Build a Brand They Want to Work For appeared first on Construction Forum.

Editor’s Note: Late Tuesday (Aug. 26th) afternoon, FEMA informed the City of St. Louis that Mayor Cara Spencer’s request to extend the application deadline for FEMA individual assistance for 30 days had been denied. “I strongly disagree with this denial, as we have seen hundreds of St. Louisans continue to apply for FEMA individual assistance […]

The post Spencer Asks FEMA to Extend Deadline as Hundreds Continue to Apply for Tornado Funds appeared first on Construction Forum.

From St. Louis Public Radio: In the 100 days after a powerful EF3 tornado tore through St. Louis, residents in the tornado’s path are still navigating insurance claims, tarped roofs and boarded-up windows. Stress, frustration and disappointment in elected officials are on the minds of thousands of St. Louisans who are attempting to pick up […]

The post How Two Moms on St. Louis’ West Side Built Friendship Amid Disaster appeared first on Construction Forum.

From The Federal Reserve of St. Louis: The July jobs report showed a sharp deceleration in payroll growth with an average of just 35,000 jobs per month from May through July—well below previous years’ robust gains. The unemployment rate rose to 4.2%, marking a meaningful shift from stronger prepandemic conditions; unemployment averaged 3.7% in 2019. […]

The post Is AI Contributing To Increased Unemployment? appeared first on Construction Forum.

by Dr. John Gaal Editor’s Note: Each week, Dr. John Gaal, director of worker wellness for the Missouri Works Initiative, a non-profit workforce formed by the Missouri AFL-CIO, collects and comments on news and trends in workforce wellness and life balance. Construction Forum carries the Worker Wellness & Well-Being Blog as a regular feature. The […]

The post Worker Wellness Blog: Life Under Pressure appeared first on Construction Forum.

McCarthy Building Companies, Inc., one of the largest and most accomplished contractors nationwide, has announced the appointment of Vladimir Monroe as Director of Workforce and Community Engagement for the 29-state Central Region. In his new role, Monroe will lead the strategic direction of the region’s workforce development initiatives and community engagement efforts. Monroe brings a […]

The post Vladimir Monroe Joins McCarthy as Director of Workforce and Community Engagement appeared first on Construction Forum.

On behalf of the Home Builders Charitable Foundation (HBCF), 2025 HBA President Jason Hughes (T.R. Hughes Homes) presented a $16,988 donation to St. Peters Senior Citizen Corporation advanced development coordinator and resident Frances Kern. The donation will go toward the replacement of handicap ramps and sections of sidewalks that are cracked and have become dangerous […]

The post Home Builders Fund Seniors Handicap Access appeared first on Construction Forum.

IWR, a 130-year-old leader in architectural glass and metal enclosures, is entering a new era with a refreshed brand identity. The rebrand—features a modernized logo, bold tagline, and enhanced digital presence. A news release said the rebrand highlights IWR’s ambition to be the nation’s premier enclosure partner. “I’m proud to usher in this new era […]

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From KMOV: It’s a rare look at a vital part of St. Louis that you rarely get to see, the 10 thousand mile maze of sewers below the city. FirstAlert4 had an opportunity to visit a small chamber within that network, a section running under Forest Park. Sean Stone, who works with the Metropolitan Sewer […]

The post VIDEO: Take a Tour Below Forest Park in Century-Old Sewer Tunnels appeared first on Construction Forum.

From KSDK: The tunnel starts in University City and flows under Forest Park. At one point in St. Louis’ history, the river contained in concrete was meandering and stream-like. Now, the River Des Peres can rage with wild abandon during a classic St. Louis storm. Sean Stone works for Project Clear with the Metropolitan Sewer […]

The post VIDEO: What’s Been Buried Under Forest Park for 100 Years? appeared first on Construction Forum.

On Monday (Aug 25th) City of St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer signed Executive Order 90, removing barriers that can slow down the process of rebuilding and repairing property. The scope of this order includes neighborhoods impacted by the May 16 tornado; the City is also beginning work on a major overhaul of its Zoning Code […]

The post Mayor’s Executive Order Loosens Building Regs In Historic Areas to Aid in Post-Tornado Rebuilding appeared first on Construction Forum.

From Construction Dive: As construction companies increasingly rely on subcontractors and temporary workers to meet project demands, the concept of “borrowed employees” has become central to workplace liability discussions. This issue has only grown sharper in 2025. With labor shortages continuing and immigration status scrutiny making hiring more complex, many contractors are turning to subcontractors […]

The post Who’s Liable When “Borrowed” Employee Gets Hurt? appeared first on Construction Forum.

Tarlton, St. Louis’ largest women-owned general contracting and construction management firm, expands its construction accounting team through the promotion of Amanda Schmitt to senior project accountant. In addition, Tarlton welcomes the financial backgrounds and expertise of Brian Stout, project accountant; Jack Martin, corporate accountant; and Kate Scotino, accounts payable specialist. Amanda Schmitt joined Tarlton in […]

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A hidden business gem in Moscow Mills, MO. is expanding with a new advanced manufacturing facility completed by Contegra Construction. Elite Tool, an established lean contract manufacturer for the aerospace, commercial and defense industries, has moved into a new 120,000-square-foot facility. It replaces the firm’s 70,000-square-foot manufacturing operation. The $20 million expansion is expected to […]

The post Contegra Completes 120,000SF Expansion for Elite Tool in Moscow Mills, MO appeared first on Construction Forum.

From St. Louis Business Journal: A nonprofit animal welfare organization is finalizing plans for its $30 million expansion to north St. Louis County. The Animal Protective Association of Missouri, more commonly known as the APA, plans to convert a former car dealership building near unincorporated Spanish Lake into a new veterinary clinic and low-cost and […]

The post Keeley Leads DB, Grubb Is Architect on $30M North County Animal Protective Association Facility appeared first on Construction Forum.

From St. Louis Post-Dispatch: An explosion Monday in a quiet subdivision near Black Jack destroyed three houses, burned two others and shook neighboring homes so hard it bent garage doors, knocked down ceilings and blew the glass out of windows. Three people were injured and taken to hospitals. All three survived the blast. Rescue crews […]

The post Explosion in North STL County Destroys 3 Homes, Damages 20+ appeared first on Construction Forum.

by Tom Finan, Executive Director/Co-Founder, Construction Forum On August 22 the St. Charles City Council unanimously passed a one-year moratorium on any new or expanded data center applications—a city-wide ban that applies across all zoning areas. St. Charles appears to be the first city in the nation to invoke such a ban. The moratorium was […]

The post City of St. Charles Becomes First City in Nation To Ban Data Center Projects appeared first on Construction Forum.

Work is underway to transform a downtown office building into apartments. Blackline Design + Construction is redeveloping the Farm and Home Savings and Loan Association Building, at 1001 Locust St., into 60 apartments and ground floor commercial space. Apartments will range from 600-square-foot studios to 1,500-square-foot two-bedroom units. About 8,400 square feet of commercial space, […]

The post Blackline Redeveloping Farm and Home Building Downtown Into 60 Apartments, Commercial Space appeared first on Construction Forum.