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PHOTOS: Progress on SIUE Health Science Complex

11 months 4 weeks ago
From Edwardsville Intelligencer:  Construction on the state-of-the-art health science complex on the campus of SIUE has continued since the groundbreaking on Sept. 7, 2023. The health science complex will be the future home of SIUE’s School of Pharmacy and School of Nursing. In total, the complex will be 215,000 square feet. The School of Pharmacy […]
Tom Finan

Metals Sector in St. Louis Region Thrives with $500M Investment, Freightway Says

11 months 4 weeks ago
The St. Louis region ranks second in the United States for minerals and ores exports, primarily including metals and metal products. The availability of economically viable rare earth elements coupled with unparalleled transportation access and skilled workforce, is credited with attracting investment and contributing to the 39.3% increase in iron and steel mill employment experienced […]
Tom Finan

Remembering Clayco’s Russ Burns, Servant Leader: 9/19/59-3/20/25

11 months 4 weeks ago
Russell “Russ” Lee Burns, recently retired president and CEO of Clayco, died on March 20th. At the time of Mr. Burns retirement in late 2024, Clayco Founder and Executive Chairman Bob Clark wrote a tribute essay titled,  Russ Burns: A Whole Bunch of Something. Mr. Burns was born and raised in Murfreesboro, TN and graduated […]
Tom Finan

AGC Creates Online Resource Center for Immigration Issues

1 year ago
In light of the rapidly evolving landscape around US immigration policy, AGC of America has published an online resource center for contractors. Contractors can explore essential resources and information on topics such as ICE site visits, I-9 & E-Verify processes, and more to safeguard their business and stay in compliance with rapidly changing guidelines. The […]
Tom Finan

Online Annual Report Recaps Metrics, Shows Construction Forum Ready for ‘What’s Next’

1 year ago
“What’s Next” is the theme of Construction Forum’s 2024 annual report, which you can access by clicking this link. The report will be available in print form shortly. To order a copy email info@constructforstl.org. “With rededication to its position as the industry’s premier communication, collaboration, and convening channel; strong program metrics; and innovative new initiatives, […]
Tom Finan

Best Practices to Manage Unexpected ICE Visits

1 year ago
From Industry Week:  With the current administration’s emphasis on cracking down on illegal immigrants, employers can expect that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will be either showing up on their property or conducting audits to examine whether any employees are not authorized to work. Even if everyone in the workplace has nothing to fear, the […]
Tom Finan

Rollback on DEI Blow for Women in Trades?

1 year ago
From National Public Radio: In 1980, Lauren Sugerman was enrolled in a vocational program aimed at getting more women and Black Americans into the steel mills. Then, an industrial giant came calling. It had won a federal contract to maintain and repair elevators for the Chicago Housing Authority. Under an executive order signed 15 years […]
Tom Finan

How Many Workforce Centers and Workers Are Needed?

1 year ago
From St. Louis Business Journal: Advanced manufacturing and workforce development centers have proliferated over the past few years in the St. Louis area. Fueled by federal and state funding, the multimillion-dollar facilities have an ambitious mission: to provide skilled workers for existing businesses, attract new companies and help boost the population of the metro area. […]
Tom Finan

MODOT Starts I-70 Warrenton to Wentzville

1 year ago
From Spectrum News:  An eager crowd of Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) staff, Missouri politicians and onlookers, gathered in Foristell for a MoDOT ceremonious groundbreaking of the second Improve I-70 project: Warrenton to Wentzville. that we’re going through.” In the next three years of construction, crews will add a third lane to both westbound and eastbound I-70 […]
Tom Finan

Will OSHA Survive? Never Were Times Like These

1 year ago
From Industrial Safety & Hygiene News:  Can OSHA, never beloved by many businesses, survive this onslaught? The U.S. Department of Education announced March 11 that it’s cutting its workforce nearly in half — 1,300 workers — a move that Education Secretary Linda McMahon said is a first step toward eliminating the department. (There are 1,865 […]
Tom Finan

How Tariffs Impact Home Building Industry

1 year ago
From National Association of Home Builders:  Scarcity and an acute, sustained rise in building material costs — from softwood lumber to distribution transformers — are driving up the cost to construct homes and harming housing affordability. There are several factors driving this trend, notably inflationary pressures and global factors, including trade uncertainty. NAHB estimates that $204 […]
Tom Finan

NewGround Adds Former KMOV Exec as SVP of Marketing

1 year ago
NewGround, a St. Louis-based international architectural design and build firm, announces the addition of Danielle Calcara in the newly created role of senior vice president of marketing. She brings 17 years of experience in marketing and, together with the current marketing team, further positions NewGround as a brand leader in the industry. Danielle will lead […]
Tom Finan

Lawrence Group Designs Workplace for Entertainment Cruise Productions

1 year ago
Entertainment Cruise Productions (ECP), a growing leader in live entertainment at sea, sought a new workplace in the St. Louis metro area that reflected its fun spirit and accommodated its future real estate needs. The company turned to experienced hospitality and workplace designers Lawrence Group to envision a new workspace that blurred the line between […]
Tom Finan

N.B. West Contracting’s Invention Makes Paving Operators Safer

1 year ago
As crews from N.B. West Contracting Co. worked on a rural road with no shoulders last year, the paving machine operator sat extended out from his machine to get a better view of the work. When a dump truck unexpectedly passed from behind, its mirror struck the paving operator’s seat. Luckily, there was no major injury. But […]
Tom Finan

KAI 360 CS Hires Senior Project Manager Vera Cavato

1 year ago
KAI 360 Construction Services (KAI 360 CS) has expanded its staff in St. Louis, with the addition of Vera Cavato as Senior Project Manager. In her new role, Cavato acts as the primary point of contact and liaison between owners, design teams, and contractors on various projects. She is also responsible for the internal and […]
Tom Finan

Reimagining Office Towers as Vertical Neighborhoods

1 year ago
From HOK: Cities around the world are struggling with office towers left empty from the pandemic and the shift to hybrid work. In London, HSBC Bank recently announced it will vacate 8 Canada Square, its 42-story headquarters building, by 2027. The move could leave a colossal city landmark completely empty in London’s once-booming Canary Wharf […]
Tom Finan

These Seven Charts Can Help Improve Project Outcomes

1 year ago
From the Influential Project Manager: When I think back to my first major project in 2013, I still cringe. It was a disaster – no organization, constant miscommunication, moving targets, unhappy stakeholders, and a team on the verge of burnout. The entire process felt chaotic and broken. “Is this normal?” I asked a senior colleague […]
Tom Finan

Architectural Billings Slide Continues, Signaling Industry Woes

1 year ago
From the American Institute of Architects: The AIA/Deltek Architecture Billings Index (ABI) score was 45.5 for the month, indicating that a majority of firms are still experiencing declining firm billings. Billings were flat early in the fourth quarter of 2024 but have softened significantly since then. February also marked the first month since the height […]
Tom Finan

The Power of Recognizing Service

1 year ago
by Jarrad Holst, Partner at Riezman Berger P.C. | Founder/President of 1904Group I came across this amazing life lesson from Anthony Bourdain on the wall of a restaurant last night and it reminded me of my first jobs in the service industry at Sears and Walgreens. “You can always tell when a person has worked […]
Tom Finan