2013-2014 Biennial Business Survey by CAM and Plante Moran Offers a Look at Michigan's Construction Industry

CAM Inducts New Chairman and Three New Members to its Board of Directors

CAM Newsroom Operations - Current Bids

LAST CHANCE - Register Now for the 63rd Men's Doubles Classic On February 22

CAMTEC Classes for February and March 2014

CAM Magazine Special Issue 2014 - Call for Entries

CAM European Pheasant Hunt - Friday, March 7

CAM Magazine Green Project of the Year - Call for Entries  

AHA Hosts Annual Workplace Wellness Forum

CAM 2014 Social Outings - Networking, Socializing, Fun!

2013-2014 Biennial Business Survey by CAM and Plante Moran Offers a Look at Michigan's Construction Industry

The 2013-2014 report, which can be reviewed here, offers interesting comparative insights into the recent history and near-term future of Michigan's recovering construction industry. 

Key findings from the survey, which queried general contractors; subcontractors; architectural and engineering firms, suppliers; business owners and others related to the commercial construction industry, follow:

• 34 percent of respondents said renovation is providing the greatest amount of work opportunities, compared with 29 percent in 2011
• There is a positive trend in larger construction projects, with respondents reporting more than 29 percent of current projects at $1 million or above, a 9 percent increase from 2011
• 31 percent of projects in the next 12-18 months are anticipated to be $1 million or more, an 11 percent increase from 2011
• At 16 percent, projects in health/welfare and buildings/hospitals top the list of anticipated work over the next 12-18 months, with 37 percent of respondents anticipating that work will be in new construction
• Reflecting the most positive results in many years, 89 percent of respondents anticipate the volume of work will increase or stay the same over the next 12-18 months
• 71 percent anticipate the percentage of work outside the state of Michigan increasing over the next 12-18 months
• In bidding competitive work, 54 percent said they were competing against less than five bidders; also, in the current survey, only 4 percent of projects had 10 or more bidders, compared with 33 percent in 2009
• While 50 percent of respondents expect labor availability to stay the same over the next 12-18 months, 34 percent indicated a decrease in labor availability over that same time period
• 86 percent of respondents indicated their equity position was sufficient to manage cash flow, compared to 68 percent in 2011
• 40 percent of respondents said the recent economic downturn put their retirement plans on hold or delayed them
• 70 percent of respondents regularly engage in green or sustainable building practices, compared with 52 percent in 2011

A notable bright spot is in the labor category, where 53 percent of respondents planned no change in workforce over the next 12-18 months but 42 percent anticipated adding employees. This is a sharp contrast to 2009, when 26 percent of respondents anticipated layoffs. On the controversial Michigan Right to Work issue, 68 percent of respondents believe it will be two to five years before the law has an impact on their business.

The survey can also be accessed via the CAM website. To obtain a hard-copy of the 2013-2014 Biennial Business Survey, please contact Amanda Tackett, CAM Director of Publishing (248) 972-1109.

CAM Inducts New Chairman and Three New Members to its Board of Directors 

The 128th Annual Meeting of the Construction Association of Michigan (CAM) was held February 5th at MotorCity Casino Hotel in Detroit. Over 400 CAM members were in attendance at the luncheon meeting, where the association's new officers and directors who will serve on the 2014 Board of Directors were installed. CAM's New Chairman of the Board is Eric C. Steck of Amalio Corporation. Steck has worked in the construction industry for 35 years, the past 21 of which have been as Vice President of Amalio Corporation in Sterling Heights. Steck most recently served as Treasurer on CAM's 2013 Board of Directors.

Each year three directors retire from CAM's Board, and three new directors are elected by the CAM Membership. The 2014 newly elected directors are: Brad Leidal, Vice President of Leidal & Hart Mason Contractors, Inc.; John Raimondo, Corporate Director (Sales & Operations) and International Business Unit Leader of Roncelli, Inc.; and Preston Wallace, Account Manager of Limbach Company. Retiring after four years of service to CAM's Board are Vice Chairman Kevin French of Poncraft Door Company; Vice Chairman Kurt Von Koss of Beaver Tile & Stone; and outgoing 2013 Chairman of the Board Greg Andrzejewski of PPG Industries.

CAM's newly elected Vice Chairmen are Todd W. Hill of Ventcon, Inc., and Mary K. Marble of Marble Mechanical, LLC. CAM's incoming Treasurer is Larry S. Brinker, Jr. of The Brinker Group.

LAST CHANCE - Register Now for the 63rd Men's Doubles Classic On February 22 

CAM European Pheasant Hunt - Friday, March 7 

Join CAM on Friday, March 7 at Dunn Creek Outfitters in Laingsburg for its annual European Pheasant Hunt. Cost is $275 per person and includes:

• Breakfast and Lunch
• 12 and 20 gauge shotgun shells
• Dogs and birds
• Birds processed for your freezer

CAM Magazine Green Project of the Year - Call for Entries

CAM Magazine invites you to submit your most outstanding, recent green or sustainable design & construction project. Eligible projects must be located in Michigan, built by a CAM Member firm, and have reached substantial completion between June 2013 and June 2014. All winners will be announced in our September 2014 issue, and award plaques will be given to the top winner and honorable mention projects.

The deadline for entries is April 1, 2014. 

Click here to view the entry form. An entry fee of $50 will apply. 

Tips: To submit a project for this award, please send us a description explaining what makes the project Earth-friendly. Entrants are advised to use the requirements of a green building rating system as a guide, although certification is not a requirement. Projects using innovative techniques or strategies to create a sustainable or environmentally friendly building will be strongly favored. Submissions demonstrating a wide variety of environmental benefits will also be preferred, but weak performance in one or more areas will not necessarily disqualify a project.

Projects that may have been featured in CAM Magazine's Special Issue, or any regular monthly issue, ARE eligible for this award.

All entries must be in hard-copy format, mailed or delivered to the CAM offices by April 1, 2014. Send to 43636 Woodward Ave., Bloomfield Hills, MI 48302, Attn: Amanda Tackett, editor. No electronic submissions, please.

For information on CAM Magazine and our award entries, please click here. We look forward to seeing your submissions for the CAM Magazine 2013 Green Project of the Year!

  

Be Sure and Mark These Dates on Your Calendar: