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Construction industry cites labor shortage as top concern
Finding enough qualified workers remains a top concern in the construction industry, according to the 2024 State of the Construction Industry Study released by The Bonadio Group. “The number one construction issue we’ve seen for several years … is labor shortages,” Nancy L. Cox, Bonadio’s construction and real estate industry leader, says. The 2024 study […]
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Finding enough qualified workers remains a top concern in the construction industry, according to the 2024 State of the Construction Industry Study released by The Bonadio Group.
“The number one construction issue we’ve seen for several years … is labor shortages,” Nancy L. Cox, Bonadio’s construction and real estate industry leader, says.
The 2024 study surveyed more than 100 companies and construction leaders across upstate New York on industry sentiments, greatest challenges, and the future outlook. The survey found that 76 percent of respondents said attracting and retaining workers is extremely important, with 65 percent indicating they are struggling to find labor.
Struggling to find help has business consequences. About 60 percent of companies responding to the survey noted they did not bid on at least one job due to labor shortages, with 56 percent of those failing to bid on between three and five jobs. Ten percent failed to bid on 10 or more jobs due to lack of workers.
Companies indicated several initiatives they have undertaken to combat the worker shortage with 61 percent implementing some sort of internal training program. About 22 percent have stepped up recruiting efforts, 17 percent have increased compensation and benefits, 16 percent are working to improve company culture, and 11 percent are providing cross training to employees as strategies to increase their qualified labor pool.
Looking ahead, 43 percent of responding companies view the challenges of finding skilled labor as the biggest threat to business over the next year. About 14 percent are concerned about an overall lack of work, while 11 percent indicated banking concerns, with another 11 percent citing increased labor costs.
But the picture isn’t all gloomy, Cox notes.
“Ninety five percent of our respondents were more profitable,” she says. And 88 percent noted they were profitable last year.
“We asked about backlog since backlog is always a sign of the economy,” she adds. For 73 percent of companies, their backlog either increased or stayed the same. “We thought that was a good indicator that the economy is still okay.”
Another notable trend in the survey is a decrease in the number of respondents performing primarily public projects at 48 percent, while 52 percent are primarily doing private work. Cox speculates this is due to the complex nature of public projects.
“It’s a challenging time, but I think with challenge comes opportunity,” she says.
Companies participating in the Bonadio State of the Construction Industry Study represented four size categories — under $10 million, $10 million to $24.9 million, $25 million to $49.9 million, and greater than $50 million in revenue. The construction firms represented the Capital Region/North Country, Central New York, Finger Lakes, Southern Tier, and Western New York regions.
The survey was distributed through targeted emails and with assistance from the Associated General Contractors of New York State, Builders Exchange of Rochester, Builders Exchange of the Southern Tier, Construction Contractors Association of the Hudson Valley, The Construction Exchange of Buffalo and Western New York, Eastern Contractors Association, Mohawk Valley Builders Exchange, Northeastern Subcontractors Association, and Syracuse Builders Exchange.
The Bonadio Group, a Rochester–area-based accounting group, has offices across New York state in Syracuse, Clinton, Albany, Amherst, East Aurora, and New York City. It has additional offices in Dallas, Texas; Rutland, Vermont; and Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Thruway Warners service area open again after renovations
VAN BUREN — Following renovation work, the Warners service area along the New York State Thruway in the town of Van Buren is again providing drivers a chance to stretch their legs, get some food, and perhaps a beverage. It’s located on Interstate 90 westbound between exit 39 (Syracuse-Fulton-I-690-NY Route 690) and exit 40 (Weedsport-Auburn-NY
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VAN BUREN — Following renovation work, the Warners service area along the New York State Thruway in the town of Van Buren is again providing drivers a chance to stretch their legs, get some food, and perhaps a beverage.
It’s located on Interstate 90 westbound between exit 39 (Syracuse-Fulton-I-690-NY Route 690) and exit 40 (Weedsport-Auburn-NY Route 34).
The rest stop in the Warners hamlet within Van Buren is the 15th new service area to open to Thruway customers, the New York State Thruway Authority announced.
The renovation work was part of the $450 million private investment to “redevelop and modernize” all 27 Thruway service areas. A public-private partnership is paying for the redevelopment of all 27 service areas on the New York State Thruway. Empire State Thruway Partners submitted the winning $450 million investment plan to rebuild 23 of the 27 service-area restaurant buildings and “provide significant renovations and upgrades to the remaining four,” per the Thruway Authority website.
New restaurant options included at the Warners service area include Burger King, Chick-fil-A, a drive-thru Starbucks, Applegreen C-Store, and Taste NY food and drink products.
Other amenities include outdoor seating; dog walking area; private nursing area; digital tourism kiosk; and four level 3 high speed EV chargers, which will be “available at a later date,” the Thruway Authority noted.
The Warners rest stop is also the first of five select service areas that will include an adult changing station to improve accessibility for those with disabilities. In addition to the Warners service area, an adult changing station will be included in the Angola, Ontario, Pattersonville, and Sloatsburg service areas along the Thruway.
“The Service Area Redevelopment project is more than halfway complete, and with the opening of the Warners Service Area, we’re increasing accessibility for motorists with the addition of an adult changing station,” Frank Hoare, acting executive director of the New York State Thruway Authority, said in the announcement. “Adult changing stations provide those with special needs a safe and secure space for caregivers to provide assistance.”
The March 25 Warners reopening announcement followed the Feb. 19 announcement that the Port Byron service area has also reopened on the Thruway. That service area is located on I-90 eastbound between exit 41 (Waterloo-Clyde-NY Route 414) and exit 40 (Weedsport-Auburn-NY Route 34). The restaurant options at the Port Byron rest stop include Burger King, Dunkin’ (drive-thru), Applegreen C-Store, and Taste NY food and drink products.
Construction begins on Edwards Vacuum plant near Batavia
Construction has started on the first phase of the $319 million Edwards Vacuum dry-pump manufacturing facility, located in the Genesee County town of Alabama, near Batavia. Edwards Vacuum is a United Kingdom–based multinational company that specializes in vacuum and abatement equipment for the semiconductor industry, the office of Gov. Kathy Hochul said in an April
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Construction has started on the first phase of the $319 million Edwards Vacuum dry-pump manufacturing facility, located in the Genesee County town of Alabama, near Batavia.
Edwards Vacuum is a United Kingdom–based multinational company that specializes in vacuum and abatement equipment for the semiconductor industry, the office of Gov. Kathy Hochul said in an April 26 joint announcement with U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D–N.Y.).
It is part of the Atlas Copco Group and chose the Western New York Science & Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park in Genesee County as the location for its new U.S. dry-pump manufacturing facility.
The technology produced at the new facility is a “vital component” to controlling the “highly sensitive environment” of semiconductor-manufacturing processes, per Hochul’s office.
Edwards Vacuum’s decision to invest in New York state followed passage of the federal CHIPS and Science Act, New York’s Green CHIPS legislation, and the domestic semiconductor industry growth that the complementary government programs have spurred. That growth includes Micron’s $100 billion plan for a semiconductor campus in the town of Clay, which is expected to create nearly 50,000 jobs, Hochul’s office noted.
Construction on the $127 million first phase of Edwards Vacuum’s 240,000 square-foot campus will include manufacturing, warehouse, and administration facilities, with a capacity to produce 10,000 dry pumps per year. The all-electric facility will strive for LEED certification, with a majority of the power generated via hydroelectricity.
Edwards dry pumps are currently manufactured in Asia. By bringing manufacturing to New York, Edwards customers — including Micron and GlobalFoundries in New York, and Intel in Ohio — will experience shorter wait times, improved responsiveness and reduced CO2 emissions from an American-made product. Edwards Vacuum estimates that when phase one is operational, it will reduce CO2 emissions by 13,000 tons per year.
Empire State Development (ESD) has awarded Edwards Vacuum up to $21 million through a combination of performance-based Excelsior Jobs tax credits and investment tax credits in exchange for 600 jobs. ESD also awarded an additional $1 million to support workforce-development efforts and the training of a diverse and inclusive workforce.
“The start of construction for Edwards Vacuum’s new facility signals that hundreds of good jobs and millions of dollars in investments are headed to Upstate New York,” Hope Knight, president, CEO, and commissioner of Empire State Development, said in the state’s announcement. “We are well on our way to becoming a global hub for advanced manufacturing and building a strong semiconductor ecosystem in New York State.”
The New York Power Authority (NYPA) is also supporting the project though a 4.9-megawatt (MW) low-cost Niagara hydropower allocation and a 2.1 MW of high load factor power allocation that NYPA will procure for Edwards Vacuum on the energy market.
Ronald McDonald House Syracuse renovation project continues
Nonprofit seeks to reach fundraising goal SYRACUSE — A renovation project at the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central New York (RMHC of CNY) is “nearing completion,” the organization said in late April. The charitable organization is renovating more than 9,000 square feet of previously unfinished space on the fourth floor of
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SYRACUSE — A renovation project at the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central New York (RMHC of CNY) is “nearing completion,” the organization said in late April.
The charitable organization is renovating more than 9,000 square feet of previously unfinished space on the fourth floor of the house to add six new family suites. RMHC of CNY expects to complete the expansion project later this spring so that it can start using the new suites by this summer to “serve even more guest families in need.”
Zausmer-Frisch Scruton & Aggarwal is managing construction on project. The same firm designed and built the CNY Ronald McDonald House in 2011-2012.
Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central New York is located at 1100 E. Genesee St. in Syracuse.
As of April 23, RMHC of CNY had raised $815,000 toward its $1.1 million goal, including a $350,000 gift from the Feehan Family Foundation Inc., per its announcement that day.
“This expansion will allow us to keep even more families comfortable and close when it matters most,” Beth Trunfio, executive director of RMHC of CNY, said in the announcement. “We are in the process of raising $1.1 million to support this project and, while we are trending toward our goal, we are asking community members to consider donating to the project to help us meet the evolving needs of guest families.”
Those interested in donating can do so online at rmhcny.org/fourth-floor or call (315) 476-1027 to learn more about commemorative giving opportunities, RMHC of CNY said.
Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central New York operates the CNY Ronald McDonald House 24 hours a day, year-round, at no cost for families whose children are hospitalized with serious illnesses or injuries. The fully accessible CNY Ronald McDonald House provides the convenience of a comfortable room and warm bed, home-cooked meals and support and compassion, the organization noted.
Crews start work on 2nd phase of $22M Ogdensburg Airport project
OSWEGATCHIE — Crews have started work on the second phase of construction on a $22 million project at the Ogdensburg International Airport. The second phase will target the main terminal and will include a new, multi-purpose great room to provide community space for civic gatherings, conferences, business meetings, and other public events, the office of
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OSWEGATCHIE — Crews have started work on the second phase of construction on a $22 million project at the Ogdensburg International Airport.
The second phase will target the main terminal and will include a new, multi-purpose great room to provide community space for civic gatherings, conferences, business meetings, and other public events, the office of Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on March 7.
The project is meant to “enhance the passenger experience and transform the Ogdensburg International Airport into a regional transportation hub that will attract new travelers to the area and fuel economic growth throughout the North Country,” Hochul’s office said.
Constructed in 1980, the Ogdensburg International Airport, located in the town of Oswegatchie, “currently lacks adequate space to comfortably handle” the current passenger flow or accommodate the expected levels of growth in the coming years, per Hochul’s office.
The project was awarded $18 million from the governor’s $230 million Upstate Airport Economic Development and Revitalization Competition. The awards are intended to “promote, revitalize, and accelerate investments in upstate commercial passenger service airports, helping to create airports for the 21st century.”
The effort will expand the check-in, ticketing, and baggage drop-off areas, construct a new canopy over the curbside drop-off/pick-up area, install new passenger information display systems, and make other improvements to “enhance the passenger experience and create a state-of-the-art gateway for the entire region.”
“The modernization of Ogdensburg International Airport is poised to redefine our region’s aviation landscape,” Steve Lawrence, executive director of the Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority said, in the state’s announcement. “The proposed plans for the Ogdensburg Airport terminal represent a significant opportunity to elevate the North Country’s aviation infrastructure, enhance travel experiences, and foster economic development. In addition, the innovative “adaptive terminal’ model transforms the terminal into a multifunctional community asset- with a new ‘Great Room’ building as its centerpiece. This project encapsulates a concerted effort to modernize and optimize our facilities, aiming to meet the evolving needs of our community and visitors.”
VIEWPOINT: Technology syncs preconstruction to enhance collaboration
A thorough preconstruction phase has always been crucial for delivering an efficient, successful project. Now, however, firms are under pressure to complete that phase quickly — sometimes in as little as two weeks rather than a month or longer, as was formerly more common. Amid this change, variables have also become more complex, with uncertainty
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A thorough preconstruction phase has always been crucial for delivering an efficient, successful project. Now, however, firms are under pressure to complete that phase quickly — sometimes in as little as two weeks rather than a month or longer, as was formerly more common.
Amid this change, variables have also become more complex, with uncertainty around availability of materials and labor making it substantially more challenging to plan and to estimate projected costs.
Fortunately, advances in technology can demystify and streamline the process. New software enables savvy preconstruction teams to plan more comprehensively, with greater synchronicity and complete transparency, to drive a key result: no surprises.
Today’s preconstruction software, along with regular meetings, immerses stakeholders into a project’s details and fosters all-important buy-in from the start. Everyone is involved. Anyone can suggest adjustments and everyone can immediately evaluate the resulting impacts. For example, if a decision is made to switch to an alternative flooring, the entire team can immediately see the rationale and impact on price, project schedule and other elements. The owner’s project manager or representative can communicate the updates personally to their leadership. Designers can update drawings and make any adjustments to related finishes. Contractors can enact procurement strategies based on the anticipated lead time, and schedule on-site activities so materials arrive only when and where they are needed on-site.
The process creates a consistent message and empowers a powerful sense of advocacy across the team.
Advanced preconstruction technologies also offer other benefits.
• Individual users can run “what if” scenarios to evaluate options before bringing suggestions to the overall team.
• Users can trace changes and revisions back to their origins with only a few clicks, rather than playing detective by sifting through countless documents and platforms.
• Having a shared platform promotes transparency, as everyone — developer, contractors, subcontractors, and others — can see changes in real time.
Even with all these advantages, however, it is still important to note one thing. There is no substitute for engaging experienced professionals who bring the wisdom and creative thinking that set the course for a successful project plan. People drive the technology — not the other way around.
Meshing a collaborative approach with technology drives a “one team” mentality that is vital in preconstruction. When properly implemented, with an approach that values strong partnerships, the latest technology can be instrumental in ensuring that preconstruction is a smooth process. It can be a key asset in creating a plan that saves time, optimizes value and efficiency, avoids delays, enhances satisfaction and — most importantly — results in a highly successful project.
Peter Muench is senior VP of preconstruction services at LeChase Construction Services, LLC. He has responsibility for scheduling, cost estimating, pre-project planning, and implementation of VDC and AEC technology throughout the company. He also supports business-development efforts across New York state.
OPINION: Erosion of Trust in the Institutional Left
Big government leftism has experienced a rapid erosion of public trust over the past four years due to three national calamities: COVID, Biden, and the border. President Joe Biden’s approval rating has been alarmingly low for more than 12 solid months and Americans say by a two to one margin Biden’s policies have personally hurt
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Big government leftism has experienced a rapid erosion of public trust over the past four years due to three national calamities: COVID, Biden, and the border.
President Joe Biden’s approval rating has been alarmingly low for more than 12 solid months and Americans say by a two to one margin Biden’s policies have personally hurt them, yet the Democratic Party refuses to entertain other options and continues to push for Biden’s nomination. This refusal has eroded trust in the Democratic Party.
On top of that, the record-high number of illegal aliens streaming across the southern border has prompted a plurality of Americans to declare a border crisis and demand stricter border control. More Americans now view the border crisis as a threat to the economy and national security.
Lastly, the institutional left’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, which undermined freedom of association, deprived citizens of medical privacy, and put the nation into an economic coma from which it has yet to recover, is far from forgotten.
All three issues have deeply marred the brand of corporate leftism that has swallowed the Democratic Party and will have serious repercussions in years to come.
The draconian response in blue states and cities to the coronavirus deeply eroded public trust in centralized power and has driven coalitions of former left-leaning groups away from Democrats. The pandemic appears to have pushed parents of school age children toward the right politically due to school closures and mask and vaccine mandates pushed by leftists.
We also have evidence that the pandemic altered the political inclinations of young adults and has pushed large numbers of Gen Z voters toward the right. Battleground state polling from the New York Times shows a double-digit decline in support for Biden among young voters. The Times poll found Biden winning a scarce 47 percent of the vote from 18–29-year-olds in November, a 22-point decline compared to 2020.
Then there is the institutional left’s refusal to bench Biden and replace a clearly incompetent man with someone more politically and practically feasible.
Hedge fund manager Bill Ackman, who said he wouldn’t vote for Biden, recently tweeted on X that, “the biggest mistake Democrats have made is supporting @POTUS [Joe] Biden for a second term.” Ackman pointed out that by pushing Biden, Democrats gave Biden “false confidence” that he can win the election and dissuaded alternative Democratic contenders from emerging.
Mounting evidence shows a fracturing of the left, with Biden losing double-digit support among key coalitions of swing voters who supported him in 2020. Americans may have their concerns and reservations about Trump and “preserving democracy,” but most recent public opinion polls show a majority of Americans give Trump positive marks on important issues, including the economy and immigration.
A recent Siena College/ New York Times poll found Americans say by a two to one margin Biden’s policies have “personally hurt” them more than helped them, but the public say by a 15-point margin that Trump’s policies have “personally helped”.
Lastly, the institutional left has been dismally wrong on pushing their destructive open-borders policy, an agenda that could not be more out of step with the needs and opinions of American citizens. Under Biden’s reckless open-borders agenda, 9 million illegals have entered the country through the U.S.-Mexico border.
A series of opinion polls since Biden’s border crisis became an inescapable threat to civil society show that the public is increasingly unwilling to accept the assault on the southern border.
A recent NPR / Marist poll finds that Americans have adopted an aggressive deportation mindset on handling illegal immigrants, with the nation saying 51 percent to 48 percent that all illegals should be deported. This is a drastic change from just a few years ago and speaks to voters’ growing distrust of the institutional left’s open-borders agenda.
After four years of the Biden regime and grave lapses in judgment on COVID and open borders, this particular brand of leftism has lost substantial credibility. No one is saying the public is fully rejecting all aspects of liberalism, but it is hard to argue that the draconian style of big-government leftism has not taken a substantial hit.
Manzanita Miller is an associate analyst at Americans for Limited Government Foundation, the research arm of Americans for Limited Government, a libertarian political advocacy group. The organization conducts policy research and publishes reports with the goal of reducing the size of the government.
OPINION: The risk of nuclear war may be growing
We have lived with the existential threat of nuclear weapons for almost 80 years. To say we have become complacent would be an understatement. Knowing the devastation a nuclear war would produce, we go about our lives and assume it can never happen. But the threat is real, and it is likely getting worse. According
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We have lived with the existential threat of nuclear weapons for almost 80 years. To say we have become complacent would be an understatement. Knowing the devastation a nuclear war would produce, we go about our lives and assume it can never happen.
But the threat is real, and it is likely getting worse. According to a recent, thoroughly researched and reported New York Times series titled “The Brink,” the risk of nuclear war is the highest it’s been since the Cold War ended 30 years ago.
“Nuclear war is often described as unimaginable,” Times national security columnist W.J. Hennigan writes. “In fact, it is not imagined often enough.”
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Vladimir Putin’s warnings that Russia could use nuclear weapons in battle have been the latest flashpoint. In the fall of 2022, U.S. intelligence analysts concluded there was a 50-50 chance Russia would launch a nuclear strike if Ukraine threatened to regain Crimea, according to the Times. The nuclear threat also hangs over conflicts in the Middle East, the Taiwan Strait and the Korean Peninsula.
I have long believed that the possibility of a nuclear disaster is the greatest threat to humanity. Nothing compares to the awful power of nuclear weapons when it comes to causing death and destruction. We saw that clearly when the U.S. dropped atomic bombs on the Hiroshima and Nagasaki to force Japan’s surrender in World War II.
We have been incredibly lucky that nuclear weapons haven’t been used in warfare since then. The 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis brought us close to the brink, but the crisis was contained. Deterrence — the idea that any nuclear attack would be met with a devastating counterattack — has worked.
We have been lucky, but we have also been smart. At the height of the Cold War, nuclear powers possessed more than 70,000 warheads. Thanks to arms-control agreements and efforts like the Nunn-Lugar initiative to dismantle excess stockpiles, nuclear weapons were reduced by at least 80 percent.
Today, however, arsenals are being modernized and, in some cases, expanded. And it’s no longer just the Americans and Russians who are playing the nuclear game. Nine countries, including China and North Korea, have nuclear weapons. Iran has reportedly moved closer to being able to develop nuclear weapons since the collapse of an agreement to deter its nuclear capacity.
Near the end of Cold War, U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev declared that a nuclear war “cannot be won and must never be fought.” Their cooperation led to significant agreements to limit nuclear forces. But the safety net of treaties has frayed as tensions between America and Russia have grown. Only one major agreement remains: the New START strategic arms treaty. Putin has suspended Russia’s participation, and the treaty will expire in 2026.
Experts say the danger isn’t that Russia or another adversary would drop large bombs like those we used against Japan in 1945. Instead, it comes from the temptation to use tactical nuclear weapons, which are smaller but many times more powerful than conventional arms. U.S. officials believe Russia has about 2,000 such weapons, some small enough to fit in an artillery shell. Their use would mean the taboo on nuclear weapons had been broken. Responses could escalate.
The key to navigating this existential threat is leadership. To keep us safe and secure, we need leaders to recognize the seriousness of the problem, set the agenda for addressing it, identify the concrete goals that they can achieve and marshal the resources to achieve them.
We also need greater awareness of the threat. In our American democracy, leaders respond to the concerns of the public, and they aren’t hearing much about the risk of nuclear war. The likelihood may be low, but the risk is high. It deserves attention from our leaders and from all of us.
Lee Hamilton, 93, is a senior advisor for the Indiana University (IU) Center on Representative Government, distinguished scholar at the IU Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies, and professor of practice at the IU O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. Hamilton, a Democrat, was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for 34 years (1965-1999), representing a district in south-central Indiana.
JOHN ALBRIGHT has joined IPD Engineering as a senior mechanical engineer. He brings two decades of HVAC engineering experience, with a focus on health-care projects,
AMANDA WILSON has joined MACNY, The Manufacturers Association, as a workforce-development specialist. In this role, she will support MACNY’s New York State Manufacturers Intermediary Apprenticeship
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