Construction Equipment Owner

There’s billions of dollars allocated for construction projects in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that have yet to be let. This should not be news to you by now. But what might not be readily apparent for those new to this type of work is that contractors that bid on government-funded projects are subject to prevailing wage provisions that are often based on a union scale.

Some contractors choose to pay the fringe benefit portion of the prevailing wage as additional cash wages as one way to comply with the law. But, allocating the fringe amount to a bona fide benefit plan results in savings for both the employer and employees because a portion of these monies are not subject to payroll taxes and workers compensation insurance.

On top of this, it’s low-bid gets the job project award system. So your business needs to be able to bid more effectively and comply with government regulations. One group that has been assisting contractors compete in the government marketplace for years is the Fringe Benefit Group (FBG). So the Construction Business Podcast is bringing on Adam Bonsky, executive vice president of government markets for FBG to talk about what contractors need to know in order to be eligible for the billions in ARRA funds.

Guest: Adam Bonsky
Contact: abonsky@fibi.com
Links: www.fringebenefitgroup.com, www.thecontractorsplan.com

 Fulfilling the Fringe Benefit Components of ARRA Bid Requirements [15:08m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (205)

What’s on the mind of other contractors? How do they feel about the ARRA? What’s the construction market looking from those who are in the middle of it? These questions and more are covered in FMI’s Nonresidential Construction Index Report 3Q 2009.

To discuss the trends uncovered in the report and outlook for the construction market, Phil Warner of FMI joins the Construction Business Podcast. Listen as Warner gives his analysis of the feedback from the panelists and talks about what the recent findings forecast for the construction industry.

Guest: Phil Warner
Contact: pwarner@fminet.com
Link: www.fminet.com

 Nonresidential Construction Index 3Q 2009 [11:12m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (122)

Sponsor:Asphalt Contractor E-newsletter

Jeffrey Solsby -Director of Public Affairs - Equipment Manufacturers Division Manager of the American Road & Transportation Builders Association and Richard Juliano - Vice President for Federal and State Relations - Managing Director of the Contractors Division, also of the American Road & Transportation Builders Association join the Construction Business Podcast.

Jeff and Rich recently took part in the 2009 ARTBA Federal Issues Program & TCC Fly-In May 18-20 and share the discussions they took part in and what they learned over the course of this year’s annual event.

Jeff and Rich discuss:

• A general overview of the overall purpose of the fly-in
• Impact of Economic Recovery & Reinvestment Act
• Forecasts for SAFETEA-LU and Aviation Bill
• Additional insights and briefs brought up during event

Website:www.artba.org
ARTBA Action Hotline: (888) 448-2782

 ARTBA Legislative Fly-in and TCC Recap [25:48m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (314)

Construction Business Podcast Sponsored by:

There’s about 140 billion dollars slotted for construction projects as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. It has been said that overall the ARRA probably isn’t big enough to completely pull the economy out of its slump, but I’m sure a portion of that money would go a long way into strengthening the financial stability of your construction business.

The problem is that working on federally-funded projects will require compliance with the provisions provided in the ARRA that can be tricky to navigate if you’re not familiar with this type of work. This can lead to reduced profit margins and the name of the game these days is to increase the amount of money that goes to the bottom line on each job. What are these items that could have the largest affect on contractors working on these projects? Find out now, by listening to this episode of the Construction Business Podcast.

Guest: Jim Scott, Construction Practice Lawyer - Greensfelder, Hemker & Gale, P.C.
Link: Stimulus Support Team

 How to Efficiently Perform on Projects Funded by Federal Stimulus Dollars [14:07m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (332)

Ron Black, owner of the consulting and training firm The Mentor Group, joins the Construction Business Podcast to talk about the construction project management fundamentals and how to best implement these processes that will lead to success in your business. Ron also addresses standards and regulations in project management and their importance.

Guest:

Ron Black
Contact: ronblack@thementorgroup.com
Link: www.thementorgroup.com/
Book: The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Project Management with Microsoft Project 2003

 Fundamentals of Construction Project Management [10:17m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (371)

This episode of the Construction Business Podcast focuses on project management software basics and how construction business owners and project managers can utilize this tool on the job. Typically equated to a dashboard in a vehicle, in general project management software gives the user a snapshot of the overall project. With this tool, contractors are able to much more easily organize everything that goes into the project and pull everything together. This leads to greater productivity, efficiency and in the end revenue on each job.

Listen now as Craig Capano, Dept. Head for Civil Construction and Environment with the Wentworth Institute of Technology, shares his insights on project management software and discusses the benefits these systems have for contractors.

Guest: Craig Capano
Contact: capanoc@wit.edu

 Project Management Software Basics [10:27m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (393)

The continued development of a skilled construction workforce was probably one of the - if not the - largest issue facing the construction industry before the economy went south. With a large constituent of aging construction workers set to retire and not enough young construction workers strapping up their steel-toed boots we were looking a severe shortage of workers. Well we all know what has transpired the past months and this issue has essentially taken a back seat. But when the economy comes around and construction again reaches the heights it was recently at, this issue will be once again be front-and-center for the industry.

To talk about the current state of the workforce in the construction industry and the importance of of developing skilled laborers, the Construction Business Podcast is proud to have Don Whyte, President of the National Center for Construction Education and Research, as its latest guest. Listen as Don shares his thoughts on how construction businesses can continue to develop their employees and the resources the NCCER has available to assist in this important task.

Guest: Don Whyte
Link to NCCER: www.NCCER.org

 National Center for Construction Education and Research [9:24m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (365)

If you want a workforce that performs work correctly and efficiently for every job, you will need two important components: proper work processes and timely feedback. Unfortunately, many owners and supervisors either say nothing – or too much – neither of which leads to the behaviors you want. In this Construction Business Podcast Jeff Stokes of Next Level Contractor Systems discusses how to provide timely and balanced feedback that both encourages your workers and improves their on-the-job behavior as well as feedback’s effects on younger workers.

Guest:

Jeff Stokes - Next Level Contractor System
Contact: jeffstokes@gmail.com

 Improve Workforce Performance through Feedback [4:42m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (346)

Thanks to the struggling economy many small business owners are putting a freeze on raises and bonuses. According to this week’s guest Ed Hess, that makes it all the more critical to show your appreciation in other ways if you want them to stick around for the long haul. And lucky for you employees do not respond solely to cold hard cash. Listen to this episode of the Construction Business Podcast as Ed Hess provides some insights on creative ways to keep your troops happy with little to no money out of your pocket.

Guest:

Ed Hess
Contact: hesse@darden.virginia.edu
Get the Book: So, You Want to Start a Business? 8 Steps to Take Before Making the Leap

 Recession-Proof Employee Loyalty Plan [10:08m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (404)

Fights, disagreements, arguments or whatever you want to call them happen on a job site. This is just a common fact. But the real test of your leadership and overall work environment is what comes out of these conflicts. If it’s just hurt feelings and a lower work morale, well then you’ve got a problem. But if this conflict results in creative thinking, problem solving and an overall betterment of a project, then you’ve got something special on your hands.

Trust me though, this is no easy task ensuring that good will come from conflict that will inevitably arise. To discuss how to start turning the ship around is Lynne Eisaguirre. Lynne has appeared as a workplace expert on CNN Headline News, Bloomberg TV, ABC News and many other media sources and is joining the Construction Business Podcast to share how you can create an environment that consists of conflict and play.

Guest:

Lynne Eisaguirre
Link: www.workplacesthatwork.com
Contact:lynne@workplacesthatwork.com

 Creating a Culture that Fosters Both Conflict and Play [6:57m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (397)