The Challenges Facing the Construction Industry 

The U.S. construction industry continues to make an impressive comeback from the Great Recession, but the types of projects and workers are decidedly different this time around. This week's "Super Six" focuses on the changing face of America's construction industry, which is served by our Galaxy industrial tires.

• The Seattle Times quotes industry experts on the increased need for structural steel workers, concrete finishers and crane operators in today's construction industry. Site managers are expected to be more technologically savvy then they were a decade ago, as construction has gotten more computerized. “There is a stronger demand for technological skills,” said Ken Simonson, chief economist at Associated General Contractors of America. “Laborers with limited training may not cut it anymore.”

• The housing bust and Great Recession might have scared a generation of would-be construction workers away from the building trades. Finance.yahoo.com reports on some new research by the Federal Reserve which explored why shortages of construction workers are emerging even as large numbers of people who seem good candidates for that type of work remain under-employed. A working paper by Fed economist Andrew Paciorek notes that construction employment growth has badly lagged the recovery in the labor market as a whole. 

• On a more encouraging note, key players in Cleveland have signed off on a deal that should enable students from Cleveland's Max Hayes High School's skilled trades to be trained and guided into apprenticeships and jobs, according to WCYZ TV in Cleveland. Let's hope this spurs a trend in other markets.

• Staying with the Cleveland area, cleveland.com reports on a political development in Akron that likely will not become a trend, but who knows. Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic is asking city council for $1.9 million to buy or lease six concrete trucks and four dump trucks for a proposed city-owned construction company. The company would hire Akron residents to work on the planned $1.4 billion sewer overhaul. Chris Runyan, president of the Ohio Contractors Association, says it makes no sense to buy a cement truck in the name of creating jobs. The trucks, which cost between $70,000 and $100,000 used, require one driver to operate. 

• Techcrunch.com reports that the airbnb model is coming to the construction industry. In today’s world it seems there are fewer and fewer industries exist where there isn’t some sort of peer-to-peer model emerging for access to the goods needed to get a job done. 

• We end this week's Super Six on a lighter note; lighter because no one was hurt; just a good chewing out! Equipment World Magazine shares a video on a dozer shoving another piece of equipment in order to help load it up. When the roller drum can’t quite make it over the edge of the trailer, the dozer operator just keeps pushing, sending the roller and operator nearly vertical. When the roller’s wheels finally touch down, the operator gives his buddy on the dozer quite the talking to.  

We hope you enjoyed this week's Super Six.