Southeast City Scoop: Birmingham Construction Starts

After sliding in 2018, Birmingham contracts are expected to rise this year

While residential work is forecast to decline, non-residential and nonbuilding activity will increase.

City Grill

Jay Reed
President
Associated Builders & Contractors, Alabama Chapter

The city’s revitalization plan for downtown Birmingham has created “a skyline of cranes like we haven’t seen in awhile,” says Reed. Multifamily projects for students attending the University of Alabama-Birmingham are helping keep contractors busy for now, he adds. While there was some uncertainty going into 2019, so far the market has erased those doubts and instead built a growing backlog of projects, Reed says. In turn, the long-term need to find and train workers has only grown more critical, he adds.

Firm in Focus

Robins & Morton
400 Shades Creek Parkway, Birmingham, Ala.
Chairman/CEO: Bill Morton
Employees: 1,100
Founded: 1946
What’s New: The Birmingham-based contractor recently won two National Excellence in Construction Pyramid Awards from Associated Builders and Contractors for a hospital project and an entertainment center.