The opening sentence in Good to Great by Jim Collins is, "Good is the enemy of great." This concept can be extended to, A good strategy is the enemy of a great strategy. But why is this so critical? “Therefore, those skilled in war subdue the enemy’s army without fighting. They capture enemy’s cities without assaulting them and overthrow his state without protracted operations. Their aim must be to take all under heaven intact through strategic superiority. Thus, their troops are not worn out and their triumph will be complete. This is the art of attacking by stratagem.” – Sun
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act came along just as traditional revenues for new roadwork were drying up in North Carolina and road lettings were being reduced to a small fraction of recent levels. The North Carolina Department of Transportation has between only $15 million and $20 million available monthly for traditional lettings. That’s down 75% from 2008, when the state let $948.6 million in new contracts, or an average of nearly $80 million per month. Revenues are down about 11% overall, but the highway-use tax, derived from vehicle sales, is down about 30% this year, says Burt Tasaico, state
An estimated $12.2 billion in federal stimulus funding should help Florida shore up some of the holes in the state budget and put thousands of Floridians to work. That was the message from Gov. Charlie Crist when he hailed the passage of the federal stimulus bill in mid-February and just days later when he announced his $66.5 billion 2009-2010 budget on Feb. 20. Photo: PB Americas The Florida Department of Transportation plans to make full use of the roughly $1.4 billion in stimulus funding it will receive. According to a Feb. 20 statement accompanying the release of Gov. Crist’s budget,
Randy Larson has been with PBS&J of Tampa for more than 21 years. Currently, he serves as president of PBS&J Constructors, and executive vice president of the recently acquired Peter R. Brown Construction, previously based in Clearwater, Fla. Larson also acts as chairman of the combined boards of both companies. LARSON Employee-owned PBSJ Corp. of Tampa, parent company of the engineering, architecture and sciences company PBS&J, PBS&J Constructors and PBS&J International, acquired construction manager Peter R. Brown Construction of Clearwater late last year for $16 million, according to Securities and Exchange Commission filings. What was the motivation for this transaction?
Despite having let nearly all of the projects in its current $3.5 billion capital improvements program, Miami-Dade County Public Schools still has a backlog of needs that could be addressed through federal stimulus funding. “We still have hundreds of millions of dollars in ‘shovel-ready’ mode which we now have on hold due to reduced projected revenues,” Victor Alonso, design officer with MDCPS said in a recent email. To date, Alonso reports that the district has awarded approximately 90% of the $3.5 billion Capital Work Plan that was initiated in 2004-2005. Among the projects funded by that program are a $74
The carefully crafted public-private partnership developed to build the estimated $1 billion Port of Miami tunnel has fallen apart, with the equity partner Babcock & Brown of Australia bailing out of the deal, but area elected officials hope to keep the project alive. “We’re looking at everything and will take a step back to look at the opportunities and options,” says Florida Department of Transportation spokesperson Dick Kane. FDOT selected in February 2008 Miami Access Tunnel, comprised of Bouygues Publics Travaux of France and equity partner Babcock & Brown, to design, build, finance, maintain and operate the bored tunnels. The
A sinking economy that has meant fewer tourists in Central Florida and dropping hotel room rates has led to a nearly 5% decline in tourist development tax revenue during the last six months, significantly damaging the City of Orlando’s plans for a $425 million performing arts center and a $175 million renovation of the Florida Citrus Bowl. “We are currently reviewing cost-reduction measures including timing, project schedules, site configuration and other opportunities to reduce the overall project budget,” Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer says in a written statement. The projects are part of a three-venue, downtown improvement package, totaling more than
The author discusses the importance of improving financial management to survive in a tighter market. As the market tightens, many contractors find themselves reflecting on the dynamics of the boom. When demand was at its peak, many hired labor at inflated wages just to get bodies. When concrete and steel prices soared, there was no room for negotiation they paid the prices because materials were essential. Subcontractors could command any price, and GC’s paid them. It seemed like it would never end. Growth was swift and the money rolled in, with more jobs, bigger projects and higher bids. Small businesses
Southeast Construction presents its second annual Top Design-Builders ranking. Derived from information obtained during the Top Contractors survey conducted earlier this year, it documents the amount of revenue related to design-build activities by the firms that participated in that ranking. Related Links: Top Design-Builders Ranking Lights On for Zachry The Top Design-Builders ranking is based upon the ‘08 regional revenue that each firm estimated came from design-build projects within the four-state region of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. The ranking also includes more information about each firm, including the location of its main regional office, phone number and