Alejandra Deza, a junior aerospace engineering major on her first Engineers Without Borders project trip abroad, was scouting storefronts in Veron, Dominican Republic, for a “ferreteria,” the local version of a Home Depot.
Adjust to new realities, give employees a cause to fight for and focus on opportunities: Executives of three design and construction firms offered those strategies as ways for the industry to cope with the current financial crisis. The executives joined other leaders from industry, government and Wall Street at an ENR/McGraw-Hill Construction conference in New York City last month to analyze economic developments and optimize solutions. Ira Levy, president of AECOM’s DMJM Harris unit in New York City, acknowledged that his firm’s revenue will shrink, but he said profitability could still survive. He noted, “A better question to ask is,
URS Corp. announced strong results for its latest fiscal year, ending Jan. 2, relecting the full benefits of its 2007 acquisition of Washington Group Inc. and strength in core federal and infrastructure markets. Company executives are confident the firm is postioned strongly enough in key markets to weather current economic difficulties and be optimistic about 2010. The engineering-contracting giant reported nearly $10.1 billion in revenue for its fiscal 2008, up 87.4% from the previous year. Net income increased 66.3% to nearly $220 million, which Chairman and CEO Martin M. Koffel labeled "record profits." Koffel attributed margin improvements largely to cost
Adjust to the new realities, give employees a cause to fight for and focus on opportunities. That�s how leaders of three design and construction companies described methods of fending off despair and rallying staffs during the financial crisis that has engulfed global economies and the construction industry. They joined other market sector leaders from industry, government and Wall Street to analyze current realities and optimize solutions at �Managing Construction�s Financial Crisis,� an ENR/McGraw-Hill Construction-sponsored conference in New York City Feb. 24-25. Photo: Richard Korman/ENR Siegel: When time are tough, great companies capture market share. Ira Levy, president of AECOM’s DMJM
The 67 engineers and scientists called to the White House in December for a prestigious award were not old hands with lots of tenure working in their fields for decades. They were young professionals exploring not only the frontiers of science and engineering research but also real-world applications that break ground and cross traditional barriers. The government is betting at least $400,000 on each of these high-achieving but tenure-lacking GenX-ers over the next five years to transform their technology arenas and the image of engineering and science. Photo: Arizona State University Torrens sees benefits to urban rehabs, land use and
At the first-ever ACE Mentor Program national conference, more than 125 executives and participants were optimistic that the industry recruitment group could still meet ambitious growth goals for both students and sponsors even in an increasingly uncertain economy. ACE seeks to attract high school students into architecture, engineering and construction careers through industry mentoring. ACE Vice Chairman Peter J. Davoren, also chairman and president of Turner Construction Co., said the group aims to have 100,000 student participants and 204 local industry affiliates around the U.S. by 2012. The group now has about 25,000 student participants. ACE may also add a
Using one of the largest marine cranes on the East Coast, contractor teams on Jan. 18 carefully but quickly orchestrated the lift of a US Airways airplane from New York City’s icy Hudson River. The damaged Airbus A320, whose pilot miraculously and safely brought the plane down on the waterway three days before, weighed 100 tons and had filled with another 350 tons of water. Its 155 passengers and crew survived the landing. Slide Show Photo: Stephen Mallon Plane was picked up intact from river (top) using large revolving marine cranes. The retrieval operation was masterminded by Weeks Marine Inc.,
Also part of the new stimulus plan are hundreds of billions of dollars in proposed tax cuts aimed at stanching job losses and prompting businesses and municipalities to make growth-producing investments. Industry officials welcome them, but some are not convinced they will have the economic impact legislators and the Obama administration envision. Photo: Mortenson Wind-power production tax credits need to be streamlined, proponents say. Related Links: Proposal in House Fires Up Debate Does Massive Spending Help or Hurt in Long Run? Modest Program Favors Jump-Start Fix-up Effort Highway Aid Has Some Strings Attached Advocates Hope To Fly, Sail or Roll
Ten current construction supervisors and one recent retired official of Consolidated Edison, the utility serving Manhattan and its northern suburbs, were arrested Jan. 14 for soliciting and accepting more than $1 million in kickbacks from a construction contractor since 2004. Work involved in the bribery scheme also included cleanup and repair of an underground steam pipe that exploded in Manhattan in July 2007, killing one pedestrian, injuring others and causing millions of dollars in damage. Photo: AP Repair of steampipe that exploded in Manhattan in 2007 was among work that bribe contractor handled. Officials in the office of U.S. Attorney