Staff in the News
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Despite an improving economy, a new analysis shows construction employment declined in more than 200 metropolitan areas across the country.
But not in Nashville-Davidson County, where the number of jobs is growing. In fact, a new report from IPP Magazine places Nashville in the top ten cities with the highest demand for construction workers.
Recently, the National Association of Realtors said they believe Nashville will become a top 10 market for commercial construction in 2021.
But, this demand for development comes with consequences. Experts say we need to train more people if we want to keep this construction going.
Nashville building permits continue piling in, proof building here is robust.
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Nashville, Tenn. -- Today, Governor Bill Lee established the Economic Recovery Group, a joint effort between state departments, members of the legislature and leaders from the private sector to build guidance to safely reboot Tennessee’s economy.
“COVID-19 has not only created a public health crisis, it has hurt thousands of businesses and hundreds of thousands of hardworking Tennesseans,” said Gov. Lee. “As we work to safely open Tennessee’s economy, this group will provide guidance to industries across the state on the best ways to get Tennesseans back to work.”
The group is led by Tennessee Department of Tourism Development Commissioner Mark Ezell.
“This public-private partnership will prioritize connection, collaboration, and communication across industries, the medical community and state government” said Ezell. “We’re grateful to these leaders for serving at a critical time in our state’s history.”
Mike Meagher, whose construction company is building two Midtown high-rises, has ordered a dozen laser thermometers to check the temperatures of work crews. And he's limiting how many people ride in a buckhoist, an elevator that can fit as many as 30 workers.
At the Fifth + Broadway project downtown, where 550 people work each day, Dennis Georgatos has nixed the routine "stretch and flex" group gatherings that mark the start of a shift and help orchestrate the day's activity.
Hardworking people from coast to coast have hit the new decade with the economic wind at their backs. In the construction industry, for example, there are more job opportunities than people to fill them, and construction unemployment in Tennessee stood at 3.1% last December.
Wages are growing, and it’s never been easier to access low-cost education programs to launch a career in the field. Indeed, there are many reasons to be optimistic in 2020.
However, Last week, the Democratic-controlled U.S. House of Representatives dealt a harsh blow to U.S. workers and Tennessee’s booming economy by passing a bill that would bypass America’s labor laws and give union bosses greater power to coerce employees to join unions in the face of a decades-long membership decline.
Read more at The Tennessean...
Commercial contractors know that government roadblocks and regulations can slow even the most booming construction market while business-friendly policies can stoke development.
The latter is definitely the case for Nashville, Tennessee, which boasts one of the strongest economies of any U.S. metropolitan area. These days, builders and businesses there not only enjoy unprecedented economic growth but also the support of elected officials from city council members to the governor's mansion, with Tennessee’s Republican Gov. Bill Lee, who ran a mechanical contracting business for 20 years before entering politics. A longtime member of Associated Builders and Contractors, Lee understands how the principals of a free enterprise approach supports local businesses and industry.
Hear ABC Greater Tennessee President, Clay Crownover on Nashville Morning News discuss the booming growth for Nashville and what that means for the construction trades. Link
Associated Builders and Contractors of Greater Tennessee