The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) released a new strategy on March 15, 2011, to help fuel activity in both the public and private construction industry sectors. The plan, named “Building a Stronger Future, A New Blueprint for Economic Growth” gives a detailed breakdown of the key solutions that will need to be implemented to get the construction industry back on the domestic and global economic playing field and to create construction jobs.
Steve Sandherr, chief executive officer of AGC, said the plan identifies a series of measures to help boost private sector demand, tackle the nation’s infrastructure debt, and significantly ease regulatory burdens that add time and cost to construction projects. “We call for approving pending trade agreements that will boost demand for manufacturing and shipping facilities, repealing the alternative minimum tax, and making permanent the tax cuts that were first put in place in 2001 and 2003,” says Sandherr.
In a report of results released at the beginning of the year, a survey conducted by AGC and Navigant showed less than half of the respondents felt the healthcare construction market showed signs of gradually edging toward stability. However, the report noted that stability does not equate growth and most contractors felt their particular market would remain weak.
“While demand for healthcare construction has been steadier than virtually any other type of construction, the sad fact is that no sector of the construction industry has avoided the pain that the past few years have inflicted on contractors across the country. Indeed, a recent survey of contractors AGC conducted at the beginning of the year found more contractors expect demand for healthcare facilities to shrink this year than expect that market to expand. That is why our recover plan calls for tax credits and incentives designed to make it easier for healthcare firms to decide to build now, while prices are relatively low,” says Ken Simonson, AGC chief economist.
