Construction SMEs prove resilient in the face of Covid-19

Construction SMEs are leading the recovery in the industry, as they prove to be more resilient than their larger counterparts, according to analysis from Hudson Contract. Construction SMEs have proven to be more resilient during the economic downturn than their larger counterparts. New analysis from Hudson Contract suggests that large firms have cut 30% of subcontractors since the week before lockdown. SMEs appear to have recovered more strongly and are using 21% fewer subcontractors. Ian Anfield, managing director of Hudson Contract, said: “Our figures show how SMEs are leading the recovery in the construction industry. “Smaller companies are proving more resilient, agile and adaptive to the new circumstances and are investing in skilled subcontractors to retain productive labour and finish jobs.

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Engineering Tech

Atwell expands to Utah with acquisition of Summit Engineering Group

Business Wire | October 10, 2023

Atwell has acquired the operations of Summit Engineering Group, a civil engineering and land surveying firm headquartered in Heber City, Utah. This is Atwell’s first permanent office in Utah, adding to the company’s recent expansion in the western United States. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Founded in 2001 by Brian Balls and Michael Johnston, Summit offers a wide variety of professional and technical services throughout Utah. Their employees have a broad range of construction experience, utilizing design software and data reporting methods that help ensure accuracy, construction feasibility, efficiency, and low construction costs. “Atwell and Summit place a priority on getting it right the first time, which makes our services and company cultures an ideal fit,” said Brian Balls, Principal at Summit. “Similarly, both companies have strong reputations for expertise, experience, and responsiveness to their clients’ needs. The breadth of Atwell’s services will expand into Utah, providing greater opportunity for our clients.” “The team at Summit is focused on providing clients with the highest standards of quality, value, and service,” said Jeff French, Vice President of Real Estate and Land Development for Atwell. “We look forward to working with the Summit team and leveraging their decades of experience within their community. We’re very excited to expand our national reach by bringing Atwell into Utah to provide greater service options for our clients.” Atwell continues to expand its geographic footprint, service offerings, and capabilities through organic growth and strategic acquisitions. Summit is Atwell’s eighth acquisition over the past year. In the last two months, Atwell acquired Mead Gilman & Associates, a land surveying firm located in Woodinville, Washington, and Bay Engineering, a civil engineering, land surveying, and environmental services firm headquartered in Annapolis, Maryland. About Atwell Atwell, LLC is a national consulting, engineering, and construction services firm with more than 1,500 professionals located across the country. Creating innovative solutions for clients in industries such as real estate and land development, power and energy, oil and gas, and infrastructure and transportation, Atwell provides comprehensive turnkey services including land and right-of-way support, planning, landscape architecture, engineering, land surveying, environmental compliance and permitting, and project and program management.

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Construction

Introducing Standalone Takeoff Software by PlanHub: Simplifying preconstruction for everyone

PRWeb | September 01, 2023

PlanHub, the leading preconstruction software as a service (SaaS) company, is excited to announce that Takeoff Core, previously released as a cloud-based, integrated takeoff software built into PlanHub, is now also available as a standalone. Takeoff Core helps subcontractors perform takeoffs efficiently, eliminating the need for manual work, outdated desktop software, and complicated digital solutions. In preconstruction, time is money. The more time it takes to perform takeoffs and submit bids, the more subcontractors risk losing out on valuable revenue opportunities. Manual methods and locally installed desktop software can slow down takeoff processes, and many digital solutions currently on the market can be overly complex and not user-friendly. Takeoff Core relieves bottlenecks in the pre-construction workflow with automation that makes measuring and estimating faster and more accurate than traditional methods. It features a simple, user-friendly interface and intuitive measuring tools, so getting started is hassle-free. “We wanted to create an easy-to-use tool that helps subcontractors jumpstart their takeoff in minutes,” says Darius Shafie, Product Manager at PlanHub. “Takeoff Core does not require extensive onboarding or additional user training, so subcontractors can create takeoffs in as little as 15 minutes.” Accuracy is everything when it comes to takeoffs—manual takeoffs are more error-prone, and incorrect measurements can lead to insufficient (or excess) materials, costing difficulties, and lost project revenue. With Takeoff Core, subcontractors can modernize their takeoff process with a digital solution that helps mitigate risks by providing better takeoff accuracy than traditional pen and paper or outdated desktop solutions. Takeoff Core offers subcontractors a centralized hub to manage their takeoffs in a single place simply by uploading projects and their associated files. Team members can see takeoff statuses and collaborate in real time, regardless of where they are located. And because Takeoff Core is cloud-based, there is no software to upgrade or make manual updates to—it easily scales as a business achieves growth. "At PlanHub, our goal is to simplify preconstruction for everyone. Following overwhelming positive feedback from our subcontractor network using the new Takeoff Core, we are excited to make it available to all construction professionals, whether they have a contractor account with us or not. With Takeoff Core, we're giving contractors of all sizes powerful user-friendly tools to save time and work more efficiently," shares Ro Bhatia, CEO of PlanHub About PlanHub PlanHub is the data-driven platform transforming the preconstruction landscape within the construction industry. By empowering construction professionals with data insights and easy to use tools, PlanHub enables them to forge strong business relationships, streamline pre-construction processes, and make informed decisions effortlessly. PlanHub provides faster, simpler, and unmatched accuracy, laying a solid foundation for the rest of the construction process.https://planhub.com

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Construction

GC Powerhouse PCL Construction Chooses Industry-Leading STACK Construction Technologies as Its New Preconstruction Partner

Newswire | September 28, 2023

STACK Construction Technologies, a pioneering cloud-based construction platform, announced today a strategic partnership with PCL Construction, a globally renowned 8 billion-dollar in work per year General Contractor, to optimize PCL’s preconstruction process. PCL supports projects from small renovations to major sports complexes, and their team recognized a more powerful preconstruction solution was needed to support their continued growth and profitability. “As we broaden our capabilities and move further into the GC space, this partnership validates that STACK is a serious player in construction technology,” said Phil Ogilby, CEO and Co-Founder of STACK. “STACK is one of the most intuitive and collaborative preconstruction platforms in existence today. We’re thrilled to be able to offer STACK’s open API to help streamline the PCL workflow in a way that no other solutions on the market can.” The partnership is underscored by PCL and STACK’s commitment to innovation in the construction industry. After a rigorous evaluation of the market and multiple competitor software solutions, PCL chose STACK based on the platform’s data availability, cloud collaboration, data security, and integration capabilities. They are streamlining their preconstruction processes with STACK’s innovative and hyper-accurate takeoff feature to enhance their estimating capabilities. “As part of a modernization of our estimating solutions, experts within the PCL estimating team did a broad market scan for quantity takeoff solutions,” said Brad Ens, Preconstruction Manager for PCL Construction in Calgary, Alberta. “Our hands-on approach of evaluating several competing products included functional verification that ultimately led us to select STACK as our tool of choice for quantity takeoff.” By leveraging STACK's open API, PCL is able to seamlessly integrate their existing workflow to produce better estimating data. Through the cloud-based platform, PCL will have unparalleled flexibility and accessible data, increasing the precision of estimates, minimizing manual processes, and supporting better-informed decision-making. With over 30 offices across the US, Canada, Australia, and the Caribbean, STACK will also further empower PCL’s team collaboration. “A key decision criterion for PCL was based on the fact that STACK is built on a modern cloud technology platform which enables improved collaboration during the quantity takeoff process,” said Kevin Sundquist, Senior Relationship Manager, Business Technology at PCL Construction. “Equally important, STACK comes with a modern integration layer that allows us to realize efficiencies for our estimators by integrating takeoff into the rest of our estimating solution suite. This cloud-first approach aligns with our overall technology strategy, driving both technology and business efficiencies.” PCL is a powerhouse, consistently in Engineering News-Record’s Top 15 List and boasting a range of projects from San Diego Airport’s International Arrivals Terminal to Major League Soccer’s Los Angeles-based BMO stadium. The partnership between PCL and STACK marks the beginning of an exciting chapter for two of the most innovative companies in construction, where data-driven decision-making and digital solutions are poised to revolutionize preconstruction processes. As industry leaders, both organizations are committed to delivering outstanding results, setting new standards for advancement, and accelerating growth. “PCL has not only recognized us for our comprehensive, hyper-accurate takeoff solution, they’ve also recognized how we partner with them throughout the entire process,” said Raymond DeZenzo, CFO of STACK. “STACK is a true partner. We are dedicated to understanding the unique needs and challenges of each project undertaken by PCL and then tailoring development, training, and support to ensure that our solution seamlessly integrates into PCL's existing business process.” About STACK Construction Technologies From project evaluation to completion, contractors use STACK’s cloud-based software to help run their business and maximize their profits. Our preconstruction solutions enable fast and accurate takeoff and estimating, as well as providing a centralized hub where plans, specs, and other construction documents can be stored, evaluated, measured, and shared. Our construction solutions power real-time field and project collaboration by allowing teams to quickly and easily review, annotate, compare, and share plans, anywhere, from any device. STACK’s superior collaboration tools ultimately improve project outcomes and profitability for contractors. About PCL Construction PCL is a group of independent construction companies that carries out work across Canada, the United States, the Caribbean and in Australia. These diverse operations in the civil infrastructure, heavy industrial, and buildings markets are supported by a strategic presence in more than 30 major centers. Together, these companies have an annual construction volume of more than $8 billion, making PCL the largest contracting organization in Canada and one of the largest in North America. Watch us build at PCL.com.

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