We frequently operate in a vacuum in each of the areas that we work, often not really looking beyond our city or region to see what opportunities might exist for us. Where I am in California, the markets aren’t as robust as a year ago and margins/revenues are declining. The downturn is manifesting in California, but there are bright spots. In Las Vegas there are opportunities in the hospitality sector, which we project will continue for the remainder of the year, but there are challenges in the first part of the year there. I anticipate that many of AWCI members are seeing some of the same softening of the industry regarding their segment of the market or geographical location.
Part of my job as a leader in AWCI is to look at possible risks our industry faces and how we might best manage them in specific markets. It can at least appear on the surface that I am being cynical, but I am reminded by the good team of AWCI people around me that strong leadership is comprised of much more. Helping this association stay its course are hard-working people with a healthy dose of optimism, who are engaged in activities that remind us what is good about our industry now and coming.
Looking to the future, for many of us this is a time to assess our annual budgets. To get as accurate a picture as possible over the next year or two, it is a good idea to pore over projections, costs, etc. with your teams on possible future market conditions. If yours is a good-size company, you probably have people doing this, but where do smaller AWCI contractors who don’t have the internal resources go for help? AWCI, for one, offers a multitude of resources that can help members navigate varying market conditions.
With the holiday season coming I want to put a message of gratitude out, not only to the association and membership but to all the families and loved ones who depend on our industry. But the holidays can be challenging from a health and welfare standpoint for some. It is a time we ought to pay more attention to those folks. They might need a bit of advice or guidance such as to a resource within AWCI or another avenue for their well-being.
At the time of this writing, I was preparing to attend AWCI’s Industry Leaders Conference in Boston. This is a great annual event. If you haven’t attended it yet, try putting it on your calendar next year.
We are blessed to be part of this industry and our beloved United States of America.
Stay safe.
In addition to being 2023–2024 president of the Association of the Wall and Ceiling Industry, Travis Winsor is president and CEO of The Raymond Group, which has offices in California and Nevada.
