New Kids on the Block

At the time of this writing, summer is more than half gone, jobs are bidding, labor is short, and materials are going up … what’s new? Well, I want to talk to you about something that is new: the reincarnation of AWCI’s Young Executives Council. You may recall that I talked about […]

AWCI on the Job

Sept. 15 Is Early-Bird Registration Deadline If you have not yet registered for AWCI’s Industry Executives’ Conference & Committee Week, Oct. 14–18, 2008, in Honolulu, do so today! The early-bird conference registration deadline is Sept. 15. Register for AWCI’s fall conference before the deadline and save $50; after Sept. 19, registration fees […]

Construction Trends

Certification Bodies Announced for LEED Green Building Rating System As a part of the broader vision for LEED V3, the certification bodies for the LEED Green Building Rating System have been announced. Well-known and respected for their role in certifying organizations, processes and products to ISO and other standards, they are: • ABS Quality […]

Two-fer (or Not), Part 2

Last month I stated pretty emphatically that I believe the most effective approach to structuring the management of a commercial drywall operation includes dividing the estimating and project management into two separate departments—the “divided house” model, as I termed it. In retrospect, I think I have some serious qualifying to do before I continue down […]

Twenty Years Down the Wall & Ceiling Road

Someone you’ve probably never heard of, Heraclitus, was the first person to realize that “The only constant is change.” It was truish then, 2,500 years ago, and it is truish now. AWCI member contractors agree in that, looking 20 years down the road, things will be quite different; and yet […]

How Robert A. Aird Gets—and Keeps—the Competitive Edge

Educating for Success “We preach, encourage and foster continual education in the company, both formal and in the field,” says Robert A. Aird, co¬-owner, with his wife, Judy, of Robert A. Aird, Inc., Frederick, Md. “We want our mechanics to show our laborers and apprentices how to do things, our foremen to continually train […]

World’s Largest Preassembled Metal Domes Raised in Annapolis

The world’s largest ground-assembled metal domes were lifted into position atop the 16-story condominium named Grandview at Annapolis Town Centre at Parole on July 19, 2009, in Annapolis, Md. The three 38-foot diameter metal domes were assembled and installed by CitiRoof Corporation, Columbia, Md., and were manufactured by Lancaster Domes, Mount Joy, […]

AWCI on the Job

Stucco—Doing It Right Will Debut in Minneapolis Stucco—Doing It Right, AWCI’s newest addition to the Doing It Right series of educational programs, will debut in Minneapolis on Sept. 25, 2008. Developed under the guidance of an expert oversight group made up of contractors and manufacturers, some of the topics covered include codes […]

AWCI Is Flourishing

Time flies. It seems I just finished last month’s article for the magazine and it’s that time again. AWCI’s Executive Committee just returned from Niagara Falls where it held its June meeting marking the end of the association year. We reviewed the outcome of the association’s year and approved the 2008–2009 budget and […]