Stimulus funding boosts construction projects, but

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Stimulus-funded projects are one of the few brightt spots for theconstruction industry, along with energty projects and military base realignment work, Simonson The unemployment rate for the construction industry is more than 19 double the rate for the economy as a whole, he noted. Road repair projects can be awarded quickly comparedr with other types of construction Simonson said, which is why so many pavin crews have found work.
There’s stil l a lot of stimulus money that will be spent on watee andwastewater projects, he Plus, the and the have releasef long lists of construction projects that will be awardedr in the coming Simonson’s association gathered a handful of contractor s for a conference call touting the benefits of stimulus work. Christianb Zimmerman, president of Pike Industries in Walpole, N.H., said his companuy has added 100 workers thanka to the dozen stimulus contracts his company has These contracts also enabled his compang to avoid laying off more than100 workers. “Mosty of the jobs we’re getting are paving jobs,” Zimmermahn said.
Don Laskey, president of in Coos Bay, said his company was glad to geta stimulus-fundef paving contract even though the company won’t make a lot of monegy on it. His company is trying to improve its managemeny to compensate for the lower profit margin and “come out on the other end of it as a bette r company,” he said. Simonsobn said some water and wastewater projectx are being delayed becauswe the stimulus bill requires the useof American-madre steel, iron and equipment in stimulus-funded Laskey, whose company also buildss water-treatment plants, said vendors have told him that a lot of the materialx needed for stimulus projects aren’t even made in the Unite States any more.
“That’ s what’s really sad about the whole he said. The cited the problemsd the “Buy American” provision are causing for stimulud projects in a June 2 letter to memberesof Congress. Federal agencies are balancingthe “Buy provision with obligations the United States has under variousa trade agreements, but many state and local governmentds are not, the chamber noted. As a even some U.S. manufacturers are beingt barred from stimulus projects becausethey “rely on globalp production chains that integrate component from U.S. and foreigmn sources,” the chamber noted.
“It is oftenb impossible to avoid sourcingy at least a portion of their content fromothet countries.” The chamber urged Congress to reject “Buhy American” provisions in future legislation.