Editor’s
Viewpoint By Mark Buckshon
Publisher, Florida Construction News
We’re preparing this issue of Florida Construction
News for publication just before the Christmas holidays
begin, though you’ll probably be reading these words in
the New Year. The holiday season provides a break-
time for reflection and contemplation (as well as family
and personal connections) for the year ahead, which I
believe will be truly challenging.
Will the multi-year boom that has created labor
shortages in Florida’s construction market conclude?
Will technological changes including modular construc-
tion take hold in the marketplace, shaking up traditional
relationships and processes?
I cannot say for sure, because we cannot be sure of
all of the variables that will impact our business lives in
the months ahead. But I know that it is better to be pre-
pared for change than not; and that means understand-
ing what could happen technologically, and designing
robust business systems and rules so that you aren’t
caught off guard if the market shifts quickly.
Regardless of how things turn out, I think 2019 will
be an exciting and challenging year, and I’m looking for-
ward to the months ahead.
Let us know if there are stories you would like to
share, or topics you would like us to cover. You can
reach me by email at buckshon@floridaconstruction-
news.com or by phone at (888) 627-8717 ext 224.
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Florida Construction News combines a bi-monthly magazine
with a weekly newsletter and a website (updated daily), delivering
news, analysis and networking opportunities to Florida’s
architecture, engineering and construction community. The
magazine is distributed primarily online to 9,000 general contrac-
tors, specialty contractors, developers, professional services and
building owners throughout Florida.
For more information on promoting your business to our au-
dience and to request rates, see the advertising rates page on
the Floridaconstructionnews.com website. You can also contact
Chase at chase@floridaconstructionnews.com or phone him at
888-627-8717 ext 212.
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to Mark Buckshon at buckshon@floridaconstructionnews.com.
Florida Construction News is published by Construction
News and Report Publishing Inc. 332 S Michigan Ave, Ste 1032
- C319, Chicago IL 60604-4434.
Publisher: Chase
Interim editor:
Mark Buckshon
Production and design:
Raymond Leveille
Administration: Katherine Jeffrey, Kathy Lepage
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Florida gets "A" ranking in Merit Shop
Scorecard, ranking highest in nation
Florida Construction News staff writer
Florida topped the list this year
for the Associated Builders and
Contractors' (ABC) 2018 Merit Shop
Scorecard, an annual annual state
ranking based by the non-union
contractors' group “on policies and
programs that encourage open
competition, education and job
growth, and award construction
contracts based solely on merit, re-
gardless of labor affiliation.”
Florida vaulted from ninth posi-
tion in 2017 to first based on the
state’s free-enterprise and open-
competition approach to the con-
struction sector, increased career
and technical education opportuni-
ties and job growth rates. Mean-
while, Michigan saw the biggest
improvement in its ranking, rocket-
ing from 24th in 2017 to seventh
this year after the repeal of its pre-
vailing wage law, which will result in
greater competition and lower
costs for construction projects.
The Florida Merit Shop
Scorecard details
“States like Florida and Michigan
have built an environment that al-
lows merit shop construction con-
tractors to thrive,” said Ben
Brubeck, ABC’s vice-president of
regulatory, labor and state affairs.
“Prioritizing policies that support
small business owners, the Ameri-
can worker and the overall con-
struction sector spurs economic
growth, which directly leads to
more projects and therefore more
construction jobs across the coun-
try.” Comparatively, California tum-
bled from 38th to 50th this year due
to a decreased focus on workforce
development and careers in techni-
cal education, which remains a pri-
ority for ABC members and the
overall construction sector. Califor-
nia was trailed only by Illinois,
which was ranked last for the sec-
ond year in a row with an F rating in
project labor agreements, prevailing
wage, Right to Work and workforce
development incentives, according
to ABC’s scorecard.
“Much of the movement up and
down in the rankings was due in
part to the level of state policy-
maker support for workforce devel-
opment and technical education,”
said Brubeck. “With an estimated
500,000 open construction posi-
tions in the United States, it is es-
sential that states prioritize work-
force policies that recruit, educate
and benefit the American worker
and fill the skills gap.”
Now in its fourth year, Building
America: The Merit Shop Scorecard
rates state laws, programs, policies
and statistics to highlight those that
have created the conditions for
growth and identify areas where
strategic improvements are
needed. Criteria and definitions are avail-
able at meritshopscorecard.org.
Florida Construction News — DECEMBER 2018 - JANAURY 2019 – 3