Outlook: SCA: Construction industry expects continued growth

The Springfield Contractors Association has developed from a group of a dozen general contractors who began meeting in 1953. We now have 350-plus member firms, all of which are engaged in the commercial construction piece of our local economic pie.

We have become one of the premier contractor associations in the country, and we continue to enjoy independence from any national organization, as well as offering personalized service to our membership.

When I served as SCA president in 1990, we were beginning to see signs of some good construction years ahead, and indeed, the last eight to 10 years have been good and the prospects are good for 2001.

Industry sources nationally agree the 2001 projection for the construction industry is a positive one, although no expansion can continue endlessly.

Our local industry has enjoyed continuing growth in the medical and manufacturing fields, as well as ongoing projects in the educational and religious sectors. We also have seen a real boom in the infrastructure needed for our burgeoning economy. This translates to plenty of work for those who engage in nonresidential construction.

One of the biggest challenges facing our industry is the need for dedicated, skilled craftspeople and laborers. Although our industry, like all others, is becoming more dependent upon electronic technology, buildings and roads and bridges will always require the hearts and hands of their builders to see completion.

Our organization takes an active role in recruiting and training our future work force, and I believe the next decade will see some real progress in creating programs to meet these needs.

SCA members will continue our committee work with all levels of government, design professionals and owners. We have been able to influence many of the processes and procedures to ensure a mutually beneficial system for all. We have learned, through experience, that working in concert with all parties on a construction project makes everyone's job easier and more productive.

(Bill Adams is the 2001 president of the Springfield Contractors Association.)