| Author | Message | ||
     Swampy |
I have a friend in the home insurance remediation business. He is making a ton right now. He has been spending a ton also fixing his car and he has taken me to look at bikes for him. He loves the Uly but doesn't want to spend the money for a first bike. The economy is just humming along, on the other hand the Little Kid lost his job as a milker this weekend, something better will come along, he is in college for nursing and can really use some tuition money. I just spent over $25 on a Rigid shovel, mught as well get the best if you can, they tend to hang around forever if you don't break them. | ||
| Jon |
The competition for projects in the construction market out here is brutal. We bid and bid and bid as thoroughly and professionally as possible and toss in a measure of risk, lower our mark-up to minimums and get sniped by firms even more desparate than us. We have had two rounds of lay-offs and we keep fighting. We have had some success, but we need more. This is a very serious time in major projects construction, let me tell you. | ||
| Glitch |
The competition for projects in the construction market out here is brutal. Out this way as well. | ||
| Ferris_von_bueller |
Supply and demand. Let's face it - there are way too many construction companies. It's going to take time to weed out out the low ball'rs in construction. Unfortunately, they are going to take down a lot of competent firms with them in the process | ||
| Glitch |
Unfortunately, they are going to take down a lot of competent firms with them in the process And the low ballers will fail with all the back charges because of re-work, poor quality, and lack of skill. But never fear, they'll get bailed out. We can not tolerate failure, no matter the cause. Supply and demand. There seems to be a good supply, it more seems like a lot of rules are demanding unfair things like, if you're not a union shop you've got a strike against you. The independents are suffering. | ||
| Corporatemonkey |
Funny story with construction companies. I have a friend of mine that has been searching for a commercial plumber for a high end condo bathroom remodel. In this economy I figure people would be knocking her door down for a $40k job. No one will return her call...  | ||
| Glitch |
No one will return her call... No kidding, that is odd. | ||
| Wolfridgerider |
I go from nothing to full bore.. to nothing and now it wide open again... steady would be nice! But I'll take what I can get!! | ||
| Buellinachinashop |
Our economy will go as the price of oil and gas will. If prices keep hiking upwards tword $3.00 a gallon again, that will give automakers and some airlines the death blow. | ||
| Spatten1 |
Construction is a local business. If you are on the Gulf Coast right now, you are probably doing fine. I got laid off last month from a company that focuses on construction consulting, on a national basis. Revenue was down 50%, people had to go. Great time to hit the road on a Buell. | ||
| Ferris_von_bueller |
It's better here in the Mid-Atlantic than most places but that's because of the huge presence of the federal government which never stops spending money. There are several billion dollar projects underway or set to start that are keeping the large contractors busy. Florida is on life-support | ||
| Glitch |
There are several billion dollar projects underway or set to start that are keeping the large contractors busy. Not to get political or anything, but that only helps union, with all the govt spending, unions get first dibs on everything. Hurting the independent contractors, and sub-contractors, being an independent anything now a days is really getting difficult, nearing impossible. Hopefully this week. We're giving it a go. Soil-Tek (erosion control & the employer of Mrs Glitch) is starting Turf-Tek (residential landscaping). I'll be heading this venture starting tomorrow. We already have a few accounts, and looking for more. Please, wish us luck! | ||
| Wolfridgerider |
Turf-Tek sounds like a class I should have taken before getting lost in WV and following the GPS blindly down a County Rd..... LOL Best of luck!! | ||
| Ferris_von_bueller |
Not to get political or anything, but that only helps union, with all the govt spending, unions get first dibs on everything. Glitch, I dont know what goes on where you live but that isn't the case here in the D.C. area. In the 20 odd years I've been in the electrical field we've only been sub-contracted to one union general contractor. Furthermore, government construction contracts are competitive bid. MC Dean http://www.mcdean.com/index.htm, one of the largest non-union electrical contractors in the world, routinely works on large government jobs - the Pentagon renovation comes to mind. | ||
| Glitch |
I was only going by all the bids going to the DOT work promised in the Stimulus Bill. | ||
| Paw |
The topic of thid post is: When will this economic situation heal? WHEN AMERICANS START BUYING AMERICAN COMPANY PRODUCTS!!! Get your head out of you asses and keep the money here...Quit sending it over sea's. I try my hardest to buy, made in USA. If I can not then I will buy and American companies product first. The more cash flow here in the USA will help big time!!!!!!!!!!! (Message edited by paw on May 28, 2009) | ||
| Spatten1 |
WHEN AMERICANS START BUYING AMERICAN COMPANY PRODUCTS!!! I thinks it's actually about us selling things at competitive prices so we can export to other countries and get domestic customers for the same reason. We can have high wages and buy high priced US goods and have less, and wreck our economy because we are not exporting anything. Or We can make less and buy cheaper goods on the free market, and start exporting competitively priced goods again, and get our economy growing again. Either way our standard of living goes down, but one way gives us very little future, and the other makes us strong again. High wages and high prices with very little exporting, or lower wages and lower prices with exports. We need to import what we can't make efficiently, and export what we are best at and can be most competitive with. You can't beat that math for too long, it's like defying gravity. That won't happen until Americans have a realistic expectation for wages and lifestyle. Things need to go back 30 years in terms of lifestyle. I know I had less growing up, and I'm willing to go back to that lifestyle if America can rebuild it's manufacturing base. | ||
| Etennuly |
Well, the housing industry is usually the bench-mark of how the economy is going. Somewhere in the housing industry is the usage of moving trucks. I am in the business of keeping these trucks on the road, be it damage repair or maintenance. When the rental truck for moving business picks up, usually six months later the government will notify the public that the economy is doing better. I have witnessed the up and down trends for nearly eighteen years so far through my relationships with these companies. Right now we are busy and have future work lined up like we haven't seen since early '06. Just before the actual decline began. My out look now is that we are on an up swing. If it continues, stays steady, in six months the numbers that come out will be good. Other things will have to factor in of course, like the war program not staying of the front page, and gas prices will need to stabilize, then come back down after vacation season. | ||
| Wolfridgerider |
If I could down size and not lose my a$$, I would do it in a heart beat. We are pretty good at kicking ass... maybe we should take on the job of WORLD POLICE and make money that way..... Wait a minute?!?!? we have that job but guess who is paying for it..... LOL WE ARE SUCKERS!! Lets talk about GM moving a good bit of their production to China!! Using OUR tax dollars to fund it!! WOOOO HOOO Grabbing my ankles as I type this!! Thank you SIR!! CAN I HAVE SOME MORE!! | ||
| Doerman |
Etennuly: Interesting tidbit there | ||
| Spatten1 |
Very interesting Etennuly. Damn good to hear, seeing as how I'm going to beg for a job at lunch today. | ||
| Halffast |
When will this economic situation heal? When we stop electing people who have never actually worked for a living. All we seem to elect are rich boys who have had everything handed to them from day one. Obama tries to pass himself off as a regular guy. How many regular guys have a degree from Harvard? How many regular guys made $2.7mil last year and 4.2mil in 2007? How about electing people who know what it's like to EARN their money? How about electing people who believe that the best way to get out of financial trouble is to STOP irresponsible spending, not increase it? | ||
| Spike |
Woah Nellie! That there is crazy talk. You need to use far less common sense when thinking about economics and politics. Read more Keynes. No matter how much debt you accrue, the answer is to always spend more. Spending fixes everything. | ||
| Halffast |
Common sense is not very common anymore.  | ||
| Spatten1 |
Good one spike. If I remember my econ from 20 years ago, I think deficit spending in recession is fine, IF you spend less than than you bring in during good economic times. Once again, the good old politicians keep looking at one side of the equation..... | ||
| Wolfridgerider |
What a difference a phone call makes!! Just got a call from the parent company that bought out my largest customer.... Building has been on hold ever since.... It looks like they are about to kick the dog in the ass and start doing a BUNCH of face lift work on older stores!! WOOO HOOO... The Project Manager couldn't believe I had the file for a project we did over 11 years ago at my finger tips... Needless to say I have a customer call next Wednesday! Better wash the Uly! | ||
| M1combat |
Mid to late 2011. | ||
| Court |
>>>How many regular guys made $2.7mil last year and 4.2mil in 2007? . . . . without having even worked. Cool gig if you can get it, but far removed from that vaunted "real world experience" that they are lauding their nominee for. I was a "late 1st quarter 2010" but wouldn't argue with late this year. I've had 3 job offers in the last month that are "dream jobs", two Project Executive on Nuke plants and one $5B electrical job in Texas . . . and today unemployment (to the amazement of the government) is showing signs of abating it's rise. The funny thing is that not one red cent of YOUR $1,000,000,000,000 of stimulus money has hit the system yet, save for things like $800,000 for the new playground equipment in Charlie Rangel's neighborhood park. I'm excited and watching this . . . I'm feeling a "life change" in the works. | ||
| Etennuly |
A disclaimer: The above mentioned prediction by me, on the economy, is of an un-scientific, non-educated in the field, old hat observation kind of guess. Personally I haven't staked more than the farm and my life savings on it(it was there anyway). I recommend you do further study before using my observations to make any decisions for your future. I can no longer be held accountable for what happens in this World economic problem. It is not my fault, I kept spending as needed. | ||
| Midknyte |
...Somewhere in the housing industry is the usage of moving trucks... Moving in to, or out of, houses? We're planning to return to renting. I no longer look upon a house as an investment (and never thought of it as a particularly good one to begin with)... |
