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The housing market slowdown has prompted builders to seek price cuts from contractors in a bid to make new homes more affordable. By asking favorite contractors to charge less, or seeking bids from an expanded pool of contractors, builders hope to reduce costs by more than 10 percent. Contractors are playing ball because the alternative for them may mean no work. Builders are specifically trying to take advantage of a drop in lumber prices, which have fallen 6 percent in the last 12 months because of a slowdown in new-home construction, said Ken Simonson, a chief economist of the Associated General Contractors of America. With new-home closings falling four of the last five months in the valley, builders have cut back dramatically on home construction.
Company: Privately owned, award winning, main contractor undertaking high profile new build and refurbishment schemes up to £500m in value within the residential, Regeneration, commercial, and education sectors. Position: You will be responsible for the Management of the estimating, tendering and negotiation of schemes, working closely with Senior Management to incorporate competitive; design, construction and commercial aspects to ensure ultimate success. Person: Suitable applicants will have a UK Construction background and commercial or estimating experience. You may be working for a Contractor, Project Manager or a Client organisation and will have drive, enthusiasm and energy to lead and manage a team. Previous experience of co-ordinating Bid teams to ensure successful project awards is essential.
The rising cost of construction materials is forcing some West Valley cities to put the brakes on certain road projects or find other ways to deal with escalating prices.
In Glendale, one drainage-pipe and road-widening project was shortened from a mile to three-quarters of a mile. In Peoria, city officials are choosing one project over another. In Surprise, projects have been delayed as bids come in too high and are sent out for second and third rounds of bids.
In several cases, transportation officials have to explain to their respective city councils why the price tags are coming in higher than budgeted or why projects are taking longer to finish. .
Sept. 27 (Bloomberg) -- Shares of Iberdrola SA had their biggest-ever gain and Endesa SA, Spain's largest power company, surged after three bids were made for the utilities in two days. Iberdrola, Spain's second-largest power company, soared 16 percent after builder Actividades de Construccion & Servicios SA bought a 6.3 percent stake, leading investors to speculate a higher offer or merger may come. Endesa added 8.5 percent as E.ON AG raised its hostile offer and Gas Natural SDG SA, the nation's biggest gas provider, rose 10 percent. The utilities added more than 8 billion euros ($10 billion) to their combined value. Construction companies and foreign utilities want to secure a foothold in a power market that Spain's government forecast will expand faster that the European Union average through 2011.
Japan's Land, Infrastructure and Transport Ministry on Tuesday barred midsize general contractor Maeda Corp. from taking part in bidding for the ministry's construction projects for one month through Nov. 2. The ministry took the punitive action as two Maeda employees were arrested in September for alleged violation of the waste management law over the company's dumping of sewage from a condominium construction site in Yokohama into the sea off the eastern Japan city over a one-month period through late April, the ministry said. (Jiji Press) October 3, 2006 .
The construction of a micro-dam in Mirgats, Adi-Keyih sub-zone, has been finalized at a cost of 6.7 million Nakfa and gone operational. The micro-dam constructed by Bidho Construction Company has a capacity of holding over 157,000 cubic meters of water and is expected to irrigate 30 hectares. It would also provide potable water supply to the inhabitants of Embaquaquat and Mirgats, in addition to facilitating irrigation farming in the area. .
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