Throughout the last 12 months, Walls & Ceilings has heard reports on lay-offs, downsizing, bankruptcy, an unusually high number of bidders and more. When the magazine reported on remodeling last year, everyone knew or expected that the worst was yet to come.
Don’t count on the demise of gypsum wallboard anytime soon. The transformation of gypsum wallboard manufacturing from a traditional smokestack industry to a 21st century sustainable manufacturing powerhouse is already well underway.
The Ray Burbank family has called Washington State home for 100 years, and their family business, Burbank Stucco and Drywall Inc., has called Washington home for 40 years.
I recently read a book to my two young sons about a car that went too fast and then suddenly “Bing, Bang, Boom, Crash, Disaster!” It made me think about where we are at in our economy, in our construction industry, and even inside our own companies.
The stimulus bill approved by Congress is intended to jolt the economy out of recession. The best forms of stimulus are ones that take effect quickly and bring a long-term payoff. Weatherization fits the bill and community action programs that will disburse the funds must look to the private sector to service its enormous needs.
Tough times can alter an industry. Is it possible that this recession may again alter our industry? Anyone familiar with the walls and ceilings industry may remember how the last deep recession in the late 1970s resulted in the craft unions losing the major share of their market. In 1975, the trade unions made up to 80 percent of all construction; today, the union share is about 13 percent.
One of the first LEED certified buildings I ever toured was a large corporate office headquarters building in Wisconsin. My tour guides, the building’s architect and corporation executive, proudly announced that the building had achieved LEED Gold.
Imagine ordering a sandwich from a deli, but instead of it coming ready to eat, one server brings the bread, later another person from down the street brings the meat, and after that someone else from another restaurant provides the cheese, lettuce and pickles.
In most industries, franchises have a much higher success rate than independent companies. That’s because franchises leave nothing to chance. Virtually all of their operations represent best practices that have been written into a series of procedures governing everything from “how to keep the books” to “how to greet customers” to “how to perform technical tasks.”
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