In the construction industry, advances in technology and current trends have driven the need for innovation and change. For an industry that has long been resistant to change, this is challenge that is slowly being overcome. To add to the difficulties, contractors are being asked to tackle more complex projects with fewer resources than ever before. As the 2018 busy season quickly approaches, contractors are dealing with tighter budgets, shorter timelines and a shortage of skilled laborers to do the work.
Workforce Gap
This is a challenge that that has changed over the past three years. According to Oldcastle Building Solutions, the industry’s main concern back in 2016 was unemployment. There were too many workers and not enough jobs. Today, the opposite is true. Perhaps most concerning is that this is not a problem that is going away anytime soon. In fact, the data shows that job openings are outpacing the number of jobs that are being filled, creating a gap of almost 50K workers per year.
Dealing with the ebbs and flows
Adding to the workforce challenge, contractors that are able to hire employees often deal with
hiring (and likely firing) a myriad of overpaid, underqualified workers. This leads to overloading the qualified employees with work that requires significant overtime just to stay on schedule. By the time the merry-go-round stops spinning, your reputation is intact, but your profit margins have all but disappeared.
An extension of your team
According to ConstructionDive.com, the way many contractors are dealing with this shortage is by finding ways to complete work off-site. In some cases, they say, taking construction off-site opens up “cost and time-saving opportunities for contractors and developers looking to speed up their project schedules.”
Developing partnerships with off-site fabricators can benefit contractors by adding to their team without subtracting from their bottom line. At least that is what you get when you partner with The L.E. Smith Company for your countertops and surfaces.
L.E. Smith offers a team of expert professionals who are ready to serve as an extension of your own team, and we take our job seriously. We believe that successful project implementation requires more than just a great supplier, it also requires a company that has excellent project management skills. By partnering with L.E. Smith, you gain one point of contact from start to finish who will provide logistics that match your construction schedule and ensure on-time delivery. Our project managers have extensive experience on large-scale projects, and we have the capacity, size and speed to exceed your project expectations.
Outsourcing the fabrication and installation or delivery of your projects’ surfaces can help you deal with workforce shortages and time constraints without sacrificing your profit. As a matter of fact, it can also help you produce more work, allowing you the opportunity to increase your revenue.
To learn more about how The L.E. Smith Company can help you increase your profit margin and reduce labor pains, contact us at https://www.lesmith.com/contact-us or call 419.636.4555.
