Employment Opportunities from One of the Top Trucking Companies

The American Trucking Associations states that, “The trucking industry is the lifeblood of the U.S. economy. Nearly 70% of all the freight tonnage moved in the U.S. goes on trucks. Without the industry and our truck drivers, the economy would come to a standstill.” Furthermore, they point to a direct correlation between an uptick in construction and a rise in the demand for trucking services.  This is great news for drivers as many trucking companies are actively seeking new drivers.    

Trucking has always been important to the success of construction as it is the process in which cement, aggregates, lumber, and other building materials are moved to and from a project site.  At The Conco Companies, we consider experienced trucking services so vital to a project staying on budget and meeting deadlines, that we started our own trucking company. 

Reliable Trucking brings to the industry professional construction hauling services for the safe and dependable transportation of cement, aggregates and other construction materials. Our services are currently available to our California and Southern Oregon customers.

We run Reliable Trucking with the same attention to detail as we do all of our other companies.  Our construction vehicles are routinely serviced and maintained, and strictly adhere to safety standards and regulations set by the Department of Transportation.  Furthermore, our professional drivers all hold a CDL and are trained in-house on accident prevention, regulatory compliance and driver courtesy. 

Currently Reliable Trucking has job postings for Bulk Pneumatic Drivers with openings in Redwood City, Martinez, Stockton, and Woodland.  Requirements include a Class A license with doubles/triples and tank endorsements.  While we prefer experience with pneumatic trailers, it is not necessary.  These jobs involve local deliveries and offer competitive wages and medical and retirement benefits. 

We also have openings for Bottom Dump Drivers in Redwood City and Martinez.  For both positions a clean DMV and no failed drug tests are a must.  Please see our website for all the job details and how to apply. 

Conco is one of the foremost suppliers of concrete services for the Western U.S. We got our start in 1959 in the Bay Area by offering clients the best value on a broad range of concrete services and products.  Since that time, we have taken a leading role as top concrete contractors in the region. We have four regional offices serving California, Oregon, Nevada, Colorado and Washington.

Source: trucking.org/News_and_Information_Reports.aspx

Construction Industry Experiencing Shortage of Skilled Labor

An article from Tradesmen International reports on a recent survey from the Associated General Contractors of America that close to 80 percent of construction businesses are having problems finding skilled labor.  The survey indicates the labor shortage was first noticed around 2011 and is “now in full bloom, with repercussions being felt throughout the nation.”  In fact a spokesperson for the NAHB notes that the building industry could be growing faster if the labor shortage was not an issue. 

Much of the problem stems from that fact that during the last recession, construction and manufacturing were two of the hardest hit industries.  According to the publication, Finance and Commerce, “The U.S. lost about 2.1 million construction jobs from December 2007 when the recession began through January 2011, when industry employment hit its lowest level since 1996.” 

This resulted in many workers leaving the industry and going back to school or retraining for jobs in the business or service sectors.  Furthermore, without the prospects of jobs, the number of young people enrolling in vocational and technical programs declined.  Another problem is that our skilled construction workers are growing older.  In fact a 2012 report from EMSI states 53% of skilled-trade workers in the U.S. were 45 years or older. 

However there is some good news for the industry.  Many companies are making an effort to recruit young workers and get the word out about the benefits of well-paying jobs in construction.  Also to train more skilled workers, states are expanding community college and vocational training programs to help meet the demand. The celebrity, Mike Rowe, is even getting into the act by leading a campaign to promote skilled labor careers and alternative education programs.

At The Conco Companies, we are one of the leading concrete contractors in the Western U.S. and offer a wide range of quality services and products.  Our experience includes providing services for commercial, educational, parking and other construction development as well as public works projects.  We serve California, Washington State, Oregon, Colorado and Nevada.

Sources: tradesmeninternational.com/news/the-construction-labor-shortage-where-did-all-the-skilled-labor-go/

finance-commerce.com/2013/08/labor-shortages-slow-us-home-rebound/#ixzz2tgl8ed7w

The Tradition behind the “Topping Off Ceremony”

Just like many groups of workers, the construction industry also has its own set of traditions and ceremonies.  One such interesting tradition is the “topping off (or topping out) ceremony,” which is a builders’ rite held when the last beam is placed atop a structure during construction.  

The tradition started out as a religious rite in ancient Scandinavian countries.  Wikipedia states that the practice consisted of placing a tree atop a newly finished building as a way to “appease the tree-dwelling spirits displaced in its construction.”  To mark the celebration, a meal was prepared for the workers and a toast made to the success of the project.    

In America the topping off ceremony usually includes painting the last beam white and then having it signed by all the construction workers as well as the rest of the team involved in the construction project.  Another part of the tradition is to place an evergreen tree or leafy branch on top of the last beam along with the American flag; although if a death occurred as a result of the construction process, a tree is not used.  A meal or a toast may be included, and it is often used as an opportunity to hold a media event to promote the new building.  

Along with the U.S., the tradition is still common in Canada, the United Kingdom, Austria, Iceland, Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Poland among others.   Another tradition, Pannenbier, which means (roof) tile beer, is popular in the Netherlands and Flanders.  It involves hanging a flag up once a building reaches its highest point.  The World Library site says, “The flag (usually the national, regional or city flag) then stays in place until the owner of the building provides (free) beer to the workers, after which the flag is lowered. It is considered greedy if the flag is flown for more than a couple of days.”

At The Conco Companies, we are a leading concrete contractor in the Western U.S. and offer a wide range of quality services and products.  Our experience includes providing services for commercial, educational, parking and other construction development as well as public works projects.  We serve California, Washington State, Oregon, Colorado and Nevada.

Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topping_out, worldlibrary.org/articles/topping_out

The Evolution of Skyscrapers in the Early Twentieth Century

Sales Force Tower

Working on the Salesforce Tower in San Francisco and the Wilshire Grand Center in Los Angeles, we have a newfound respect for the advancements made over the last century in the construction of skyscrapers.   Developments in engineering techniques made it easier to construct tall buildings as well as to live in them, and New York City was at the center of some of the most progressive tower designs. 

During the first decades of the twentieth century, America experienced an upsurge in skyscraper construction as the demand for more modern office space grew.  This period saw the construction of such iconic buildings as the Flatiron in 1902.  Located on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, the steel-framed, 22-story building is considered to be a revolutionary skyscraper.  The wedge-shaped building is situated on the triangular block of Fifth Avenue, Broadway and East 22^nd Street, and got its name from the resemblance to a “cast-iron clothes iron.”  In 1989, it was designated a National Historic Landmark.  

Other outstanding buildings from that era include the Singer Tower at Liberty Street and Broadway in Lower Manhattan's Financial District.  The 47-story headquarters of the Singer Manufacturing Company was completed in 1908 and stood 612-feet tall.  The building was demolished in 1968.  The Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Tower, built in the Renaissance Revival and Gothic architectural styles, was 700-feet tall and opened in 1909. 

The Woolworth Building is another prominent building from the early twentieth century.  Furthermore, over a century after the start of its construction, the 792-foot tall building is still one of the one-hundred tallest buildings in the U.S. and one of the thirty tallest buildings in New York City.  Opened in 1913, it was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1966. 

TheConco Companies are the foremost supplier of concrete services for the Western U.S. We have built a reputation on superior concrete formwork, reinforcing, place and finish, shotcrete and other ancillary services that benefit from our vast experience. Our four regional offices serve California, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, and Nevada. 

Sources: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Early_skyscrapers, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flatiron_Building