by Simplar | May 7, 2026 | Financial Management and Risk, Financial Management and Risk, Financial Management and Risk, Growth, Growth, Weekly Construction Message
Despite its vast size ($2 trillion in annual sales) and impact on the nation’s economy, the construction industry remains, at its core, a collection of small businesses. Unlike other American industries, construction has never become a darling of Wall Street,...
by Simplar | Apr 30, 2026 | Built Environment, Business of Construction, Leadership, Leadership, Organization Transformation, Weekly Construction Message
My career as an educator and consultant to the construction industry has followed an unusual path through every aspect of this amazing industry. It is from a unique background that I evaluate our industry and am inspired to share some lessons learned. I quit high...
by Simplar | Apr 9, 2026 | Business of Construction, Business, Strategic & Project Planning, Business, Strategic and Project Planning, Business, Strategic and Project Planning, Leadership, Organization Transformation
We are discussing how unexamined beliefs about the nature and structure of the construction business transaction have had a corrosive effect on contractor profit margins for the past 50 years. The resulting standard business practices followed by all construction...
by Simplar | Apr 2, 2026 | Built Environment, Business of Construction, Contracting Methods, Financial Management and Risk, Financial Management and Risk, Organization Transformation, Risk Management, Risk Management
I have been haranguing the industry for years about what is wrong with the contracting business model. Many of you agree with my discomfort but ask, “How do we change the long-held structure of the standard construction financial transaction?” Let’s...
by Simplar | Mar 19, 2026 | Built Environment, Business of Construction, Organization Transformation, Organizational Change Management, Organizational Change Management, Project Delivery, Weekly Construction Message
Contractors are either selling finished buildings (highways, bridges, etc.) to ultimate owners or they are providing owners with construction services. Not both. The legal structure of construction contracts holds the contractor responsible not only for erecting a...
by Simplar | Mar 12, 2026 | Built Environment, Business of Construction, Organization Transformation, Partnering, Planning, PM, Project Delivery, Weekly Construction Message
I closed last week’s blog with a plea to the industry to join me in my 2026 mission to double the construction industry’s net profit margins. Let’s begin by looking back at the double-digit profit margins that the industry enjoyed during the era...
