TOGETHER, WE CAN WIN IN 2024 | April 2024

We have seen some incredible force majeure-type challenges in the last few years and we’re all trying to predict what the next threat will be. Though we don’t know for sure, there are a few creeping up to start thinking about that will keep us on our toes:

• Material quality issues. We already have shortages and delays, but recently, other challenges are creeping in (Example: thin brick panels cracking and disintegrating before installation.) This could be an indication that the vendor was pushed on schedule and has manufactured outside their quality control protocol, or it could be the result of a shortage of skilled labor. Utilizing a good quality program can help mitigate the issues, but
delays could still arise from it.

• Interest rates. We can anticipate interest rate reductions, which on the one hand is a good thing and will
reopen opportunities for work. However, reductions will inevitably put further pressure on an already strained labor force as well as increase the potential for material shortages, cost increases and delays. It further exasperates schedule issues. We need to be knowledgeable, so we can educate our clients and build cost and time into the projects.

While it would be nice to have a crystal ball to predict the future, it’s a better idea to prepare by building a well-trained, informed team. Keystone has one of the best ABC training programs in the nation, and offers a wide range of courses, apprenticeships, peer groups, and other informative events. Here are some of the highlights that Keystone Offers:

• 11 Apprenticeship Programs that include: Assembler/Pre-Engineered Metal Buildings, Carpentry, Craft Labor, Plumbing/ Pipefitting, Heavy Equipment Operator, Electrical, HVAC, Masonry, Plumbing, Roofing, Sheet Metal

• 123 Career Development Courses with everything from blueprint reading to superintendent training.

• A new Nittany Valley HR Peer Group

• Hot Topic Seminars coming soon to include “Improving Payment & Cash Flow.”

There is no doubt ABC Keystone has done a tremendous job in providing all the tools and resources necessary to put our companies in a position to succeed. It is up to all of us individually and collectively to take full advantage of these opportunities and make sure we are informed and engaged, so we can win in 2024 and it starts today!