• Market trends on contractor pay practices (for mission critical positions, hot jobs, and new roles)
• “Must have” compensation and benefit plans for today’s and tomorrow’s workforce
• Offensive and defensive compensation approaches to attract and retain key talent

With more than 90% of E&C firms not being candidates for sale to a third party, owners should consider Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs) as a way to transition out of their businesses. In fact, there is a rising interest in ESOPs as an exit option for construction owners, according to FMI’s latest OTMS Survey. Many baby-boomer construction owners have embraced ESOP as a tool for their legacy, recruiting and retention, and the long-term sustainability of their company.

• Discussed current economic climate and M&A environment in the E&C market
• Evaluated the pros and cons of an ESOP versus selling to a third party
• Identified key considerations, including leadership development, bonding and financing

When most people think of planning for retirement and management succession, they think primarily about financial preparation and often neglect all other aspects of readiness. Major transitions like management succession hit us at the deepest places of our lives (identity, purpose and meaning, etc.). Because these topics are uncomfortable, they are easy to postpone. We explored the personal dynamics of management succession and retirement, both how they affect the organization as well as the personal and family implications and gave some practical next steps on how to move to the next chapter of life with confidence. This webinar was designed for senior executives and owners in the last decade of their career. Spouses were encouraged to join the webinar as well as these decisions have implications for the entire family system.

• Identified the most common emotional and social barriers that owners face when turning a business over to the next generation
• Got familiar with the stages of traditional retirement and explore contemporary alternatives
• Discovered next steps toward creating a personal action plan for a rewarding “encore career”

Varying strategic trends and market conditions affect M&A activity for engineering and construction firms, which can have a dramatic impact on the competitive landscape of the industry. We looked at what factors are currently impacting M&A activity in the E&C industry and what it means for 2019.

• Recapped the M&A activity in 2018 and explore specific strategic factors that may impact activity in 2019
• Discussed current trends, such as valuation, ownership demographics and various M&A strategies
• Shared the results and insights from FMI’s annual M&A Trends survey

In this webinar we reviewed the results of the 2019 AGC/FMI Risk Study. The research sheds light onto the shift toward in-house design, including perceived benefits and challenges of building in-house design capabilities. We provided insights into contractors’ perceptions around current and future risks, revealed how companies are managing risk differently, and compared this year’s results to our research from over the last three years.

• Discovered the trends driving contractors to increase in-house design capabilities, and the various approaches and associated risks and benefits for each
• Learned about the key risk management tools being implemented in today’s construction firms
• Found out how firms are adapting to the fast-changing technology environment from a risk management perspective

As the construction market continues to improve, owner investment continues, and capital programs increase in size, the idea around doing more with less remains constant. Coupling this with the growing size and complexity of projects, this combination of factors has created an environment where owners are looking for a comprehensive approach to design, construction and ultimately delivering projects in a timely fashion while still meeting the needs of multiple stakeholders. These factors place design-build at the forefront in addressing the demands of a changing market. In this webinar, FMI provided an overview of the growing design-build market and looked at why many project owners are transitioning to this popular project delivery method.

• Discussed the markets and segments where design-build is anticipated to grow through 2021
• Identified the geographies where design-build is most frequently being utilized
• Learned what is influencing owners to utilize design-build

This webinar presented our forecast of construction spending, including expectations for the various segments that make up the broader built environment in Canada. We discussed the ways in which the procurement preferences and practices of buyers are changing, along with the radical new ways services are being delivered and provide recommendations for positioning your organization for success in the coming year.

• Identified the markets and segments that are poised for expansion or contraction in 2019
• Discussed whether your customer approach resonates with the shifting demands and expectations of the market
• Discovered what other contractors are doing to prepare for the future delivery of construction services

Increasingly today, it is becoming more and more difficult for organizations to recruit and retain top employees. With the construction industry enveloped in a war for talent, professional pay levels have risen in many areas throughout the nation as organizations are offering higher wages to attract critical employees. The rise in labor costs has greatly affected company profit margins. As profit margins thin and labor costs rise, it is imperative that organizations take a data driven approach to closely monitor pay changes in their competing markets to remain equitable and competitive.

• Discussed why more construction firms should participate in compensation surveys to monitor wage changes in the market
• Explored FMI’s suite of compensation and benefits survey offerings
• Reviewed the benefits of participating in non-crowdsourced, statistically valid surveys

When faced with the succession challenge, many owners in the E&C industry don’t know where to begin. According to FMI’s 2017 OTMS Survey, “only 59% of respondents were confident in their successors’ ability to lead the business in the future.” Many next-generation leaders aren’t prepared to lead their business, and for baby boomers who have delayed their transition planning, the options are dwindling due to the amount of time needed for effective ownership and leadership transition. Now more than ever, companies need to raise the bar when it comes to developing and investing in leaders across the organization.

• Explored strategies for owners to successfully transition ownership while growing their companies
• Discussed the realities involved with selling your business and the preparation required to do it successfully
• Reviewed survey results and key findings from FMI’s 2017 OTMS Survey

Corporate America (as well as multiple research studies) widely acknowledge that there is a high correlation between the quality of corporate governance and long-term business success. In that vein, FMI recently completed a study to assess the corporate governance of Construction Industry Round Table (CIRT) firms to identify common factors that appear to either directly or indirectly support higher levels of business performance. During this webinar, we discussed the four major findings from the study and the implications to the E&C industry. We also ran participants through a short “assessment” to gain insight on their board’s current effectiveness followed by tips on where they can start moving their board towards a true peak-performing board that’s a strategic asset to the organization.

• Learned about the current state of corporate governance in the Engineering & Construction industry
• Explored what factors drive peak board performance
• Explored how participants’ boards measure up to best in class performance

Transitions are never easy, but none are harder than leaving a leadership position of influence, status and reward. Retirement, or even the thought of it, often deeply affects a person’s sense of purpose, identity, and sphere of relationships. Thoughtful leaders will give as much attention to their personal transition as they do to the organizational transition. This webinar guided participants in self-examination to prepare for a successful transition down the road.

• Discovered the impact of succession on the leader and his/her family
• Developed simple strategies to prepare for the impact of change
• Started planning how the next chapter of life can be just as engaging (minus most of the stress!)

Much is made of the potential for automation of the construction industry to deliver improvements to projects and operations. Meanwhile, labor productivity remains a concern for many in the industry, and which is compounded by the challenge of labor shortages. How then can automation and improvements in construction management workflow deliver tangible improvements to labor productivity and reduce the impact of a nationwide labor shortage?

This webinar looked at recent emerging trends in the field of automation, field digitization, the widespread adoption of construction field applications and overall successes in operational excellence through the lens of construction labor productivity. It assessed where improved process and technologies offer solutions to lingering labor productivity challenges, and where contractors that are looking to improve operating conditions on job sites should focus. It also reviewed some key success factors that have been observed across recent technology deployments as enabling solutions.

• Learned emerging trends in construction labor productivity and technology and automation that can improve labor management, productivity and project performance
• Created opportunities and value delivered through the adoption and deployment of impactful tech and automation
• Learned the key requirements to drive successful outcomes from technology initiatives