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Construction

Oct 07 2020
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Renewable Energy: What the Future Holds

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There are many different sectors and industries today trying to implement renewable energy. It has easily become one of the hottest topics discussed today. The main reason for renewable energy is to create a greener more efficient source that will have less of an effect on our world atmosphere. Not too many years ago, the government was making a push for more renewable energy and was offering subsidies for industrial size solar, wind, and other renewal plants. This was because the price tag on such plants were very costly and companies could not see the incentives in pushing the narrative without equity in the business. However, technology today is a bit more advanced than when we first started pushing for greener solutions and renewable energy is becoming the more sensible solution for many everyday.

The Next 10 Years

Renewable energy is expected to boom over the next foreseeable future. Wind power leads the way when it comes to cost efficiency but solar power is making it’s name as the more predominant source of renewable energy. Solar power can also come in many more forms than other renewable trends. This is in the case of panels to power housing, industrial sized solar plants supplying grids, and newer versions of solar windows powering commercial buildings and be tested on vehicles. With new technologies and drastic pricing drops within the different forms of renewable energy, investors are expected to invest roughly $10 trillion over the next 10 years. (DiLallo, 2020)

Other Notable Renewable Technologies

Although, solar and wind seem to be at the top of everyone’s mind when it comes to renewable energy sources, there are many other new innovative sources that have either been commissioned already or are in their test phase. Some of the most interesting technologies introduced in my are eyes are the specific types of geothermal plants that produce energy from the heat in the earth. Examples include the Salton Sea Power Station in Calipatria, California and the Nesjavellir Geothermal Power Station in Iceland that draws it heat and energy from volcanic land. These types of plants can produce upwards of 50 Megawatts and power thousands of homes. Another form innovative energy that my management team at P4P Construction has witnessed first hand is a municipal waste biofuels product. Fulcrum Sierra Biofuels plant is currently being construction In the Reno/Tahoe Industrial Center in Sparks, Nevada. It is a first of its kind industrial biofuels plant that burns municipal waste and filters it to create what is known and Syncrude oil. This Syncrude oil is in return processed into jet fuel. Who thought that we would be burning our waste one day to create cleaner forms of energy. There are many variations to create power and many companies are beginning to think outside the box to help create a competitive advantage within the renewable energy industries.

In Conclusion

Whether you agree with the push for a greener renewable energy or you are firmly okay with the more traditional ways of fossil fuels and nuclear power, renewable energy is here to stay. P4P’s management team has had the opportunity to experience first hand how such projects are built and perform. We have helped manage the construction of such plants as Solana Solar Plant in Gila Bend, Arizona, Mohave Solar in Barstow, CA, Palo Verde Nucleur Plant in Tonopah, AZ and our most recent experience of the new Fulcrum Sierra Biofuels Plant in Sparks, NV. With the advancement of renewable energy and the forecasted investments in the near future, P4P and many other companies should be able to employ thousands of tradesman and help economical growth in the U.S.

Oct 01 2020
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Employee Incentives to Keep Your Company Thriving!

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Employee Incentives: The P4P Way!

Employee incentives have become more and more critical in the times of the world pandemic. This is on top of the lack of skilled labor that the new times have brought to the construction industry. For many reasons, the newer generations are focusing more on schooling and technological aspects instead of the blue-collar trades that companies like P4P Construction need to be successful. You add this with social distancing, mask, new safety procedures, and projects still having time restraints; organizational change is a must. P4P has implemented an incentive program that helps retain our key employees and progresses our culture in a way that is second to none.

The P4P Way

P4P’s new incentives program has different tiers that leaves no employee left behind. Our human resource team has been proficient in the ways of tracking each workers’ individual hours and days on any given project. Well, P4P Construction wanted to implement an incentive-based plan for all employees from top to bottom that is equal across the board. There are many different forms of incentives that P4P offers to their employees, but the main factor is that that our employees get to choose which incentive is best for them at that time. There are many companies that have great employee incentives; as they should have. However, with the format of different options of incentives and the transparency among P4P Constructions workforce and clients, we have been able to maintain continued stability among the different construction segments.

How It Works

At the start of each project or close of each contract, P4P’s management team assesses the margins that need to be met to cover overhead cost, sustainability factors, and projected growth expectations. They then assign a percentage milestone for every completed project. Depending on the project size and the works going on, this percentage is updated every week and shared with all workers assigned to those particular projects. As labor is paid out, and all direct cost such as rentals and consumables are accounted for the percentage drops. Normally, it is not by much on a weekly basis, but you can see the effects over the terms of the project. If the project is completed the P4P way; meaning safely (no osha reports or safety incidents), precise (we as a team and our client is happy with the work that was performed), professionally (responsibly adhering to all construction codes), and on time; the percentage amount remaining is then awarded and split between each individual based on their time and completion of the project. All white-collar employees get incentives as well, but they are based more on KPI’s and the position they are in. Below are some of the incentives that P4P employees get to choose from and are normally based on amounts.

 

  • Employee bank (this is a bank in which the employees can opt to have and cash out as a bonus once a minimum amount is obtained)
  • PTO hours added their employee accounts for future use or cash out options at the end of each year
  • Gift cards at the completion of the project (this has been chosen by many, especially if the amount is minor)
  • 401K addition if the employee is set up with a retirement account through our payroll systems.
  • Instant cash out is an option for the next pay period after the completion of the project.

 

Yes, this can be a bit labor intensive on our HR department, especially if our Supervisors end up with a certain amount of days on multiple projects at once. However, our team has done a great job with the tracking of hours and days and in return has made the P4P incentive program efficient and a success.

Results

The results have been very rewarding for both our employees and the company as whole. It has allowed us to maintain the most skilled and professional tradesman within their perspective trades and has also cut down on cost. The biggest impact P4P see’s is in the motivation, teamwork, and collaboration amongst the employees. Everyone works as a team to live up to the 4P’s. Whether it is a commercial renovation, housing remodel, or a turn key project all together, the P4P way seems to resonate well and gives P4P Construction an advantage over the competition.

Sep 01 2020
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Arizona Economy & Construction: Boom or Bust?

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In today’s world, nothing seems for certain anymore. With Covid 19 leading the forefront, a lot of businesses and industries have felt the economic strains; leaving many to eventually close their doors. Arizona has been one the fastest growing states in the last few years and is speculated to grow even more in the coming years. However, just like every other industry, economic growth in Arizona has had some setbacks with the current global pandemic. We have all seen the tower cranes and construction projects in downtown Phoenix or around town, but have you ever seen the cranes move or any progress as of late? We will dig a little deeper into Arizona’s growth and future projections.

Arizona Housing

Arizona has always been a hotspot for those traveling south for the winter, but more recently Americans are turning to Arizona for a more permanent solution to their lifestyle needs. Actually, Maricopa County has calculated that Arizona has gained over 100,000 new residents each year over the past few years and has projected a job increase of nearly 200,000 new jobs. Why is this relevant? Well, with a high volume of Americans deciding to make Arizona their new home each year, the residential construction market has seen a steady growth each year. Because of this trend, ARMLS shows housing appreciation at a whopping 12.5% increase over the last year alone. It is safe to say that the housing market in Arizona is a life line for companies like our team at P4P Construction and others during the pandemic. Although the housing and commercial markets in Arizona are maintaining a steady pace during these trying times, there is also a light at the end of the tunnel. Actually, Housing and commercial markets are only showing signs of growth over the next few years. Based on Cumming’s market analysis, Arizona has a growth in residential and commercial of nearly half of a percentage point over the next few years. When you account for trillions of dollars to each sector, a half of percentage point is no small feat.

Arizona’s Industrial Sector

Arizona’s industrial sector has been pretty stagnant after the completion of the Solana Solar Plant in Gila Bend, AZ. Yes, there are always shutdowns at Palo Verde Nuclear Plant and small projects at the Intel Plant in Chandler, AZ. From what I know, these plants have been affected by the pandemic but have managed to implement certain procedures to help keep safety at the forefront and help maintain economic stability among their potential markets and workers. A lot of construction in Arizona has seemed to slowdown due to the pandemic but none has really taken a halt. For example, the infrastructure of Arizona road expansions and highways has turned to alternating crews with different schedules in order to help maintain CDC guidelines regarding Covid 19. Arizona has done exceptionally well in all construction fields compared to other states regarding such a weird 2020 year. On a more positive note, Arizona is projected to light a firecracker in the industrial and infrastructure markets come 2021. AZ Big Media has released news regarding a new $12 billion-dollar TSMC chip plant to begin in 2021, also noting that TSMC has secured federal and state subsidies for the factory. This is huge news as most Arizonians know how much of an impact Intel’s largest Gigafactory has had on the economic growth of Arizona. TSCM’s new factory will bring 1,000’s of more jobs to the region, especially during construction. It must be something about our Arizona heat and environment that attracts them wafers? To throw some sprinkles in the mix, AZCentral expressed major road infrastructure projects regarding the new I-11 and I-17 expansions to begin in 2021 as well.

Labor Issues

Perhaps the biggest issue revolving around the construction industry in Arizona is the lack of skilled labor. This is not a dig at Americans or the newer generations, it is simply stating that there just isn’t enough tradesman to keep up with demand now. Jason Berry noted that the Arizona valleys are taking a hit in construction because roughly 95% of contractors, simply can’t feel the positions needed with tradesman. Maybe it is changing ways within our culture? Or maybe, a lot more of the youth is just seeking higher education opportunities. Needless to say; the idea of a lack of skilled workers across the different trades, should put more emphasis on construction businesses to enhance their culture, incentives, and training programs from within. Our team has implemented the P4P Incentives Program that is second to none. It helps maintain our core team, while sustaining growth within the industry. Let’s face it, without a workforce, nothing is going to be built.