by Len Loewen

Well, I volunteered for this task almost a year ago, and we are seeing the inaugural blog now. It probably would have happened much sooner if my next draw was dependent on it. Regardless, here are some of my thoughts regarding the business we are in.

There are so many facets of formwork that could be discussed, and in future blogs, I will address some things more specifically, but as an introduction, let’s look at our industry in this specific time. The real estate market is soaring, which translates to unprecedented contract numbers for formwork. And yet, although some of us are doing very well, some are struggling greatly. It’s by no means easy, despite larger numbers. There are many huge projects, and many contractors stepping into these jobs without adequate labor. This feeds the rampant sub-sub-contractors, who migrate from company to company. To some degree, there have always been subs to subs, but certainly not like today. My hat is off to those of you that have created a sub culture within your companies that works. That is profitable, reliable and legal. Or is that even possible? The fact remains, that subs are an everyday reality for our industry.

The construction environment is changing. The demands on us through our contracts are much more than they used to be. Between the WCB changes, the market changes and the expectations of our employer’s changes, it is sometimes hard to keep up.

I would encourage us all, to bid responsibly, to pursue our youth to engage in the trades (specifically our trade) and to strive to be professional. I for one, am proud of what we do and think we deserve more respect than we get.