MCAA Regional Report, Region A

Words: Michael SchmerbeckConnecticut - No State Chair
Delaware - No State Chair
Maine - No State Chair
Maryland - Steve Sullivan
Massachusetts - Jim McEttrick
New Hampshire - Kerry Gagnon

The entire Northeast Corridor has been working off backlog for the past 12 months as new projects are scarce and this backlog is beginning to vanish. Speaking only for the PA, NJ and NY Markets which I know very well (but I believe the same holds true for the entire Northeast).

Bidding during the calendar year 2009 has been fairly bleak but there has been a very slight increase in activity during the last 6 weeks in both private and public work. Most of the large Construction Managers are reporting a slight increase in pre-construction activity during the last few months but the majority of this work will not translate into trowels in the field until 2011 at the earliest. We are anticipating 2010 to be the worst year of construction in the past 25 years or so! We anticipate sales volumes to drop to below 50% of previous years, even greater for many. But the silver lining to 2010 will be the increase in bidding activity that we anticipate to occur during the last half of the calendar year that will at least give us hope for 2011.

I wish I could offer better news or something inspirational but this is surely better than my first attempt which was simply “It Sucks!”
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