September/October 2021 News
ICF Builder Awards Open For Entries
Entries are now being accepted for the annual ICF Builder Awards. The entry form is available on the website, www.icfmag.com, under the Builder Awards tab. The deadline to return entry forms is October 15, 2021. Construction team members are encouraged to submit projects for consideration. The 2022 event will mark the 17th year these awards will have been held. In addition, 2022 will mark the second year in which judging will be opened up once again to a new category of winners: The People’s Choice Awards.
Entries are accepted in the following categories: Heavy Commercial, Light Commercial, Multifamily, Small Residential, Large Residential, Unlimited Residential, and Specialty Applications. To be eligible, the project must be completed by the entry deadline (defined as having an occupancy permit, if applicable) but be less than five years old. All rules and judging criteria are identical to last year. You can download the entry form and find info on judging criteria, tips on filling out the notebook, and past winning projects on the website.
The awards ceremony is the most high-profile event in the ICF industry. In typical years, winners are announced at a catered evening event at World of Concrete each January. The projects that are selected are noteworthy projects that advance the entire industry.
PCA’s Forecast for US West Region Reflect Continued Economic Improvement
As the economy continues to recover from the impacts of the coronavirus, some states in the West (Idaho, Utah, and Oregon) have returned to pre-pandemic employment levels. Only California, Nevada, and Hawaii remain subnational in terms of job recovery. The Mountain region is poised to outperform national economic growth while the Pacific region is expected to grow roughly in line with U.S. growth throughout the forecast horizon.
Single-family permits are projected to grow 7.4% and 6.4% this year in the Mountain and Pacific regions, respectively. The nonresidential sector will likely reduce growth for both areas in 2021. Optimistic state budget projections diminish the likelihood of severe reductions in public construction spending. PCA’s spring forecast does not include the effects of any federal infrastructure package. If an infrastructure bill were to pass, it would represent upside risk to public sector volumes toward the back-end of the forecast horizon. The Mountain region, which led growth in 2020 (11.5%) on gains in construction spending and cement intensities, is projected to drop slightly (-0.7%) before returning to growth rates exceeding the national average.
