Issue 2, 2017

2017 ISSUE 2 esign interloc ® | By David R. Smith NEW REPORT SHOWS SIGNIFICANT GROWTH IN SALES FOR SEGMENTAL CONCRETE PAVEMENT CONTRACTORS Industry Outlook InterlockDesign.org 20 Gross sales for segmental concrete pavement contractors in the U.S. and Canada increased by 8.8% in 2016, according to a new report recently released by the Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute (ICPI). In all, 218 contractors from all-sized companies participated in the 2017 ICPI Contractor Industry Survey conducted during January for ICPI by Industry Insights of Columbus, OH. Three-quarters of the companies responding to the survey pave residential projects and the remainder place commercial pavements, including housing and publicly funded works. Contractor focus Most of the respondents to the survey were company owners, presidents or executives. Most companies have been in business 10 years or longer and almost half had annual sales of $1 million or greater with 10 or more employees. Most companies provide on-the-job training on installation best practices as well as on worksite safety and equipment main- tenance. 69.1% of contractors required crews to review and participate in formal, documented safety programs, an increase of 4.1% from 2015. Over half of the companies use wet saws for cutting, dust masks and/or respirators to reduce silica inhalation on job sites. Over two-thirds use wet saws for cutting with a vacuum dust collection system. Almost one-fourth use dry saws for cutting with a vacuum system. The strengthening economy is making reliable labor harder to find, as reported by almost three-quarters of the respon- dents. The next most challenging aspect of running their businesses is increasing overhead costs. Almost all respondents have at least one ICPI Certified Concrete Paver Installer on their payroll. Average wages/salaries increased by 3.0% in 2016 and are forecasted to increase again in 2017 by 3.2%. While all companies install interlocking concrete pavements, the largest companies install most of the segmental paving slabs, likely in commercial projects. The average annual total installed area of pavers is 71,000 sf. Larger companies installed as many as 300,000 sf in 2016. Most of the respondents to the survey were company owners, presidents or executives. Most companies have been in business 10 years or longer and almost half had annual sales of $1 million or greater with 10 or more employees. OTHER KEY FINDINGS OF THIS REPORT INCLUDE: OF CONTRACTORS REQUIRED CREWS 69.1 4.1 % % TO REVIEW AND PARTICIPATE IN FORMAL, DOCUMENTED SAFETY PROGRAMS, AN INCREASE OF | Continued on page 22 FROM 2015.