Benefits and Risks of Public Construction

One of the most popular elements of President Donald Trump’s campaign was his $1 trillion plan to boost the U.S. construction industry and revamp the nation’s highways, bridges, ports and other public assets. That proposal has sparked industry excitement as evidenced by spikes in construction-related stock prices the day after Trump won the election and whenever he hints at the possibility of advancing his infrastructure agenda.

However, the highway to riches has been paved with uncertainty thus far, with the administration largely focused on other issues like the repeal and replacement of the Affordable Care Act, tax reform, an increasingly volatile foreign policy landscape and a Supreme Court nomination.

Trump’s proposed 2018 budget seemed to confirm that infrastructure was no longer a priority, as it eliminated funding for many popular transportation-related programs. Then came word at the end of March that Trump might introduce an infrastructure spending bill along with tax reform, but that fell flat as the proposed measure did not earmark any of the new tax revenue that would be gathered under the bill for public works construction.

…

Before contractors rush into the world of federal contracting — for purposes of getting in on the potential infrastructure construction bonanza or, like AECOM, for current opportunities — they need to know the differences between the public and private construction sectors. Some of those distinctions can be positive for companies, but additional rules and regulations can potentially burden those looking to jump into the federal contracting fray.  READ MORE….