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nexsenpruet.com 2 — JAN/FEB 2020 — The North Carolina Construction News
Mark Buckshon, publisher
By Mark Buckshon
As I write this, my wife and I are about to em-
bark on a two-month vacation to the South Pacific,
New Zealand and Australia. It is the longest journey
of my life (both time-wise and in distance) since
youthful adventures in Africa.

I suppose, if you are taking a long vacation, it is
good that everything is mostly in order at home.

Certainly, the construction economy, especially in
the Triangle and Triad, is healthy – to the point that
the major problem is a shortage of qualified skilled
labor. In my opinion, the biggest challenge for contrac-
tors and design professionals is complacency – the
good times will not last forever, and while they con-
tinue, these are ideal opportunities to bolster your
strengths and build your reserves.

There are ideas in these pages about the advan-
tages of diversity and inclusion, understanding the
rules regarding verified claims, and integrating
processes and systems to enhance your business’s
efficiency and profitability.

We can’t anticipate everything. When we started
planning this vacation almost two years ago, I had
no idea that we would need to consider the need
for industrial-strength face masks when visiting
Sydney or Melbourne, Australia. We can keep our
eyes open and ears alert and appreciate and adapt
to our environment (and maybe take some effec-
tive measures to protect it.)
I continue to believe one of the best ways to re-
main connected with the industry and to improve
your knowledge (while building relationships and
discovering business opportunities) is to join and
participate in relevant industry associations. These
could include (for marketing and business develop-
ment professionals) the Society for Marketing Pro-
fessional Services (SMPS), with local chapters in
the Triangle and Charlotte. Of course there are rel-
evant specialty trade associations, broader groups
such as the Carolinas Associated General Contrac-
tors (CAGC), and even groups that advocate for po-
litical/economic values, such as the Associated
Builders and Contractors (ABC) of the Carolinas, or
(if you are on the other side of the fence) trade
unions and relevant associations representing
unionized contractors.

While I’ll be travelling great distances in the next
several weeks, I will remain in touch and your
emails should reach me at buckshon@ncconstruc-
tionnews.com. Please write if you have comments
about this issue and suggestions for the next one,
which I will need to oversee from the other side of
the world.