Undoubtedly, the tumultuous election cycle of 2016 has left many companies wondering what the results would mean to the building products industry. While we are still far from understanding all of the changes to come, we are starting to see proposed shifts in spending and policy that may have an effect across the country.
In mid-November, 2016, then President-Elect Donald Trump announced a $1 trillion investment in infrastructure over the next 10 years — more than twice the proposed plan of President Barack Obama and more than three times the last congressionally approved infrastructure plan. With unprecedented spending in repairing and expanding the nation’s airports, highways, bridges, and pipelines, building product manufacturers and installers must be ready to effectively place their products and services in the hands and minds of decision makers to ensure inclusion in new projects. Preparation for the next 10 years of projects must begin now, and few manufacturers and contractors have cohesive plans to become specified in the long term.