The NEWS plans to produce a series concerning how the
economic conditions today are affecting the contracting world. Each editor is
in the process of surveying contractors from their respective areas to find out
how the economy is affecting business - and what you are all doing to combat
it.
I’d like to hear from contractors from the states of Hawaii,
Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Nevada, Montana, Wyoming, Utah,
Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico. If you are a contractor from these 13
Western states, I request that you please e-mail me (markskaer@achrnews.com) or
post a comment below to let me know how business is in your area and what
obstacles you are facing. Your information is important in the news gathering
process. (And, who knows, you might just end up being included in the final
article. Picture, too!)
I did plan on visiting one and all, but my boss said something
about a limited travel budget for 2009. I guess I still could do it, but riding
a bicycle might take some time to get to all of you – and I am on a deadline.
Plus, sleeping in a pup tent is not my idea of getting a good night’s slumber.
(And, no, I cannot swim all the way to the Hawaiian Islands, either.)
So, I am counting on Western contractors to drop me an e-mail to
let me know what’s happening in your area.
From a close source in Phoenix, which she termed the “foreclosure
capital of the world,” it appears that one of the area’s biggest problems is
the fact that people are ripping out their heat pumps, air conditioners,
furnaces, etc., when their houses are foreclosed on. Apparently, some - or is
that many? - are taking the guts and leaving the shell. If this is accurate,
what issues are contractors facing when replacing ruined equipment? Can repairs
be done to systems with parts missing? Many banks own homes right now, so how
is equipment selected when a contractor is working with a bank and not a
homeowner? Are they being paid in a timely fashion?
Bottom line: Let’s hear from you folks in Phoenix, as well as
Seattle, Berkeley, Denver, Portland, and all points in between in the West. I’m
much interested. (And, yes, since I am on a deadline, I’d like to hear from you
before the end of this month, if not sooner. Face it: Travel by Internet is far
faster than via a tired red “Pee Wee Herman” Schwinn bike.)
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