By Jack Rubinger, freelance writer

Right now we’re coming back to life.

Some may even be looking at the pandemic from their rearview mirrors.

Many are reviving long dormant projects, programs, practices.The reopening of libraries, for example, means ideas and books are being shared again. People are traveling again.

To survive and thrive in this current climate, networking and sharing ideas is vital — even if the meetings are boring. If you go once in a while, that’s better than not going at all — whether they’re virtual or in person.

Marketing construction-related products and services is a lot about timing, filling a need and providing above-the-call-of-duty customer service.

It’s making on the fly adjustments to rapidly changing conditions. Themes can always be changed. How accurately can you project out six months from now? The pandemic changed predictions.

Resiliency is the big theme of best practices. You adjust or you die. It takes creativity. Persistence. Substance. 

Since the pandemic, companies have changed strategies to survive, grow and compete in this new environment.

Christine Zielke is the Operational Manager at the BC Municipal Safety Association in British Columbia, Canada.

“The BCMSA made some large-scale transitions to ensure we could continue to serve our membership throughout the pandemic,” said Zielke. “This included transitioning our occupational health and safety training to a virtual platform. Now we reach more remote and small communities.”

The association provided a wealth of resources in relation to COVID-19 as well as a venue to connect membership utilizing the collective mind of experts in the construction industry to share knowledge and support safe workplaces across the province. The association also provided a free toolkit for mental health related to COVID-19.

“A silver lining of the pandemic has been how mental health has become a prioritized subject,” said Zielke.

Laura Alexander is a Federal construction project manager.

Construction continued through COVID even though buildings being constructed were vacant or would be vacant for a while. 

“What harmed the industry the most was the cost of building materials, which was a reason to slow projects down with hopes that the prices would become reasonable again. Lumber costing two to four times what it had cost months prior caused most construction companies to look to other ways to build using concrete beams and columns or lower quality materials like MDF and melamine,” said Alexander.

In Alexander’s experience, during the pandemic the “low-guy” trumped hiring other contractors.  The cost of necessary materials reduced the group of competing contractors considered.

Another best practice?

Keeping construction site documentation visible and free from damage from the elements.

Because construction doesn’t stop when it rains or snows and workplace documents like permits and procedures should always be visible, TUFFA Products has introduced a weatherproof permit document holder to store and display Permit to Works, Safety Data Sheets, Instruction Manuals, Written Procedures, and Checklists.

Health and Wellness Changes

At the time of this article, some states have removed the requirement for masks and a third of the people in the U.S. have accepted vaccines, but two-thirds still threaten the population by not getting vaccines. 

In the workplace even a report of the flu or a cold is intimidating for many people. 

“I think that employers are more willing to let sick workers recover at home now and employees are more willing to remain at home when they are sick to protect other people,” said Alexander.

Maybe the days of being a martyr and showing up for work when ill are becoming a thing of the past.

Andrea Cansler is with Quality Tank & Construction Co, Inc. in Sandy, Oregon. They’re “over-servicing” customers to stay competitive.

“We fix broken components that are necessary to keep entire facilities running. It is necessary to find what companies need most. We try to help customers find long term solutions to keep running smoothly and more efficiently for the long haul. I don’t see our competitors going that extra mile,” she said.

“I had a conversation with a purchasing manager. He loved the fact that we never had change orders. We quote what it will cost and we stick to it. He recommended us just because we weren’t a nuisance to deal with. So there are other indirect parts of business people don’t think about,” said Cansler.

Mack Turner heads the Institute for Safety in Powerline Construction. Their  business took a big hit during the pandemic.

“When COVID hit we had 80% of our business at customer locations and of course that dried up completely. We started going after more work that we could do in-house once we were able to get back to the office. We also started doing more webinars. Now things have opened back up. We will try to go back to 80% at the customer’s workplace but still offer more distance learning opportunities,” said Turner.

Finally, there’s Rigdon Fair, the founder of The Pothole Man. Fair started five new businesses this year and is doing all he can to keep up. Rigdon found ways to adapt to difficult and challenging times that came along with the pandemic.

Looking ahead, the vibe among most small businesses is cautiously optimistic. While Dodge Data & Analytics forecasts construction starts to rebound in 2021 and 2022, with the prospect of far greater gains if a Federal infrastructure spending plan is passed.

The construction industry will continue to innovate, create and inspire new ideas, new ways of thinking and add new influencers to the mix. It’s best to listen to others, weigh the pros and cons and ultimately make your own decision with respect to what’s best for you, your company and your customers.

About the Author

Jack Rubinger is a freelance writer, with more than 10+ years of workplace safety and construction industry research and writing experience. Looking for an article on a specific construction topic? Contact: jackrubinger814@gmail.com or call 503-964-4877.