FROM THE CONTRACTORS

FROM THE AGENCIES

CONTRACTORS: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The two major problems facing contractors are intense competition for contracts (80 percent) and declining work opportunities (71 percent).

Contractors expect 2010 to be slightly, ever so slightly, better than last year. Nine percent forecast an above average year and 32 percent expect a good year. Only 9 percent of contractors in our survey rated 2009 as an above average business year and 26 percent rated it as a good year.

Contractors are marginally more optimistic about contract volume for 2010. In 2009 10 percent reported contract volume increases while 65 percent reported declines. For the coming year, 35 percent of contractors expect an increase in work volumes, with 41 percent forecasting an average year.

Only 20 percent of contractors expect their budget for acquiring road construction and maintenance equipment to increase in 2010. The rest expect their budget to be stable (45 percent) or to decrease (35 percent). Eighty percent said they expect their construction equipment fleet sizes to remain stable this year. But 38 percent expect to buy or lease earthmoving equipment.

Almost two thirds (63 percent) expect to buy or lease work trucks or trailers in 2010.

The “stimulus”will continue to influence the construction industry as the years wears on. Almost one in five (19 percent) of contractors said they expect more ARRA money to be available in their geographic area early in the year. Over half (51 percent) of the responding contracts said they feel that ARRA is very or somewhat effective.

FROM THE AGENCIES

FROM THE CONTRACTORS