On the other hand, educational institutions, from local school districts to colleges and universities, continue to aggressively invest in new classrooms and dorms. Greg Hill, president of Jeffrey M. Brown Associates Inc., also finds that office and even retail construction activity continue to be busy despite reported slowdowns in both industries. Of course, not all retailers are in an expansion mode. Late last fall, Circuit City halted building of three to four stores in the Philadelphia area, Hill said, as the Richmond, Va., company suffered setbacks from several lackluster quarters. And while local construction companies report continued strong activity, many of them are sensing a slight pullback in activity.
Recent figures underscore that sense.
In some ways, such easing has been welcomed. One of the biggest challenges for the industry was that the torrid times often meant a shortage of labor, especially skilled workers and managers. That has started to lighten up a bit. The organization he heads is engaged in recruiting and training workers through apprentice programs. If the economy is experiencing a downturn now, you'll see it next year.