在记忆中最强大的市场之一中，共同的19日大流行像货运火车一样袭击了行业，使公司混乱。

在不确定性的长时间，设计公司，建筑经理和许多总承包商都在争先恐后地寻求有关如何通过危机管理和营销的答案。但是对于分包商和专业贸易承包商来说，问题更为严重 - 他们的工人和现场主管在工作地点上，必须在试图继续工作的同时受到直接保护。

在今年的ENR 600个专业承包商名单的结果中可以看到市场转盘的规模。新利18备用

作为一个小组，2019年的前600名收入为1512.7亿美元，2018年增长了11.9％，超过13520亿美元。过去四年来，FHAD的收入增长了两位数，直到去年截至去年，收入增长了128.2％。市场回收始于2011年。

但是大流行使这种增长陷入了停顿，并使公司想知道如何应对危机。

Some specialty contractors had plans already in place to deal with the general situation. O’Connell Electric Co. began preparations in early February, before anyone had any solid understanding of COVID-19. “At that time, we dug out and dusted off our uniform Pandemic Response Plan, and began to update it with current names, locations and actions we would take in the event that there became a need,” says Victor E. Salerno, CEO. He notes that the initial eight-page plan now has grown into a 69-page document that has become all-inclusive and dynamic.

Another firm that was quick off the mark was Menard Group USA. Owned by French contractor Vinci, it was receiving intelligence on the impact of the virus ahead of the directives in the U.S.

“在3月中旬，我们立即在全国各地的所有活跃地点停留了大约两个星期，以重新进行现场活动，采购PPE [个人保护设备]，培训我们的现场工作人员，撰写和发布新的标准操作程序和fully reinforce the behaviors necessary to protect field staff and their families,” says Seth Pearlman, Menard’s CEO. “This was a difficult and costly decision, and it was ultimately respected by the bulk of our staff and clients.”

C3M Power Systems LLC也做出了迅速的反应，使多个关键团队成员退出运营，专注于Covid-19。“尽管这是一种牺牲，但我们认为这是必要的，他们的中心努力使我们的整个团队受益。他们开发了新的流程，程序，PPE和角色，以使我们的工作岗位，办公室和人员安全有效地工作。”高级副总裁查克·托马斯科（Chuck Tomasco Jr.）说。

Related Links ENR 2020 Top 600 Specialty Contractors 公司转移到危机模式PDF （需要订阅）

照顾员工

One of the first direct responses to the virus was protecting employees. Many firms initially saw a shortage of field personnel. “They were scared, they wanted to protect their families and themselves and they were receiving additional employment funds through the government,” says Ryan Denver, president of Select Demo Services LLC. Now that people are more educated on COVID-19 and understand the necessary steps to keep themselves and their families healthy, the workforce has come back in full force, he says.

即使是现在，工艺品的劳动也对去工作感到不安。“对于我们的旅行人员来说，这是更糟糕的。在各个司法管辖区的政策不一致造成了挑战。” Interstates Inc.总裁Dave Crumrine说。他说，由于“大量的支持工作和沟通”，该公司已经能够与核心团体合作，使工作能够继续下去。

For many specialty contractors, existing safety programs and teams helped reassure workers at risk. For example, Limbach Holdings Inc. has extensive safety program teams that immediately mobilized to provide gaiters for all workers and institute daily temperature monitoring for people on site. “We had 30 people testing positive for COVID-19 and had 110 go into quarantine. But none of them got the virus on site,” says Charles A. Bacon, CEO.

工人健康已成为前所未有的专业承包商的优先事项。Baker Construction Enterprises总裁Brad Wucherpfennig说，今年“肯定提高了我们对整体同事健康的认识”。该公司迅速动员了一支共同199的领导工作组，并与其所有业务的代表动员。跨职能团队使其能够迅速采取行动并做出彻底的决定。

PPE防止病毒的传播已成为当务之急。Alex E. Paris Contracting Co. Inc. Alex A. Paris IV高级项目经理Emanuel A. Paris IV说：“今年到目前为止，今年到目前为止，我们的公司已经花费了100,000美元，以确保我们满足客户要求。”

对潜在病毒病例做出反应的危机小组也很普遍。哈里斯（Harris）创建了一个事件响应团队，该团队具有完全有权监控日常案件的权力，并对建议和要求进行更改，以快速，果断地采取行动。“这有助于我们将2,000名员工基地的案件数量保持在42个案件中，” Harris的COO米歇尔·米歇尔（Michel Michno）说。他还指出，哈里斯（Harris）专注于与共同相关的研究和数据，并发表了用于培训的白皮书和视频。

Many firms have instituted detailed guidelines to protect employees from exposure to airborne pathogens. McKinstry has created a set of rules and standards for employees returning to work in its offices. “Everyone must fill out a daily health questionnaire before coming in, face masks are mandatory, building capacity has been decreased to a maximum of 40%, travel is restricted to essential travel only, to name a few of our new guidelines,” says Mark Jonson, vice president and general manager.

对于某些公司而言，预制设施极大地帮助了保护员工。“我们的30,000平方英尺预制设施使我们能够限制现场的电工数量。E-J Electric安装公司首席执行官Anthony E. Mann说：“这也使我们能够最大程度地提高社会距离，同时保持相同的生产率。”

It’s not just COVID that is causing firms to worry. “We also have placed a large focus on the mental health of our employees. The stress and pressure that exist now are far greater than before,” says Keith Douglas, COO of Rosendin Electric. He notes that many employees work from home while taking care of their families, teaching their children and looking after their loved ones who may be considered high risk. Rosendin is trying to help them adjust.

Many firms also are working to help employees get through the crisis financially, as well as in good health. HB Global LLC assisted employees by paying out their earned bonuses early, paying them sick time to get tested or stay home if they were exposed or a family member was ill, says Bob Whalen, CEO. “We gave everyone a health care holiday for four weeks. Today, the residual effect of these actions is that our leadership is even more aligned, we have an increase of trust with our employees and we continue to operate safely in a COVID environment and do it with excellence.”

所有这些举动都带来了成本。“由于现场访问，距离，工具清洁和额外的行政流程，我们已经看到了7％至10％的生产力影响，” Harris的Michno说。

Acco工程系统首席执行官杰夫·马尔斯（Jeff Marrs）表示，由于工作现场实施的增加的安全措施，对生产力产生了轻微的影响。他补充说：“但是，如果我们能让我们的人民及其家人免受病毒感染，那是值得的。”

在下降的市场中配备人员

在Covid-19击中之前，人员配备是专业承包商的最关心。但是，随着如此众多的项目被取消或推迟，许多项新利18备用网址目诉诸裁员和休假，从而减轻了人员的担忧。在今年的调查中，有62.5％的人表示担心人员配备项目，而去年为74.9％，这是自2011年以来第一次下降。新利18备用网址

许多公司同意人员配备不是直接关注的问题。“随着失业率更高，可用贸易员工的数量不是问题；但是，寻找合格的工人是一个持续的挑战。

许多公司同意人员配备不是直接的问题，但他们正在展望。“我们还没有看到很多人决定不上班。许多人仍然很高兴能找到工作。” Southland Industries首席执行官Ted Lynch说。

但是，尽管许多其他具有延迟或取消项目的公司现在正在裁员，但Southland仍在继续雇用。新利18备用网址林奇说：“现在是招募人员的机会主义的时候了。”

大多数公司表示，任何缓解员工短缺将是短期局势。“固定前，我们的行业一直在领导流失。大流行的影响只会放大这一点。” Ermco Inc.首席执行官Greg Gossett说。

戈塞特（Gossett）指出，在这个不确定性的时代，优质的人对改变职业不感兴趣。“对于处于增长状态的组织，这使得很难确保支持成长的机会所需的人力资本。它还驱动了维持优秀的公司文化以保护当前团队成员免于离开的重要性。”

市场暴跌

Covid-19对市场产生了刺激的影响。许多公司看到其工作量急剧下降，直到现在才开始看到恢复。E.M. Duggan Inc.的负责人Len Monfredo新利18备用网址说：“工作现场被关闭，一些计划开始的项目被取消了。“经济逐渐开放，我们能够将大多数员工带回工作现场，并且办公室。由于大流行，我们失去了四分之一的收入。”

许多公司都有类似的故事。HB Global的Whalen说：“在5月底，我们的五个部门中有105个工作岗位总计7,900万美元。”他现在看到了一些运动和康复，但影响很大。“娱乐和招待所受到了特别严重的打击。”

Some firms working in the oil and gas market have suffered a “double whammy” when a dispute among oil producing countries in February led to a glut in oil on the market, plunging oil prices, followed by the pandemic, which resulted in a rapid decline in consumption, says John W. Zwack, vice president for business development and marketing for CIC Group, the parent company of Nooter and Wyatt.

Zwack说，现在在2021年，现在为Nooter的炼油厂工作的前景将保持柔和。即使是许多炼油厂的周转也已延迟。但是，他说，CIC的不工会工业服务集团怀亚特的前景更加积极。现在，这些公司正在研究可再生能源市场，尤其是风能，以多样化。

由于他们所服务的市场，一些承包商的影响较小。“当Covid-19在3月初击中时，我们经历了一些短期关闭，但幸运的是，我们的工作主要是在露天，我们被认为是必不可少的，因此我们的项目能够继续进行。”新利18备用网址LLC。

Many companies serving a variety of markets have seen some positives mixed in with the general gloomy outlook. Bacon of Limbach notes that four out of eight of the firm’s principal markets are “going gangbusters.” He says the industrial market is strong, with manufacturers continuing to “on-shore” plants rather than build overseas, and the tech market and data centers are flourishing.

林巴赫还看到了医疗保健工作的激增。“既然选修手术再次进行，增加了医疗保健公司的现金流量，医院开始为新设施计划。我们有一个医疗保健客户刚刚宣布了建立17个新设施的计划。”培根说。

随着消费者需求和支出的变化，一些客户正在从大流行中获得积极的增长。例如，“消费品制造商（包括纸产品，食品和清洁产品都在蓬勃发展，[和]电子商务，家庭娱乐和家庭装修也似乎还不错。”“相反，我们的酒店客户以及办公室和零售商业房地产的客户并不那么幸运。”

Diversity of Markets

A diverse market portfolio is seen as a key to staying financially healthy. While sectors like commercial office and hospitality have struggled, distribution and data centers have surged. The firms hardest hit have been those tied closely to a specific market. “We estimate that activity has been reduced by 60% or more,” because of its close ties to the oil and gas industry, says Jerrit Coward, CEO of Expanse Electric.

KHS＆S在2020年初的热情好客和游乐园工作都有很大的积压。“这些项目中很大一部分已被推迟，暂停或缩放，导致我们2020年的预测降低了25％，” Cannon说。新利18备用网址

在各个地区，放缓的影响一直不一致，因此更广泛的区域足迹对某些公司有所帮助。罗森丁的道格拉斯说：“海湾地区的影响最大，许多项目暂停或取消了。”新利18备用网址

Many firms now are moving into new markets, or expanding their presence in current markets, to blunt the impact of the crisis. “With the changing availability of work in some markets, we have enhanced our resume in the data center, chip manufacturing and medical markets. We have extensive experience in each and believe those areas will expand over the next several years,” says Wes McClure, CEO of Wilson Electric.

公司不仅仅是寻求多元化市场s they operate in, but also their range of services. “Starting a Heavy Civil Demolition Division and bringing on a tenured heavy-civil team has allowed us to win and perform work that we would have never chased in the past,” explains Denver of Select Demo.

向前走

With pandemic effects still raging, many firms are reporting market uncertainty both short and long term. “Do you have an end date for [COVID-19]?” asks Matthew Englert, co-COO at Rosendin Electric. “We really don’t know what projects will be canceled, delayed or fast-tracked six months from now.”

Crumrine of Interstates is also uncertain about the future. “We don’t believe there will be a clear end to the crisis,” he says, adding that many working assumptions will change permanently, so his firm is preparing employees and systems to be successful in a new environment, whatever may come.

一些公司担心要等到2021年才能感受到许多影响。“大多数[我们的客户]花了一些时间来评估市场的长期影响，以及这些资金是根据当前条件最好分配的，”邦德民事与公用事业建设总裁托尼·邦德（Tony Bond）。他预计，由于许多客户将工作推向2022年，他预计将在2021年下降。

Anxiety heightened by uncertainty around the results of November’s presidential election is a major complication in assessing recovery

“客户似乎决定是否发布预算，这极大地取决于即将举行的选举以及哪些候选人获胜。在美国的能源和基础设施方面，这两个候选人的政策方法都非常不同。

麦卡米什公司（McKamish Inc.由于预期的放缓，所有现场工作人员在2021年初。

但是，并不是每个人都在地平线上看到更多的黑暗。

在大流行期间，一些市场和地区一直保持强大，这在公司之间产生了一些乐观。Weifield Group Contracting的首席执行官Seth Anderson说：“对于丹佛和奥斯汀地区，我继续看到住房市场的上升和稳定的传入人民流动，这是一个奇怪的时期。”他看到明年第一季度的恢复。“我们认为在危机结束后，市场将相当不错，因此我们正在锐化锯子，并为下一波浪潮做好准备。”

Many firms are preparing for the inevitable turnaround, even if still sometime in the future. “We are insuring our financial and human resources are well positioned for a comeback by preserving capital, investing in team training and enhancing our Lean Construction processes,” says Cannon of KHS&S. “We are avoiding the narrow-minded view that everything will return as it was post COVID-19, and we are poised and eager to take advantage of new market opportunities.”

过去，该行业经历了衰退，甚至突然的经历。但是很少有人像19岁那样广泛或残酷地打入该行业。

这使一些公司具有反思。

“When crisis hits an organization, the soul of your company is laid bare,” says Whalen of HB Global. “The COVID-19 pandemic has proven to be the ultimate test. Our people determine how well and how safely we serve businesses and our communities. Our employees continue to persevere through this bizarre situation.”