With Alabama employers continuing to grapple with the workforce shortages that come with a booming economy, Birmingham-based Hoar Program Management (HPM) announced it had made a series of new hires with that challenge specifically in mind.
HPM announced in a recent release it has made a series of new hires in its Program Development Group with an eye toward increasing its expertise in preconstruction. According to HPM, these hires will allow them to streamline their preconstruction services as the industry continues to adapt to rising construction costs associated with continued labor shortages.
Many of the state’s leaders have highlighted the need to retrain the state’s workforce, as well as develop a new generation of workers, to meet the current economy’s needs.
Governor Kay Ivey recently remarked that Alabama’s economy will require 500,000 new workers in the next five years.
Lt. Governor Will Ainsworth earlier this year called workforce development the “number one crisis facing our state from the business standpoint.”
At a recent panel discussion hosted by Yellowhammer News, Rosemary Elebash, state director for National Federation of Independent Business, cited workforce development as the most pressing issue for small business. Elebash explained, “We have a significant shortage of qualified workers.”
The city of Birmingham has developed its own workforce development initiative aimed at training its next generation of workers. The Birmingham Promise is a creation of Mayor Randall Woodfin, who described it as a “supercharged” workforce development program. It is a public-private partnership consisting of apprenticeship opportunities with local businesses in addition to scholarships to state two-year and four-year institutions.
Founded in 1997, HPM provides comprehensive guidance to clients on the construction and development process and offers “a one-stop approach to complete program management and owner’s representation.”
To help navigate the conditions of the current economy, the firm named Del Buck as its vice president of Preconstruction. He will be responsible for overseeing project estimates and budget development for all of HPM’s program management assignments. HPM cited Buck’s 30 years of general contracting and executive experience on six continents as contributing to his ability to provide competitive cost certainty.
“Del is making an instant impact at our company and has the ideal background to help lead us into the next chapter of our growth story,” said Mike Lanier, president of HPM. “We all know how difficult of an environment we’re in right now due to the labor shortage and rising costs of materials, but we believe Del’s ability to see through the GC lens combined with the advanced estimating technology and pricing databases at HPM will give us a competitive edge that cannot be replicated elsewhere. He will help us fill a distinct market void for construction professionals who can guide owners through the entire building process and add value through cost certainty and a more predictable schedule.”
Buck noted the need to meet individual budgeting requirements of HPM clients as a priority for him.
“I am honored and excited to join the incredible group of professionals at HPM,” said Buck. “The duties of my position match up remarkably well with the experience I gained throughout my career as a general contractor, and the ability to leverage that with HPM’s vast database of pricing technology will allow us to offer custom-produced services that are tailored for each owner’s budget and scheduling requirements. Together, we will add desirable clients and projects to HPM’s already impressive portfolio.”
HPM also announced the hirings of Michael Eskew as mechanical preconstruction manager and Kyle Talley as electrical preconstruction manager.
“Being able to land two specialists who have the level of experience and expertise that Michael and Kyle possess presented a rare opportunity, and we’re thrilled they’ve agreed to join our team,” said Ryan Austin, chief operations officer at HPM. “Now more than ever, it’s imperative to find leaders who have a keen understanding of where to find cost savings and creative workarounds with subcontractors so we can present competitive solutions for owners and developers who are getting squeezed by construction price hikes. Preconstruction services will continue to be a top priority for HPM moving forward.”
Tim Howe is an owner of Yellowhammer Multimedia
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