FacilityBlog » Economic_Downturn

ABI Reverts Back into Negative Territory

Heidi Schwartz — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 17:47:35 +0000

Following the first positive reading since January 2008, the ABI dropped nearly two points in October. As a leading economic indicator of construction activity, the ABI reflects the approximate nine to 12 month lag time between architecture billings and construction spending.

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FRIDAY FUNNY: Still Crying All The Way To The Bank?

Heidi Schwartz — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 14:39:03 +0000

This Friday Funny actually ends the week on a bittersweet note, particularly for those who consider themselves fans of the late great Liberace. After 31 years of operation, the Liberace Museum in Las Vegas will close its doors this Sunday, October 17, 2010.

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Lack Of Credit Plaguing Design Industry

Heidi Schwartz — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 13:54:40 +0000

After three straight months of improving conditions, the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) fell nearly three points.

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Construction Costs to Decline Further in 1st Quarter

Heidi Schwartz — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 15:21:09 +0000

The Turner Building Cost Index, which measures non-residential building construction costs in the U.S., has decreased by 0.5% from the Fourth Quarter 2009 and decreased 7.74% from the First Quarter 2009.

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Small Businesses Getting Down and Dirty

Heidi Schwartz — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 14:47:31 +0000

Despite recognizing "cleanliness and appearance" as having the greatest impact on customer first impressions, a significant number of small business owners have curtailed their cleaning processes.

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WEIRD WEDNESDAY: Vacation On A Shoestring

Anne Vazquez — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 13:25:48 +0000

Travelers taking advantage of a deal in San Diego need to pack more than usual.

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Industry Index Improves In Latest Survey

Heidi Schwartz — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 14:14:57 +0000

Dunlap stated, “[This year] has been an exceptionally difficult [one] for this industry, but I see brighter days ahead. There are enough indicators that tell us that the current industry recession has probably bottomed out. The modest increases in shipments and orders during the second quarter suggest this.”

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Architecture Billings Index Takes Turn for the Worse

Heidi Schwartz — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 14:53:06 +0000

As a leading economic indicator of construction activity, the ABI reflects the approximate nine to 12 month lag time between architecture billings and construction spending.

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New Commercial Property Index Reveals Negative Capital Growth

Heidi Schwartz — Thu, 28 May 2009 14:25:30 +0000

According to the IPD U.S. Annual Property Index, capital growth was -12.2% in 2008. For the 12 months to the end of December 2008, all property income return in the U.S. was 5.4%, contributing to an overall total return of -7.4%.

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Strategy During Economic Downturn? Back To Basics

Heidi Schwartz — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 15:36:33 +0000

The 2009 Ernst & Young real estate business risk report, produced in conjunction with Oxford Analytica, itemizes the 10 top business risks faced by the industry as ranked by leading sector analysts.

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Commercial Property Owners Focus on Preserving Value of Existing Assets

Heidi Schwartz — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 05:08:46 +0000

Battered by the U.S. economic recession, the commercial real estate market is struggling to maintain values across all property types and geographic areas, kicking a growing number of investors into survival mode as they painfully watch the value of their existing portfolios decline

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FRIDAY FUNNY: Maine Coffee Shop Tries Stripped Down Marketing Tactic

Heidi Schwartz — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 15:10:16 +0000

Less is more, at least for one innovative coffee shop in the small town of Vassalboro, ME. Owner Donald Crabtree has found a way to bolster business and bring in the customers (and job applicants) during this tough economic spike: topless servers.

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Industrial Real Estate Succumbs to Sluggish Economy

Heidi Schwartz — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 15:05:11 +0000

Industrial absorption was negative during the October through December period, with occupied space shrinking by 18.1 million square feet (msf). This marked the largest such decline since early 2002.

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Neglecting Workplace Safety During Business Downturs Could Be Costly

Heidi Schwartz — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 16:02:12 +0000

ASSE cautions employers against cutting back on workplace safety in time of economic difficulty.

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Architecture Billings Index Drops to All Time Low for Second Straight Month

Heidi Schwartz — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 14:50:04 +0000

Business conditions at architecture firms continue to deteriorate, with the Architecture Billings Index posting its lowest level since the survey began in 1995 for the second month in a row.

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Former OSHA, NOISH Leaders Debate Future of OSHA

Heidi Schwartz — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 15:22:09 +0000

Major changes in OSHA not anticipated with new administration, but small and medium sized businesses in particular are being urged to keep up safety policies despite challenging economic times.

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Emerging Property Market Downturn Accelerates Except in China

Heidi Schwartz — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 16:18:04 +0000

The property market in China is showing more resilience while India has been hard hit by the global economic downturn.

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Further Softening in U.S. Warehouse Market During Q3

Heidi Schwartz — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 13:53:53 +0000

This ongoing notable weakness suggests that the industrial real estate market will continue to be impacted by recessionary conditions.

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Newly Troubled Commercial Properties Need Top-Notch Management Skills for Best Outcomes

Heidi Schwartz — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 14:13:19 +0000

IREM® President Pamela W. Monroe states, "Our nation's economic viability requires real estate management professionals with top-notch credentials to inject value back into distressed properties by protecting income streams, controlling expenses, positioning and/or repositioning them to deliver the best possible ROI and, ultimately, to command the best possible price when they are sold."

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U.S. Office Market Shows Continuing Weakness In Third Quarter

Heidi Schwartz — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 15:18:26 +0000

National office vacancies stood at 13.7% at the close of the quarter, back to vacancy levels last seen in Q4 2005, according to Colliers International.

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TFM Editor’s Letter and Upcoming Elections

Heidi Schwartz — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 14:06:14 +0000

So what does this political diatribe have to do with facility management? One word—EMPLOYMENT!

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Architecture Billings Index Falls More than Six Points

Heidi Schwartz — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 14:59:29 +0000

The institutional sector has entered negative category for the first time this year.

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BOMA International Writes Prescription for Maximizing Value in a Down Economy

Heidi Schwartz — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 14:53:35 +0000

BOMA International's Web based offering sets out to help commercial real estate professionals cope with the economic downturn.

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National Industrial Real Estate Market Registers Overall Positive Net Absorption for the First Half of 2008

Heidi Schwartz — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 13:34:21 +0000

Jones Lang LaSalle’s Mid-Year 2008 National Industrial Real Estate Market Report, which analyzes activity in industrial properties 50,000 square feet and larger, shows that while both warehouse and manufacturing sectors have been impacted by the slowing economy, the national industrial real estate market experienced overall positive net absorption in the first half of the year, exceeding most forecasts.

U.S. industrial markets absorbed approximately 5.6 million square feet in the first quarter of 2008 and 125,000 square feet in the second quarter, significantly lower than historical first-half performance. Jones Lang LaSalle views the slower growth as a consequence of uncertain

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Bad News For Construction Forecasts

Heidi Schwartz — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 13:46:00 +0000

As the nonresidential sector has experienced cutbacks in demand for new space, the projections for construction activity for new nonresidential facilities are in for a mild decline in 2008, with a more significant downturn in 2009. The forecasts are more negative for commercial and industrial buildings, with an especially large drop-off in the office and retail sectors.

The two largest institutional categories, healthcare and education facilities, should see a slight increase this year and could help offset some of the losses in the other project categories. The continued increase in building material costs in recent years could also adversely

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