Jobs everywhere............

[perry]

Man!, my phone battery is getting a good workout, 6 request for estimates in the last week. Hope the same for you guys in business, all were due to my post on craigslist, unbelieveable a 'free' source works this well.

 

[Fishfiles]

Well , Perry , it really turned for the worst around here . the Katrina rebuild has stopped , only about a half rebuilt city , I think that was the only thing that keep us going longer than the rest of the counrty , but any way , a few larger ones but mostly small businesses are closing up everyday , coffee shops , restarants , equipment service companies , ----------I seen a old friend who is the master mechanic for the biggest equipment construction company in the Greater N O Area , I thought it unusual to see him out the yard and he told me he was on his way to look at used equipment , which I thought was really odd as they ""NEVER"" buy used equipment , when I asked him if they were doing bad and had to resort to buying used he said no , a lot of state and city contracts was holding it together for them , it was a case of other companies folding up and he showed me a list of equipment valved up to $400,000 with 500 hours that they where trying to sell for $100,000 ( .25 cents on a dollar ) before going to auction and he had a 3 page list of repos of big cranes , dozers and excavators to go check out ---------my suggestions is plant a garden , they did it yesterday at the White House , might be the only way you are going to eat

 

[perry]

Well , Perry , it really turned for the worst around here . the Katrina rebuild has stopped , only about a half rebuilt city , I think that was the only thing that keep us going longer than the rest of the counrty , but any way , a few larger ones but mostly small businesses are closing up everyday , coffee shops , restarants , equipment service companies , ----------I seen a old friend who is the master mechanic for the biggest equipment construction company in the Greater N O Area , I thought it unusual to see him out the yard and he told me he was on his way to look at used equipment , which I thought was really odd as they ""NEVER"" buy used equipment , when I asked him if they were doing bad and had to resort to buying used he said no , a lot of state and city contracts was holding it together for them , it was a case of other companies folding up and he showed me a list of equipment valved up to $400,000 with 500 hours that they where trying to sell for $100,000 ( .25 cents on a dollar ) before going to auction and he had a 3 page list of repos of big cranes , dozers and excavators to go check out ---------my suggestions is plant a garden , they did it yesterday at the White House , might be the only way you are going to eat

Yes!, three people want me to clear and rough up garden area's, folks are still a little hesident to turn loose of their cash. On the other hand, some folks are biting the bullet and going ahead with projects they've been putting off.

 

[Land-Tech]

Yes!, three people want me to clear and rough up garden area's, folks are still a little hesident to turn loose of their cash. On the other hand, some folks are biting the bullet and going ahead with projects they've been putting off.

Hey Perry, I think it's great you got some work.I'm jealous of those who can dig dirt early.We still have a month and a half , min.
The paper just had a graph for housing permits from 2000 to last month. Anchorage is small by lower 48 standards (250,000) but the local economy was driven by the housing boom unlike the state which dirives it's money from oil. 2000 to 2006 there was an average of 200 to 250 houses being built per month as of last month there were 25 permit issued by the city. As a landscaper, this is not good. A new house to me is a opportunity to sell quite a few different things,decks walks,retaining walls,ect.. cause you are starting off from scratch.This business is going to slow way down for a few years until enough houses sell and reduce the backlog of homes.Last time this happen up here in 86, 30% of the houses went back to the bank. 30% of the pop went back home.Half the banks in Alaska got bought up or went away, just like what whats happening now only on a smaller scale.Betting that everything would go up and never down, lack of regulation where it was needed,( I have a governor on my engines for a reason)And the simple fact that a lot of people took on more debt than they can pay for. Easy credit, when abused is an ugly thing when debts come due and it was 3or 4 years before the economy turned.
Things are better this time cause the local banks did not sell there mortgages in the derivitive scam and it seems that people are more prepared for a down turn.Our politicians are still in denial about what to do long term and I see more money wasted over fear. The Canadian economy is number one in the world in order of economic health and the Bank of Toronto went from 15th largest bank in the world to 5th. If you want to know who the largest investors in Alaska are in mining or liquer stores it's the Canadians. they are a big part of our oil industry too . The US is rated 46th and the UK is 47th I think.They did this by being conservative in the real sense. And not letting greed and short term profit run the banks. I'm sure they are seeing shrinkage in the economy too but not near what we as Americans are going to see.
To get through this I'm going to apply my tools and knowlege to the markets that seem stable in a down turn. I will try and hustle more snowremoval contracts, foundation repairs, maybe get certified in sewer repair or installation.The things that people havr to have there is always a market. I am going to look seriously on how I do things and really put a pencil to my projects.The part timers and the guys that really should not be in the business will probably go away but those competitors that I have to share the work with are going to be sharper so I will have to devise better and more efficient ways perform the work.The green industry is a real thing and if you get in early it can turn into a long term thing.I wil still do my landscaping and excavation and i'm in a good position to stay in a smaller market. To get a job in Alaska has always been who you know , not what you know.
Perry, your spike in doing garden plots is a reflection of a remerging market.Whoever it takes to keep your vehical going, your house last longer. will have work. I'm doubling the size of my garden and I have neighbors doing the same thing. I don't think I will save a lot over storebought items , but I know I will have more time to apply to the garden.Scott

 

[sp6x6]

Hey Perry, I think it's great you got some work.I'm jealous of those who can dig dirt early.We still have a month and a half , min.
The paper just had a graph for housing permits from 2000 to last month. Anchorage is small by lower 48 standards (250,000) but the local economy was driven by the housing boom unlike the state which dirives it's money from oil. 2000 to 2006 there was an average of 200 to 250 houses being built per month as of last month there were 25 permit issued by the city. As a landscaper, this is not good. A new house to me is a opportunity to sell quite a few different things,decks walks,retaining walls,ect.. cause you are starting off from scratch.This business is going to slow way down for a few years until enough houses sell and reduce the backlog of homes.Last time this happen up here in 86, 30% of the houses went back to the bank. 30% of the pop went back home.Half the banks in Alaska got bought up or went away, just like what whats happening now only on a smaller scale.Betting that everything would go up and never down, lack of regulation where it was needed,( I have a governor on my engines for a reason)And the simple fact that a lot of people took on more debt than they can pay for. Easy credit, when abused is an ugly thing when debts come due and it was 3or 4 years before the economy turned.
Things are better this time cause the local banks did not sell there mortgages in the derivitive scam and it seems that people are more prepared for a down turn.Our politicians are still in denial about what to do long term and I see more money wasted over fear. The Canadian economy is number one in the world in order of economic health and the Bank of Toronto went from 15th largest bank in the world to 5th. If you want to know who the largest investors in Alaska are in mining or liquer stores it's the Canadians. they are a big part of our oil industry too . The US is rated 46th and the UK is 47th I think.They did this by being conservative in the real sense. And not letting greed and short term profit run the banks. I'm sure they are seeing shrinkage in the economy too but not near what we as Americans are going to see.
To get through this I'm going to apply my tools and knowlege to the markets that seem stable in a down turn. I will try and hustle more snowremoval contracts, foundation repairs, maybe get certified in sewer repair or installation.The things that people havr to have there is always a market. I am going to look seriously on how I do things and really put a pencil to my projects.The part timers and the guys that really should not be in the business will probably go away but those competitors that I have to share the work with are going to be sharper so I will have to devise better and more efficient ways perform the work.The green industry is a real thing and if you get in early it can turn into a long term thing.I wil still do my landscaping and excavation and i'm in a good position to stay in a smaller market. To get a job in Alaska has always been who you know , not what you know.
Perry, your spike in doing garden plots is a reflection of a remerging market.Whoever it takes to keep your vehical going, your house last longer. will have work. I'm doubling the size of my garden and I have neighbors doing the same thing. I don't think I will save a lot over storebought items , but I know I will have more time to apply to the garden.Scott

Your market is just like mine, in NWMT, local town is only 15,000, county is 90,000. Last couple years we had the largest growth in state, 300 GC IN PHONE BOOK, THAT MANY cabinet makers also. Average home price in WHitefish,MT $350,000. i T IS DEAD right now I have not done home project in 8 months. OUR mills. aluminum plant, and others have about 500 lay offs. I am just trying to hang in there. General contractor by trade

 

[perry]

Your market is just like mine, in NWMT, local town is only 15,000, county is 90,000. Last couple years we had the largest growth in state, 300 GC IN PHONE BOOK, THAT MANY cabinet makers also. Average home price in WHitefish,MT $350,000. i T IS DEAD right now I have not done home project in 8 months. OUR mills. aluminum plant, and others have about 500 lay offs. I am just trying to hang in there. General contractor by trade

No secret that much of the improvement has to do with others going out of business, holding a monthly equipment payment was the killer for some in this dead market. I'm sure we'll all recover, it'll just be a slow, responsibile, measured recovery.

 

[Iowa Dave]

Starting to warm up here, but still froze once you get down 4 or 5 inches. I looked back in my "book", and I have bid 17 jobs in the last 7 days. Landed 6 of the 17 so far--if prior years are any indication, I will prob get about a dozen of them. Going to bid 4 today. Promising for mid-May right now, should be backed up into June soon. Best thing (other than doing quality work) has been increasing my advertising budget, and giving up on working for other contractors and only doing "retail" work. WAY better money, customers are glad to have the work done and glad to pay, vs working for contractors that pay slow and try to chisel you down on price. ADVERTISING PAYS. Never done the craigslist thing. I seek high-end, good profit jobs and that takes name recognition. One week of retail work will more than pay for a entire year's worth of advertising. I sure hope it stays like this!!!!

 

[Chandler]

Starting to warm up here, but still froze once you get down 4 or 5 inches. I looked back in my "book", and I have bid 17 jobs in the last 7 days. Landed 6 of the 17 so far--if prior years are any indication, I will prob get about a dozen of them. Going to bid 4 today. Promising for mid-May right now, should be backed up into June soon. Best thing (other than doing quality work) has been increasing my advertising budget, and giving up on working for other contractors and only doing "retail" work. WAY better money, customers are glad to have the work done and glad to pay, vs working for contractors that pay slow and try to chisel you down on price. ADVERTISING PAYS. Never done the craigslist thing. I seek high-end, good profit jobs and that takes name recognition. One week of retail work will more than pay for a entire year's worth of advertising. I sure hope it stays like this!!!!

Iowa Dave, glad to hear you're "getting the business". Seriously, that is a good thing! I was just wondering what kind of work that you do. If you specialize in a particular type of work or if you do general skid steer work.

 

[Iowa Dave]

Iowa Dave, glad to hear you're "getting the business". Seriously, that is a good thing! I was just wondering what kind of work that you do. If you specialize in a particular type of work or if you do general skid steer work.

Re-grade, fix potholes add crushed rock on large parking lot. Regrade back yard to get water to flow away from foundation of house (4 of these so far). Raise window wells on house. Build retaining wall for walk-out basement. Till up, smooth out and re-seed rough front lawn. Install a channel drain and re-slope gravel drive to keep water out of garage, Build a 10-foot fire ring and a path to it out of concrete pavers. Dig post holes for a large post-frame building. Dig post holes for planting a long windbreak out in the country. Dig a hole and bury old farmhouse foundation. Build a putting green. Remove an above-ground swimming pool and re-grade the yard. Level off a spot for a patio and install the gravel base and sand for pavers (customer wants to do the pavers themselves). Bust up and remove bad sidewalk. Several new lawn seedings, I think 8 as of yesterday. Build bullpens for a youth baseball/softball complex. 2 more calls last night. AS you can see, we do mostly "small" jobs, but do many in a good week. I have 3 crews that I manage to keep busy any time weather is fit. Mostly, we "solve problems". People are smiling when we leave. FAR better than just pushing dirt around--no money in that. Anyone can rent a Bobcat shove dirt around. All work guaranteed.

 

[Chandler]

Re-grade, fix potholes add crushed rock on large parking lot. Regrade back yard to get water to flow away from foundation of house (4 of these so far). Raise window wells on house. Build retaining wall for walk-out basement. Till up, smooth out and re-seed rough front lawn. Install a channel drain and re-slope gravel drive to keep water out of garage, Build a 10-foot fire ring and a path to it out of concrete pavers. Dig post holes for a large post-frame building. Dig post holes for planting a long windbreak out in the country. Dig a hole and bury old farmhouse foundation. Build a putting green. Remove an above-ground swimming pool and re-grade the yard. Level off a spot for a patio and install the gravel base and sand for pavers (customer wants to do the pavers themselves). Bust up and remove bad sidewalk. Several new lawn seedings, I think 8 as of yesterday. Build bullpens for a youth baseball/softball complex. 2 more calls last night. AS you can see, we do mostly "small" jobs, but do many in a good week. I have 3 crews that I manage to keep busy any time weather is fit. Mostly, we "solve problems". People are smiling when we leave. FAR better than just pushing dirt around--no money in that. Anyone can rent a Bobcat shove dirt around. All work guaranteed.

You have been real busy! Glad to see you getting those jobs. Those maybe mostly small jobs but all are good and it takes different skills for each job. That's good that you have good help and can bid on different jobs. I have bid on several different jobs lately myself. Hope the jobs keep coming.