Looking Back as We Forge Ahead - 2021 Review & 2022 Trends

In 2021, many industries faced common struggles. From supply chain issues to increasing costs of materials, staffing shortages to embracing technology to increase safely in the wake of more than a year of pandemic operations – the construction industry was not exempt from the challenges facing businesses across the nation.

“Labor shortages and inflation have been very challenging with virtually every material from lumber to steel going up in price and contractors often unable to get materials and equipment in a timely matter,” said Len Olbrantz, vice president of northern region & manager of business development for Scherrer Construction. “Nothing has reached the point that it cannot be navigated though or mitigated, and we’ve worked tirelessly to ensure our entire team – from project managers to estimators to purchasers – are making educated decisions and smart adjustments to deliver the same great experiences our customers have come to expect with as little disruption as possible.”

Projects for 2022 and 2023 have continued to forge ahead, filling calendars and designing projects for communities to look forward to.

“Learning from the past year will only make us stronger as a company and more prepared for the year ahead,” said Jim Scherrer, president and CEO of Scherrer Construction.

So, what does future construction endeavors look like in 2022? Here are three things to plan for:

1) Continuing to be flexible

For those in the process of a construction process or looking to build in the next couple years, you we will face some continuing issues. Having a trusted team that understands the landscape and can present solutions to support your goals will be imperative.

“Our team leans on their expertise and experience in the industry to provide sounds decisions for our clients and help guide them through the maze of new construction and renovations,” said Scherrer.

2) Contributing to growing and changing communities

We’ve always been committed to serving the needs of our communities and clients. Recently, many communities needs have changed and there are significantly more multi-family and affordable housing than in the past. This trend will continue into the coming years. School districts have also been securing Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funding, allowing them to complete improvements to air quality, create outdoor learning environments as well as make other safety adjustments to their spaces.

“These grants offer schools a lot of potential building projects and our experience in helping schools create inclusive and innovative learning spaces makes us excited to help them make these ideas a reality,” said Scherrer.

3) Utilizing technology

Building Information Modeling, also known as BIM, helps businesses visualize their project from conception to completion. With more detail than traditional renderings or 2-D models of the past, the construction industry continues to embrace what has become almost a virtual reality of design. We also expect to see more robots helping to combat workforce shortages. Able to complete an increasing number of tasks, robots are already being used for some masonry work with the potential to include them in additional tasks from installing drywall to painting. We look forward to exploring the future.

Looking into the future, it's evident that construction will continue to evolve. With new technologies and materials being developed every day to combat the issues facing businesses, we can only imagine the possibilities that await the construction industry. We look forward to exploring the future.