Page 28 - BusinessWest December 7, 2020

weeks, was flat-out cancelled for the airlines,” he said. “A great deal of the other work was either temporarily postponed or put on an indefinite hold.” One large airline client told Perrier that
its facility’s goal was to reach a “zero spend by November first.”
Two to three months into the pandemic, Mer- cieri began getting word of projects being can- celed. His company had already bought materials to start construction for one of those projects.
“When they first shut us down, they told us it was temporary,” he said. “Then, six weeks later,
“Clients have had projects on the docket to get done but were skittish for the last seven months, and with a rise in case count, there is still some uncertainty.”
they wrote us a letter to say they had canceled the project.”
Two natural-gas compression stations that Rahkonen’s company had planned to build in Pennsylvania this year have been put off until next year. While those still look viable for 2021, they represent $20 million less in projects for Northern Construction this year.
Perrier predicts the long-term impact of avia- tion construction will be felt by many for years to come. That’s why his company has diversified into other industries besides aviation.
“We are doing a decent amount
of work in the cannabis industry. It’s booming right now, so that’s helped
us out,” he said. One project nearing completion is Dreamer, a cannabis dis- pensary in Southampton scheduled to open in 2021.
The holiday season tends to be
a time when activity begins to slow down in construction and many jobs approach their completion. It’s also a time for active bidding on projects for next year. Mercieri struck a positive tone and suggested a possible rebound in construction activity for 2021.
“Back in March, a lot of projects were delayed, and now they are getting put back on the table and going out for bid,” he said, adding that some of the projects getting approved involve bring- ing public buildings into compliance with COVID-19 mandates.
When Pelletier surveys the land- scape, he senses both uncertainty and hopefulness.
“Clients have had projects on the docket to get done but were skittish
for the last seven months, and with a rise in case count, there is still some uncertainty,” he said. “On the plus side, interest rates are extremely low, so bor- rowing the money for a project is less expensive now.”
Pelletier and the other managers we spoke with have all taken a one-day-at-a-time approach because they understand that coronavirus levels, and the government regulations aimed at lower-
Houle Construction continues
to take on work in the medical field, including this recent project
at a local hospital.
ing them, will most likely change again — and they will simply make the necessary adjustments.
“Because we’re wearing masks all day, every- one has a sore on their nose and a generally irri- tated demeanor,” Pelletier said. “But we’re navi- gating through it.” u
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