Page 17 - BusinessWest December 8, 2021

Pat and Craig Sweitzer say supply-chain
issues affect both availability and cost of materials, and, therefore, both project scheduling and budgeting.
ing, Campbell said, which has impacted her firm on two levels.
“It’s been a nightmare to hire drivers to join our team, then trying to get machines delivered to our facility or to our customer’s facility. They’ll say they’ll be there at noon and may show up at 4 o’clock. So it’s hard because you have to pass some of the cost off, but who’s at fault in all this? It’s a scheduling nightmare, a financial nightmare for customers and vendors. It’s been ... quite an
“It’s a scheduling nightmare. I tip my hat to our schedulers, how they keep all the balls in the air and keep all the employees working and customers happy, with all
the changes that happen on very quick notice.”
interesting year.”
She gave an example of a hard deadline of
Dec. 31 to get a machine up and running on a customer’s plant floor. “We’re at the bottom of that chain. It has to come through customs — most are made outside the U.S. — then it has to be piped by the piper, the electrician does his work, then you bring the rigger in, all those dove- tail together.”
Keiter said supply shortages and delays are causing some price escalation with materials.
a project, and a plumber advised her to order a certain piece of equipment needed for the job immediately. “So you ask yourself the question, ‘do we take a chance and order it and expect to get the job?’ These kinds of questions are coming up as well.”
These challenges tend to put contractors in a tough spot, stuck in the middle between custom- er demands and supply realities.
“Those are real concerns,” Craig said. “At first it sounded like a lot of people complaining, but it truly is an issue. Availability, the cost of materials and shipping, getting stuff shipped to sites ... it’s all tricky.”
Links in the Chain
One aspect of the supply-chain issue is truck-
CONSTRUCTION
DECEMBER 8, 2021 17
BusinessWest