by Shane Henson — April 3, 2013—Employment opportunities are up for member firms of the InsideIQ Building Automation Alliance, an international alliance of independent building automation contractors. According to the organization, it anticipates a five percent increase in personnel for 2013. Comprised of 48 independent commercial building and facilities automation companies, InsideIQ members already have more than 4,200 employees.
InsideIQ says that most of its members are experiencing signs of an improved commercial real estate and construction market that is leading to a shortage of qualified staff in technical, engineering and administrative fields, good news for those seeking to enter into these areas. The increase may also be partly due to the rising popularity of building automation technology.
“I speak with leaders at Alliance firms on a regular basis and I consistently hear that they are looking for talented people to service customers and provide administrative or sales support for their companies,” said Mark Balent, president of InsideIQ Building Automation Alliance. “Building owners are starting to invest in their properties, new schools and hospitals are going up, and other commercial construction activities are increasing, so our members are looking for talent to meet that demand. In fact, some InsideIQ companies may even grow by more than five percent this year.”
InsideIQ says a five percent employment increase for InsideIQ member firms is consistent with the growth predictions for the construction industry in 2013, as discussed in McGraw-Hill Construction’s 2013 Dodge Construction Outlook report, a mainstay in construction industry forecasting and business planning. The latest report predicts that total U.S. construction starts for 2013 will rise six percent to $483.7 billion, slightly higher than the five percent increase estimated for 2012.
