According to a national survey of the construction industry, Arkansas comes in second

Little Rock, Arkansas – According to the Associated Builders and Contractors Inc.’s 2024 Merit Shop Scorecard, which evaluates the construction industry, Arkansas is ranked second in the US. Stakeholders are keen to build on this noteworthy accomplishment.

In areas including public-private and prevailing wage standards, right-to-work laws, and vocational and technical education, the state received good marks. State legislators were responsible for the accomplishment, according to Bill Rochelle, president of the Associated Builders and Contractors of Arkansas.

“I think our state lawmakers have done an outstanding job of making it easy to do business with construction in Arkansas,” Rochelle stated. “A contractor’s capacity to obtain and win work will not be hampered by onerous rules. Our legislators deserve all the praise for the atmosphere they have cultivated in our wonderful state of Arkansas.

Rochelle also acknowledged the contributions of the Office of Skills Development, Workforce Development, and the Department of Commerce to the success of the state’s construction industry.

Nabholz Construction’s business development officer, Jonathan Adams, agreed with Rochelle. “We’ve partnered for a long time with Bill and ABC, and we’ve been members of their association for a long time,” Adams stated. “Building in this state is truly fantastic. We’re grateful to be here and take part in all that is happening.”

Adams and Rochelle both underlined how crucial construction is to the state’s economy. “These guys here build the schools, the hospitals, the roads, the bridges,” Rochelle stated. “It’s important that we have nice buildings for these young men and women to be educated in and nice hospitals when we have to use those.”

Adams emphasized the benefits of taxpayer-funded initiatives, like the recently constructed science wing at Little Rock Central High School. Adams stated, “This is a taxpayer project that is funded by the state.” “It’s nice to see our tax dollars being put to work.”

In order to maintain the industry’s growth, Rochelle called the ranking “an outstanding accomplishment for our state” and mentioned that ABC Arkansas is concentrating on hiring younger people. Regarding the Merit Shop rankings, Arkansas is vying for the top slot in the future.