Experts see more ‘mixed construction’ projects - By Brian Johnson, Twin Cities Finance and Commerce, MN
Mixed construction projects — the practice of union and nonunion contractors working side-by-side on a given jobsite — are the wave of the future in Minnesota, according to a panel of local construction experts.
“They’re not just the future, they’re here already,” said David Lenss, president/COO of Graham Penn-Co Construction. “You’re seeing more and more of it by large owners … that are saying, ‘I want people who are qualified to do the work.’ And they’re not worrying about whether it’s a union or nonunion contractor.”
The experts — representing unions, contractors, owners and consulting firms — gathered for a Jan. 19 panel discussion at the Associated General Contractors of Minnesota’s annual meeting in St. Paul.