A few years ago, United Parcel Service ran a series of TV commercials with the slogan, “What Can Brown Do for You?” In the annals of advertising, this campaign probably won’t go down as one of the most memorable or exciting.

For the last two years, more than 13+ million U.S. workers have been unemployed, many for very long stretches. Let that number – 13 million – sink in for a moment. That’s like saying the entire population of Illinois has been laid off.

This week I attended the last National Association Oil Heating Service Managers Show in Hershey, PA. Actually, it’s not the last show for this fine organization, but it will be the last show by that exact name. 

Construction and maintenance pros, do you have what it takes to takes to excel today? I'm not talking about aggressive cost cutting or crazy-efficient management techniques. Chances are you are already doing those things.

Al Levi could have packed it in, gone to Arizona, and led the good life. After all, he sold his contracting company back when the economy was still vibrant.

Canvassing the International Builders Show (IBS) usually is like drinking water from a fire hose. Fortunately, this year’s version was easier to ingest. Unlike the last time IBS was in Orlando’s Orange County Convention Center, the 2011 Expo consumed just the West Hall.