Current business outlook

[NorthCivil]

How is everyone's outlook for work at the moment?

I'm in building construction,

Most of my projects are continuing for the moment. A couple hotels that I was working on had the brakes put on the project - they are going to build until lock-up only and not complete interior finishing work. Doesn't affect me, but is indicative of economic trends.

I have even had a few requests for proposals for nice looking work come in.

My friends in the oil patch are hurting and very worried, though they have been hurting and worried for years now.

 

[BrianPetersen]

Automotive - on the automation and tooling side of it. The vehicle programs that I'm involved with, which were all on the go pre-pandemic, haven't changed their deadlines, although there will inevitably be some delays due to inability to get much construction done for the past month. Things are starting to wake up again.

I do expect the next couple of years to be slower on the production side. I know of one project that's being canned, although it was a very small niche of a niche, not very important. The mainstream project that it was associated with, is still going forward, although I'm quite sure they've had construction delays just like everyone else has.

 

[SWComposites]

Commercial aircraft industry is cratering. Likely to be a long slow climb back up the production rate increase curve. Lots of small suppliers will be hurt badly.

 

[SteelPE]

NorthCivil, Are you in New Zealand? I would think the virus outlook in NZ is a lot better than it is here in the states. However, I have found a similar outlook to up to this point. Projects where were in design at the time of disaster are still moving forward. I have had a few project that I was told were moving forward but were put on a shelf with the possibility of being cancelled (One project for a company that makes life safety equipment for aircraft, another small project at local University and the last a foundation for a large metal building). Projects that were in construction are not stopping.

I am a bit leery as this thing drags on. At the beginning of March I was hoping we would be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel starting in May. For some reason my state just can't get over the hump. It's frustrating.

 

[RVAmeche]

Here in the states on the east coast, lots of our clients have cancelled scheduled outages and/or projects due to the situation. Election years also tend to be slow in our industry, so it's probably just going to compound the problem.

 

[CivilEngAus]

My experience is similar to yours SteelPE. Design projects already commissioned are proceeding however other projects that were about to start have been shelved by clients. We have had pretty much no new work commissioned since mid March.

 

[tz101]

Aerospace, on my end, is going steady right now. As normal, we are running understaffed, but that is par for the course.

 

[NorthCivil]

I am not in NZ anymore - though often wish I was!

back here in the frozen north - bad decision with oil at -37$

 

[msquared48]

Structural ... no prob in my area, even for forensics.

Can’t say the same will be true in October though.

Mike McCann, PE, SE (WA, HI)

 

[SteelPE]

NOrthCivil, that odd because it's listed as NZ in your profile. I wonder if that will change after a little while?

 

[NorthCivil]

SteelPE - Thanks for that. Could be some of the servers I am running and connected through. My hardware network is around the world!! you might have helped solve some of my load time issues.

I might seriously consider going back down under. the personnel shortage down there is tremendous, and will persist even if the market does a downturn I reckon

 

[Sparweb]

@tz101,
Aerospace, on "my end" (referring to airlines) is very uncertain right now. We used to be understaffed, but in the near future we could be overstaffed, until the inevitable happens.
Not a good time to be in "my end" of aerospace. May be time for me to switch back to helicopters...

http://www.sparweb.ca

 

[tz101]

Sparweb, that is the aerospace I am in, helicopters.

 

[Sparweb]

Ah,
Well that means somebody's about to elbow into your turf, and it might not be only me...!

http://www.sparweb.ca

 

[CWB1]

Most everything here around Detroit is still dead. Most automotive production resumed this week at a slow pace but every OE is discussing cutting the production year by at least 2-3 months due to low demand. Everything from midstream product development to plant upgrades have been cut by half or more and the OEs are insourcing work to preserve their own staff. I'm expecting this to ripple through the national and world economies over the next few months. Locally I have been amazed by reactions, most commerical and even residential construction isnt resuming and equipment and trailers are sitting empty on jobsites. Several local builders also have developed a new marketing scheme - you get a real deal by buying their half-built spec homes with only the exteriors finished.