3 Reasons to be Thankful for the Construction Industry

Take a second, and think of a world without craft professionals. Without construction, we wouldn’t have homes to live in, roads to drive on, schools to learn in or hospitals to get treated in. Our infrastructure wouldn’t exist and that includes commodities such as running water, electricity and air conditioning.

With construction affecting our daily lives, we hardly recognize the impact the skills and knowledge have on our lives.

This Thanksgiving let’s show our appreciation to construction and craft professionals.

Here are just three reasons to be thankful for the construction industry and craft professionals each and every day.

1) Providing Essential Services

Now especially during COVID-19 when life has been put on halt, it is important to think of all the essential workers and services. While we always think of doctors and law enforcement, the construction industry is one that should also come to mind. According to NAHBNOW, “As cities and states issue declarations and public health orders as a result of the crisis, it is essential that communities have access to our professionals to build and maintain essential services including: building, plumbing, residential property management, rental housing operators, roofing, electrical, HVAC systems, waste/wastewater treatment plants and power generations.” Overall, construction is crucial to sustaining good hygiene, economic development and comfort.

Let’s drill it down to the basics:

Electricity – Seems like it’s something you have always had access to, right? When we truly think about it most things in our daily routine requires the use of electricity including, but not limited to, the lights in our home and the outlets that charge our cell phones. While our phones being fully charged is something of comfort, it is important to realize the things that are necessary for life such as the refrigerator to keep food cold and the power that keeps hospitals up and running.

Plumbing – Having access to plumbing allows us access to clean water, which is key for drinking and cooking. Clean water is important for different aspects of our lives like health and personal hygiene.

Air Conditioning – While most buildings today are equipped with AC, it makes us question what happens if it stops working. Whether you live in the south and endure long hot summers or in the north with cold winters, AC and heating are essential to ensure our daily comfort  and keep temperatures regulated.

2) Building and Maintaining Necessary Infrastructure and Facilities

Every road, hospital, home and office are built by craft professionals. Not only are craft workers essential in the creation of infrastructures, but also in maintaining them. Craft professionals are key to bringing electricity or water into our homes and offices, but they also build and maintain the plants that are responsible for the power and energy needed.

“The construction industry provides critical services for public safety and welfare with building, highway-heavy and utility needs. Construction workers maintain and improve our nation’s infrastructure, including vital energy and communication systems, roads and bridges, and social infrastructure such as police, fire and healthcare facilities,” said Dave Simpson president and CEO of Carolinas AGC (CAGC).

3) Front Lines of Relief Efforts

When we think of disaster relief, we think of the Coast Guard helping with search and rescue and the Red Cross to help with medical needs, but what about the destroyed infrastructure? When natural disasters hit, there can be damaged damage to roads and buildings. There needs to be teams before a natural disaster, as well as after. There are so many things to keep in mind, such as power or building stability, which fall under construction relief responsibilities.

According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, these are the phases of relief work:

• Preparedness

• Response

• Recovery

• Mitigation

Without a doubt, the construction is involved in all phases of relief work. Craft professionals work in preparedness to prepare electrical lines and homes, response to preserve infrastructure, recovery to rebuild and mitigation to work to prevent further issues in the future.

In the words of Walt Disney, you can dream, create, design and build the most wonderful place in the world, but it requires people to make the dream a reality.

So, the next time you’re taking a shower or running your dishwasher think of the craft professionals who made it happen and who make your life seamless each and every day.