Orders of core capital goods were up 0.9% in March, after falling 0.8% in February, while shipments also swung to a gain, according to Commerce Department data. Durable goods orders increased 0.5% in March, although orders for transportation equipment and civilian aircraft declined.

Warehouse automated storage and retrieval systems can optimize pallet storage and transport, save time, prevent waste and promote safety and growth, writes Emily Newton. "Before deciding to invest in an AS/RS, executives should determine what they hope to achieve and what benefits those outcomes would cause in the short and long term," she writes.

Pandemic regulations and workforce issues persist for California contractors, but they generally express optimism that this year will be no worse than 2020, according to an AGC survey. Seventy percent of respondents predict improved or similar profits, while 78% of respondents predict equal or greater rates of hiring.

Soaring material prices and the pandemic are inspiring construction vendors and subcontractors to bolster efficiency through prefabrication, software and robotics, according to a report by Consigli. Some builders, however, are pausing reentry into the market amid the surge in material costs.

Students enrolled in woodworking classes at Mason City High School in Iowa are making and selling customizable mallets, made from scraps of oak and mahogany. Proceeds from the sales will go to purchase an overhead reel for the air hose in the woodworking classroom.

Community colleges are partnering with the construction industry in response to growing demand from the youngest generation for more material value from higher education. This has led to attention to facilities that focus on instruction in modern, attractive buildings.

The Senate on Tuesday voted 52-42 to confirm Janet McCabe as deputy administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. "Janet McCabe is exactly the leader that Administrator Michael Regan and the EPA need right now," said Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del.

The lack of truck drivers is forcing companies to pay truckers more, raising prices for freight and consumer goods, industry experts say. Companies "have to entice people with higher wages to get them to run the same freight that they could have done if we had the right amount of truckers," says Jim Grundy, owner of trucking company Sisu Energy.

AWFS® and Closets & Organized Storage Magazine are introducing and co-sponsoring The Great Closets Challenge: A three-part challenge, including a Designer Challenge, a Fabricator Challenge, and an Installer/Assembler Challenge that has attendees fighting to beat the clock to assemble and install a custom-designed storage space on the show floor, which will take place in the Closets Pavilion. Read more.

Industry professionals supported nearly 50 students competing in the first-ever remote SkillsUSA California Cabinetmaking and Introductory Woodworking regional and state contests. The contest project could be completed entirely from home, and students submitted videos and participated in virtual interviews to complete the scoring process. Read more.