RockBlog
Covid-19 vaccine is important for the health of our people and the construction industry
Posted by Tom Squeri on Thu, February 25th, 2021, 2:45 pm
A recent article inConstruction Dive, an online newsletter covering our industry, reported a disturbing fact: Only 53 percent of construction workers surveyed plan to take the Covid-19 vaccine.That compares to over 70 percent in other industries, such as technology and financial services.There are a number of reasons behind vaccine hesitancy.Some don’t see the virus as a serious health threat and therefore see no reason to get vaccinated. Others are concerned about safety and think the vaccine ... Read More
Former U.S. Transportation Secretary joins Graniterock board
Posted by Tom Squeri on Thu, April 5th, 2018, 10:34 am
SAN JOSE – Mary E. Peters, U.S. Secretary of Transportation under President George W. Bush, was elected to Graniterock’s Board of Directors at the company’s recent annual shareholder meeting.Peters joined the nine-member board that governs the 118-year-old construction materials and services company based in Watsonville, upon her election March 23.“We are delighted to have someone with Mary’s knowledge, skills and experience on transportation issues join Graniterock’s board,” Graniterock Chairman Mark Kaminski said. “Mary has a long-standing ... Read More
It's time to fix California's roads
Posted by Tom Squeri on Wed, September 9th, 2015, 11:57 am
Like many of you, I navigate the highways of the San Francisco Bay Area and Central Coast regularly to visit construction sites, attend meetings and take care of other business needs, and the condition of our roadways is disheartening.Gridlock is everywhere, no matter the time of day, and I frequently find myself on stretches of major highways so rough it makes me thankful for good suspension and tires.Of course, the poor condition of California’s roads is ... Read More
When Things Don't Go as Planned, It's All About Your Response
Posted by Tom Squeri on Wed, March 18th, 2015, 8:16 am
Life doesn’t always go according to plan, and the same holds true for business. We would all like our customer service and product quality to be flawless, and we strive to build management systems to assure that result. Sometimes, though, despite our best efforts, something fails and we face upset customers. One of my favorite quotations is, “Life is 10 percent what happens to us and 90 percent how we respond.” The quote is attributed to ... Read More
The Power of Corporate Culture
Posted by Tom Squeri on Wed, March 18th, 2015, 8:16 am
Having just celebrated fifteen years with Graniterock, fourteen in my prior role as Vice President and General Counsel and the past year in my new role as CEO, I started thinking about my first day of work with the Company. I arrived very early that day and found Bruce Woolpert already busy at his desk (I would eventually learn that trying to arrive earlier or leave later than Bruce was an exercise in futility). After a ... Read More
Two New Important Preliminary Notice Court Cases Warrant Attention
Posted by Tom Squeri on Wed, March 18th, 2015, 8:16 am
The California appeals court issued two new cases recently that warrant the attention of any contractor wishing to preserve its lien, bond or stop notice rights. Both cases address the importance of getting the preliminary notice requirement right.The first case, Shady Tree Farms v. Omni Financial (12 C.D.O.S 5544, May 22, 2012), dealt with a material supplier who had a contract with the project owner to supply trees for a large development project. Shady Tree Farms ... Read More
State Board of Equalization Clarifies Sales Tax on T&M Construction Contracts.
Posted by Tom Squeri on Wed, March 18th, 2015, 8:16 am
There has been some confusion among construction contractors recently about the California State Board of Equalization’s (“Board” or “SBE”)position on the application of sales tax to materials provided by a construction contractor working under a time and materials (“T&M”) contract. The confusion stems from an unclear “Summary of Application of Tax for Construction Contractors” table that was attached to a February 8, 2012 letter sent to licensed contractors throughout the State, and comments made to some ... Read More
Home Improvement Contracts and Time and Materials Pricing
Posted by Tom Squeri on Wed, March 18th, 2015, 8:16 am
A recent legal presentation at Graniterock’s Concrete and Building Materials Expo has generated a lot of discussion. One of our speakers told the audience that it is unlawful for a contractor and a homeowner to enter into a contract for home improvement work where the price term is based on “time and materials” (“T&M”). Several in the audience were surprised to hear this, and questioned whether the statement is true. After all, T&M contracting is relatively ... Read More
Fly-By-Night Paving Contractor Hit with Huge Fine
Posted by Tom Squeri on Wed, March 18th, 2015, 8:16 am
Fly-By-Night Paving Contractor Hit with Huge FineIt happens all over the Country. A paving contractor knocks on a residential door, claims to have asphalt left over from a near-by job, and offers a “smoking deal” to pave the consumer’s driveway right then and there. The asphalt goes down and the contractor drives off with the payment. Weeks or months later, the driveway is a crumbling mess of deteriorating asphalt and the contractor is nowhere to be ... Read More
Prevailing Wage Requirements Expanded to Off-Haul of Road Construction Materials
Posted by Tom Squeri on Wed, March 18th, 2015, 8:16 am
Prevailing Wage Requirements Expanded to Off-Haul of Road Construction MaterialsAs this Blog has previously reported (See August 17, 2011 post, California DIR…), the California Division of Industrial Relations (DIR) has taken the position that the off-haul of materials excavated from a public works construction site is covered by the Prevailing Wage Law (PWL), if the off-haul of the material is part of the “execution” of the construction contract. This is a fact-specific determination, and contractors may ... Read More
RECENT POSTS
- Empowering veterans and communities: A day of service with CHEER and VFW
- Bruce W. Woolpert Scholarship adds up to successful life for pro soccer player
- Graniterock team member receives top safety award from California industry leaders
- Graniterock’s assistance to firefighters sparks gratitude from Aromas community
- Rock N Run raises $40,000 for education and youth in our community
- Graniterock recognized for environmental excellence
- Community fun run at Graniterock quarry in Hollister raises $17,500 for YMCA
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