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Issue No. 39 • Wednesday, September 30, 2026 • www.mbex.org
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Merriam-Webster recently dropped 1,400 new words and definitions, and the list is quite telling about today's culture. "Meme coin," "promposal," "Sunday scaries," "cake pop," and "glow-up" all made the cut and are now officially dictionary-worthy.
One addition that stood out to me? "Uncanny valley," which is the eerie feeling one gets when looking at something artificial and it appears almost, but not quite, human. (Even the dictionary can't avoid AI!)
In a world increasingly shaped by AI and automation, it's a good reminder of what our industry has always had that no algorithm can replicate: real materials, real labor, and real results. I'd say we're about as far from uncanny valley as it gets. (Though if anyone figures out how to use "glow-up" in a bid proposal, I'd love to see it 😄 ✨ 🏗️)
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Five Quick Things To Know & Do This Week:
1.) Fall Social - We're 9 days away from the MBEX Fall Social at Rush Creek Golf Club, and if you haven't registered yet, there's only one question to ask: what are you waiting for? Come join us on October 8!
2.) Minority Notice - Engineering & Construction Innovations, Inc. (ECI) is seeking quotes from CERT-certified MBE / WBE firms for the City of Minneapolis - Nokomis Lane Storm Sewer Rehabilitation project. Bid deadline is Monday, October 12. See full project notice here
3.) Cast Your Vote - The Twin Ports Interchange project in Duluth is a Top 12 finalist in the America's Transportation Awards, and MnDOT needs your help to win the People's Choice Award. Vote daily now through November 15 and help highlight the project's work in improving safety, efficiency, and economic vitality in District 1.
4.) Project Watch - The Plymouth City Council will consider three different mixed-use concepts for transforming a key city center property. Concepts were separately submitted by Hempel Real Estate, Sherman Associates, and a team consisting of Monarch Development Partners, McCarthy Development, and Great State Development. A market study said the site could accommodate more than 185 units, 17,000-square-feet of commercial spaces, and nearly 700 parking stalls.
5.) Social Media Break - Want to look busy at work? Here are a few tips, and they work both in office and on the jobsite 😏 📃 📞 😂
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Inside Issue No. 39:
• MBEX YPN: Join fellow young professionals on October 28 at Frattalone Construction
• Economic Report: Industry momentum remains narrow among stiff headwinds, including materials prices, labor shortages, and borrowing costs
• Member To-Dos: Take two minutes and review your company's member listing within the new online Member Directory
• Know Your Q4 Risks: Workforce challenges and the safety implications of relying more and more on newer, less experienced employees [Part 2 of 6]
• Upcoming Events: Fall Social (10/8); Online Plan Room Demo (10/15); & MBEX Young Professionals Network (10/28)
• Project Download: Updated project information for the week of September 23-29
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In The Room Where It Happens
3 Reasons Why the Next MBEX YPN Deserves a Spot on Your Calendar
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An early career in construction is a lot of learning as you go: new projects, unfamiliar processes, and a whole industry of people you haven't met yet.
The MBEX Young Professionals Network (YPN) exists for exactly that stretch of one's career, and our next event is more than worth making time for.
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Date: Wednesday, October 28
Time: 3:00pm - 5:00pm
Location: Frattalone Construction
(3205 Spruce St, Little Canada, MN 55117)
Cost: $20 per person (includes apps, drinks, and door prizes)
Sponsor: Help support MBEX YPN by becoming a Beverage or Appetizer Sponsor!
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If you're newer to the industry, or you manage someone who is, this is a great room to be in. YPN is also one of the easiest ways to get more involved with MBEX without any real barrier to entry.
In case they're needed, here are a few locked and loaded reasons why you should join us on October 28:
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The People in the Room are a Longer Play Than You Think
Early-career networking gets sold as a short-term thing: meet people, swap information, connect on LinkedIn. But showing up to something like YPN before you really need to is where the actual value is. The project manager you talk to over drinks could be the GC you're bidding work to in ten years. Those relationships, built before anyone needs anything, are the ones that stick.
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Everyone Else is Figuring It Out, Too
There's something quietly useful about being around people at a similar stage, even if they're in different companies or trades. The questions are often the same. The frustrations, too.
YPN isn't a mentorship program or a seminar; it's a room full of people navigating similar territory. It's valuable in ways that are hard to explain until you've experienced it.
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You're There to Grow; So, Grow!
Not every professional development moment is a course or a credential. Some of it is just showing up somewhere unfamiliar, talking to people you wouldn't have otherwise met, and leaving with a slightly bigger sense of the industry you're building a career in.
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THANK YOU, SPONSORS
We'd like to acknowledge those supporting our young professionals:
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Contact Melanie, Events & Membership Coordinator, with sponsorship questions or any event-related inquiries: (612) 381-2628 or melanie@mbex.org.
Help spread the word to the young professionals among your team and company, and we'll see you there!
| | | MBEX YPN creates a space for emerging leaders to build relationships, exchange ideas, and strengthen their professional network within the Upper Midwest construction community. | | |
What We Learned in September [Economic Report]
Industry Momentum Remains Narrow
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The construction industry has one major tailwind right now: gale-force data center construction activity that's keeping backlog strong and a certain segment of the market very busy.
Everything else? A barrage of stiff headwinds. Rising materials prices compounded by tariffs and supply chains. Reemerging labor shortages that never full resolved from the last cycle. Borrowing costs that are putting a chill on new private development and complicating project financing for owners and developers.
The market in Q4 2026 isn't bad, but it isn't simple either.
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📶 Nonresidential Spending Growth Concentrated in Data Center Segment
Nonresidential construction spending increased in July, entirely due to ongoing growth in the data center segment.
Excluding data centers, nonresidential spending fell for the second straight month, down to the lowest level in nearly three years. The only other major category exhibiting growth at the moment is power, and those electricity-generating projects are largely related to the data center buildout.
🧗 Materials Prices Continue to Climb
Construction input prices jumped another 1.2% in August and are now up 8.9% over the past 12-months.
While high oil prices have made a significant contribution to that escalation, increases are widespread: prices for iron and steel, softwood lumber, switchgear, copper wire and cable, and several derivative metal products are all up more than 10% on a year-over-year basis.
Given record high diesel prices, input price escalation will likely continue over the next few months.
⚒️ Nonresidential Specialty Trade Contractors Lead Hiring Surge
The construction industry added jobs for a sixth straight month in August, and year-over-year growth is up to the fastest pace in 18-months.
This growth has occurred despite ongoing weakness on the residential side of the industry and is a byproduct of the ongoing boom in data center construction and its insatiable need for electricians and other specialty trades.
This hiring, as well as the effects of immigration policy, have led to reemerging labor shortages. Industrywide job openings have risen in recent months and are now near a two-year high.
🏀 Backlog Rebounds
ABC's Construction Backlog Indicator (first chart, below) rebounded to 8.5-months in August, up 0.5-months from July and unchanged from one year earlier.
Contractors remained confident about the outlook in August, according to the Construction Confidence Index (second chart, below), although there was a notable uptick in unprompted mentioned of labor shortages in the survey responses.
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Looking Ahead
The Federal Reserve hiked interest rates for the first time since 2023 at its September meeting, and the most recent Federal Reserve projections show one more expected rate increase in 2026.
With borrowing costs about to rise, the labor market tightening and materials prices increasing, contractor margins may compress over the next several months.
| | | This information was collected from 'Construction Futures', a monthly economic roundup produced by Construction Executive (CE). | | |
When Did You Last Check Your Member Listing?
If You Can't Remember, It's Probably Time.
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When MBEX launched its new website earlier this summer, it included an updated online member directory, and it's only as useful as the information in it.
Before the week gets away from you, take two minutes to look up your company and make sure everything is accurate.
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A Few Things Worth Checking:
• Is your address correct?
• Are your phone number and primary contact information up to date?
• Are the right people listed under your company profile?
An outdated contact name or a phone number that goes nowhere is a missed connection, and in this industry, missed connections can cost real money.
Finding Your Listing is Simple
Head to MBEX.org, navigate to the member directory (under Industry Involvement), and search your company name.
If something needs to be updated, log into the Online Plan Room to make the changes directly. Here's how step by step:
1.) Log in to MBEX's Online Plan Room.
2.) From the Deskpad, select Administration, and then Edit Your Company Information from the drop-down menu.
3.) Review the presented information on each screen, and make any necessary changes. Once the full slate of changes has been submitted, an MBEX staffer must review and approve them. This usually takes 1-2 business days (or less). Changes will not be reflected on a member's record until reviewed and approved.
You can also email MBEX directly with your requested changes.
| | It takes only a few minutes and ensures that when another member or a prospective project partner looks you up, they find exactly what they're looking for. | |
Know Your Risks: Workforce Challenges & Jobsite Safety
Q4 Commercial Construction Risk Check-In [Part 2 of 6]
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Last week we kicked off our Q4 risk check-in series by looking at rising costs and the coverage gaps that can emerge when project values outpace your insurance limits.
This week, we're turning to a risk that lives a little closer to the jobsite. One that most contractors are navigating daily but don't always connect directly to their risk profile: workforce challenges and the safety implications of relying more and more heavily on newer, less experienced workers.
In a tight labor market, this risk doesn't announce itself. It accumulates quietly, and it shows up in claims.
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The Workforce Reality Every Contractor Knows
The commercial construction industry has been dealing with persistent challenges of finding qualified, experienced workers for years, but the combination of an aging workforce, ongoing labor shortages, and surging demand in sectors like data centers and infrastructure has made the gap more acute heading into Q4 2026.
For many contractors, the result is crews that look different than they did five years ago: more newer hires, more workers taking on responsibilities above their experience level, and more situations where the experienced hand who would normally guide a task simply isn't available.
The numbers behind this are hard to ignore, too. According to Sentry's 2026 C-Suite Stress Index, two-thirds of executives have either already experienced increased claims related to unskilled or under-skilled workers or are concerned they will soon.
And 84% of leaders reported that employees are performing tasks outside their typical responsibilities, above their experience level, or without sufficient training. That's not a minor data point. That's the industry telling you where the exposure lives.
🦺 Where the Risk Actually Shows Up
An inexperienced workforce doesn't just create safety risk in the obvious sense, like a newer worker making a mistake on a dangerous task. It creates a broader risk environment that touches workers' compensation claims, project timelines, quality controls, and liability exposure all at once.
Here's how it tends to play out: a newer employee, unfamiliar with a task or a piece of equipment, makes a decision that an experienced worker wouldn't. The incident that follows might be minor or it might be significant. Either way, it generates a claim, a delay, or a liability question that a more experienced crew might have avoided entirely. Multiply that dynamic across a crew of newer workers on a complex project, and the exposure compounds quickly.
The risk also doesn't stop at the jobsite. As newer employees take on responsibilities that include operating company vehicles, towing equipment, or transporting crews between locations, driving behavior becomes part of the risk picture. Workers who are new to a company often haven't internalized its operational standards yet, and that gap shows up behind the wheel as readily as it does on a scaffold.
📋 What Members Can Do
The good news is that the mitigation strategies here are well-established. However, they do require consistent execution, which is harder than it sounds, especially when you're already short-staffed and pushing to meet project deadlines.
Here are a few suggested practical steps to consider taking before year-end:
• Strengthening your onboarding program for new and less experienced workers so they're not learning critical safety standards on the fly.
• Reinforce expectations through regular toolbox talks. Not to put a checkmark in a box, but as a genuine opportunity to surface hazards, unfamiliar tasks, or situations where workers don't feel adequately prepared.
• Pair newer employees with experienced mentors wherever possible; the knowledge passed through day-to-day mentoring is something no training program fully replaces.
On the fleet side, consider extending onboarding and refresher training for employees who operate company vehicles. Cover distracted driving, seat belt use, backing procedures, vehicle inspections, and other relevant areas of training.
Make sure, too, that workers' compensation payroll estimates reflect the current workforce reality, including staffing levels, roles, overtime, and subcontractor usage. Estimates that were accurate at the start of the year may no longer reflect where the company actually stands heading into Q4.
If your workforce has shifted significantly over the past 12-months, have a direct conversation with your insurance advisor about current coverage before that next insurance renewal. Coverage that was calibrated to a more experienced crew may have gaps that aren't obvious until a claim surfaces.
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Workforce challenges are not going away, and in a market that's continuously working to attract and train the next generation of construction professionals, the risk environment around an inexperienced labor pool will remain elevated for the foreseeable future.
The contractors managing it best are those treating safety culture as a business strategy, not a compliance requirement checkbox.
Next week, we'll dig into litigation risk, one of the most significant exposures presently in construction, as well as one of the most underestimated.
| | | The information for this feature was sourced from For Construction Pros. Members are encouraged to do their own due diligence regarding current materials prices, insurance coverage, and risk policies by speaking with legal counsel. | | | |
A valuable benefit of an MBEX membership is invitations to our social and educational events; by being an employee of a member company, you, too, can take advantage and attend all MBEX-sponsored events.
** indicates a newly added or updated event
October 8 - Fall Social
Come connect and network with new and familiar faces from across the commercial construction industry at Rush Creek Golf Club. Meet MBEX Scholarship recipients, enjoy delicious food and drink, and hear the latest updates from MBEX. Register
October 15 - Online Plan Room Demo
From navigating the Deskpad, setting up project search filters, and adding your company to a project's bidders list, this free one-hour session is a great introduction to our Online Plan Room. Register
October 28 - MBEX Young Professionals Network
MBEX YPN is about making connections, building relationships, and growing one's network in a relaxed, welcoming setting. Come enjoy drinks, snacks, door prizes, and great conversation with fellow young construction professionals from across the industry also in the early stages of their careers. Register
** November 19 - Online Plan Room Demo
From navigating the Deskpad, setting up project search filters, and adding your company to a project's bidders list, this free one-hour session is a great introduction to our Online Plan Room. Not yet open for registration
December 10 - Holiday Party North
Swap your work boots for something a bit more merry and come enjoy a relaxed evening at Ridgeview Country Club in Duluth. Expect plenty of laughs, a great sit-down dinner, and maybe a few early holiday surprises. It's simply a fun night to celebrate the season and wrap up another year in construction together! Not yet open for registration - Save the Date!
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• Total Projects Received at MBEX from 9/21/2026 - 9/25/2026: 84
• Total Project Leads Reported on at MBEX from 9/21/2026 - 9/25/2026: 5
• Total Active Projects Received / Reported on at MBEX as of 9/29/2026: 297
• Total 2026 Projects posted to the Online Plan Room as of 9/29/2026: 4,626
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Click the button above to view the most recent project data from 9/23/2026 - 9/29/2026.
For information about the Bulletin's content, technical issues, or to place an ad (such as a Minority
Notice, Job Posting, or Event Notice), contact Ashlee, Membership & Communications Director.
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Information within the MBEX Weekly Bulletin is obtained from sources deemed reliable. The Midwest Builders Exchange (MBEX) does not assume responsibility for its completeness or accuracy. You are urged to check your own sources in addition to the information contained in this publication. This issue contains plans and other bidding information received before and including the date noted above. The project data within this newsletter is intended for member companies' and their employees' use only.
2026 BOARD OFFICERS: President - Brian Kalla, St. Cloud Acoustics; Vice President - Sean Ochis, Northern Industrial Insulation; Treasurer - Allie Brady, Veit USA; Past President - Heidi Sedlacek, Associated General Contractors of Minnesota
2026 DIRECTORS: Kevin Bohrer, Donlar Construction; Ben Bowman, Adolfson & Peterson Construction; David Brandt, Schadegg Mechanical; Matt Lennartson, RJM Construction; Chris Niemand, Frattalone Construction; Jason Rentmeester, Kraus-Anderson Construction; Harry Rothstein, Weidner's Mechanical Contractors; Jim Rothstein, Erickson Electric; and Alanna Soukkala, Holden Insurance Agency.
MBEX STAFF: David Siegel - Executive Director; Julie Miller - Executive Assistant / Project Coordinator / Accounting; Ashlee Hartwig - Membership & Communications Director; Melanie Hendrickson - Events & Membership Coordinator; Jeff Boelter - Project Acquisition & Plan Room Support; Shauna Baska - Project Reporter & Bidders Lists; Ka Yang - Addenda & Apparent Lows; Peggy Esboldt, Madison Gentil & Michelle Siegel - Project Reporters; Don O'Connor - Independent Event Planning Contractor
You are receiving this email because you are employed by a current member company in good standing or have indicated you wanted to receive MBEX's Weekly Bulletin. Unsubscribe from the Weekly Bulletin
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