Latest news with #Lance
Business Journals
2 days ago
- Business
- Business Journals
Blueprint for growth: Trends shaping Kansas City's AEC industry: Table of Experts
What makes Kansas City's construction landscape stand out from comparable metro areas? How are local AEC firms navigating workforce shortages while keeping major projects on track? And with the city riding a wave of large-scale development, what comes next when the current megaprojects reach completion? The Kansas City Business Journal (KCBJ) recently gathered local industry leaders for a candid panel discussion exploring these questions and the broader forces shaping Kansas City's architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) sectors. Moderated by Publisher Stacie Prosser, the conversation ranged from infrastructure investment and market trends to talent development and the power of strategic collaboration. Together, these insights offer a timely look at how Kansas City is building its future — project by project. STACIE PROSSER of KCBJ: Kansas City's strong AEC presence sets it apart from other markets. You've all worked in different cities — what makes KC unique? Lance, as the newest transplant, let's start with you. LANCE CLAIBORNE of The Builders, a chapter of AGC: From my outsider's perspective, Kansas City's construction industry is defined by a rare mix of deep-rooted legacy and forward-looking innovation. We have a long history of craftsmanship and a strong work ethic. There's union strength as well as open shops. Many are family-run or employee-owned firms that have built in this region for generations. What truly sets us apart is our willingness to evolve through project delivery models and strong public-private partnerships led in part by robust philanthropic, civic and business communities in our town. The spirit of collaboration across owners, contractors and design professionals creates an environment in which complex, high-impact projects actually get done. In KC, we're big enough to tackle multibillion-dollar developments, but small enough to get all the key players around the table to help solve industry-level problems. ANDY MCDONELL of Brinkmann Constructors: Although I moved here eight years ago, I have been working on projects in this area for almost 20 years. As Lance said, the history of the architecture and engineering industries in Kansas City is known nationally. When I was doing projects in 2006 and 2007, Kansas City was much more of a traditional design-bid-build market. We try to bring a lot of design-build mentality to what we do on the private side. In recent years, I've seen the industry in Kansas City embrace that method of project delivery. The subcontracting market has grown significantly more sophisticated, with many firms now employing in-house engineers instead of outsourcing design-build work to third parties. As I traveled throughout the country over the past 20 years, I've seen other Midwestern cities try to catch up. DAVID BURKHART of Garney Construction: To add to what Lance and Andy have said, the legacy firms in the AEC industry headquartered here in Kansas City have a tremendous impact not only here in Kansas City but across the country. Some of these AEC firms are builders and doers, companies that design and build projects that create and build the infrastructure. Some part of that is tied to another kind of legacy in Kansas City: employee ownership. A number of companies here are employee owned. Together, the region's history of AEC legacy firms and employee ownership make Kansas City the powerhouse that it is in this industry. CLAIBORNE: I agree. I've seen the family-owned model play out in other markets. But the employee-stock-ownership-plan (ESOP) model has turbocharged some companies to recruit and maintain talent and then deploy it elsewhere. Outside of this area, I've not seen this high of a concentration of firms with those fundamentals driving their growth. MCDONELL: Brinkmann Contractors' ESOP is about 10 years old. This type of structure changes the culture. I'm old enough to have worked for and seen organizations that have started as family-owned, and through their succession plan, become ESOPs. The culture changed almost overnight in several of those organizations. I know it did for the better in ours. It was pretty good to begin with, but everybody was in the boat rowing in the same direction pretty quickly. JAMEY BERTRAM of Burns & McDonnell: Burns & McDonnell has been 100% employee owned since 1986. The strong cultural tie of employee ownership is backed by our ESOP, a tax-qualified employee retirement plan that turns employees into shareholders. Clients and customers also see a big upside from employee ownership, including: They can get used to seeing familiar faces, as employee-owned companies regularly outperform others on employee retention. We're more empowered to problem-solve and make decisions quickly to keep a client's efforts moving forward — and we're accountable for the success of those solutions. Enhancing employee skills through training and shared institutional knowledge is a priority. Relationships with suppliers, consultants and other partners are deep and lasting. PROSSER: What recent changes are currently shaping design and construction strategies? MCDONELL: Technology is the biggest trend shaping nearly all businesses including ours. It's about embracing AI and using it in a variety of ways, such as estimating, pre-construction costs, checking quality and making sure you have the right quantities. Coordination is another area in which technology has helped general contractors. We may hire 100 different vendors and subcontractors to work on a project. We're trying to choreograph that dance and make sure all of those parts fit together. Using that technology can help us do that. It has become essential to that process. Another example is in plan review. Being able to put a three-dimensional model on a screen and spin it to look at it in different perspectives helps people understand the geometry behind some of the aspects of building design. Technology also helps us design buildings that are safe. We call it safety by design. We do a lot in the warehouse space, big one-million-square-foot buildings that have a parapet wall at the edge of the roof. The parapet height has to be compliant with OSHA fall protection rules and sometimes they're not. So then you have to go back and fix them. Whereas if you make it a little bit taller to begin with, you can save some of the construction costs and risks to the contractor and owner. There are lots of examples like this. On the other side, in more of the of the back-office spaces, data analytics have become a big part of our daily business. Everything we do is about data and learning from previous experiences. We've gathered data and continue to track everything from safety metrics to unit costs to material types. We have a real-time dashboard that allows us to keep track of some of those metrics as we move forward. BERTRAM: We see robotics and automation as powerful tools to offset material-related inefficiencies and labor demands, significantly improving precision as well as safety. They can help limit employees' exposure to conditions that have the potential to cause strain or other injuries. Integrating technology will likely attract more individuals to pursue careers in the trades, offering new and diverse career prospects compared to traditional perceptions. At AZCO, a Burns & McDonnell subsidiary, a collaborative robotic welder is streamlining fabrication work. A cobot, as this tech is called, supports welders by completing more repetitive tasks, allowing on-site personnel to focus on other critical project details. The Burns & McDonnell construction teams are exploring how to integrate the cobot with AI for an even more robust solution. We also see big opportunities in building digital simulations to allow the correct design information, materials and tools to be in the right location at the jobsite so we can focus on completing the work. AI is already shaping how we work at Burns & McDonnell — not just as a tool, but as a mindset shift. We're using it to streamline operations, surface insights and invite innovation into everyday decisions. Just as the adoption of technologies like BIM is transforming our workflows, AI is now enabling us to reimagine how we approach design, planning and project delivery. It's helping us move faster, think smarter and unlock new opportunities to serve our clients more effectively. BURKHART: Technology's certainly a component of it, especially on the safety front, from drones surveying jobsites to predictive analytics. We're seeing a lot of trends in response to the speed and size of technological advancements. The landscape is always changing, whether it's water treatment technology, electrical equipment, gear, availability of materials, volatility of pricing or uncertainty of budgets. expand PROSSER: What other trends are shaping the design and construction strategies for your business or customers? BURKHART: Another trend is on the collaborative front across all types of delivery models. The opportunity to bring the contractor in during the design phase is key to ensuring projects can be constructed safely and within budget. Contractors can often identify opportunities to economize throughout the life of the design to meet the owner's budgetary demands. We've certainly seen that trend in the industry over the past decade throughout the country. It has been a little bit of a progression. Certain states adopted those new delivery methods a little faster than others. But as we've seen success, it's taken off coast to coast. PROSSER: Lance, what are you seeing? CLAIBORNE: In line with what has been said, technology is a big conversation right now in terms of how you apply what is being developed and then how you harness it. We're definitely seeing more of what David was talking about, where end users are relying on contractors earlier in the process to make sure that issues that they typically hear about after the fact are part of the discussion. The forethought is baked into that process. And that's driving some staffing considerations and challenges. There's also consistent evolution when it comes to safety in our industry. Increasingly, insurance companies are looking for more people to have more skin in the game when it comes to integrating safety into their culture and staffing. PROSSER: It's no secret that Kansas City has some big projects on the drawing board. But what sectors are driving demand for your companies? Where do you see the most opportunity over the next three to five years? BURKHART: Where we see the shifts and therefore the largest opportunities are related to the onshoring or reshoring of manufacturing and high-tech manufacturing, such as data centers. All of the efforts to bring the manufacturing sector back to the United States from a contractor's perspective create opportunity because these facilities need to be built. The facilities need utilities, whether it be power, water or wastewater treatment. You're also going to see opportunities for transportation as manufacturing comes in and utilities get built out. People move to the city to do the manufacturing. Houses are built, more utilities go in, and more transportation is built. This trend is certainly evident in Kansas City, just as it is throughout the country. We've seen a lot of activity in the western part of the metro with the Panasonic battery facility. We've seen data centers going in north and west of the city. A lot of activity seems to be driven by technology, technology manufacturing or basic reshoring of manufacturing to the United States. MCDONELL: I would echo what David said. On the industrial side, for example, we're pretty heavy in Kansas City in two spaces — living units and industrial speculative or build-to-suit light industrial and manufacturing. Living units encompass hospitality, senior living and student housing as well as market-rate and multifamily developments. A tremendous need remains in both of those sectors. Manufacturers are looking to build in this area, partly because of our geographical location in the middle and our transportation node. We've done several projects in this market, including the pretzel production facility in Lawrence, which is now Hershey's Salty Snacks, and Cnano Technology, which is the carbon nanotube manufacturer at New Century. It is one of Panasonic's suppliers. We have several projects at the Raymore Commerce Center, including Nuuly, the new Urban Outfitters facility. There's still a buzz for this market when we talk to our industrial developers. We're looking forward to several projects in the next year to two. That's what our runway looks like. The hospitality side is starting to come back. Not a lot is being built right now, but a lot is on the drawing boards. There's a life expectancy component on those buildings. They want to build new buildings because people want to stay in new buildings. That's the way that market works. With the multifamily market, everyone's aware of what it costs to buy a house. People still want to rent. All of the developers in the markets that we're plugged into are pretty positive about next year. All of this ties together. Numerous macroeconomic issues are pausing a lot of that right now, such as the cost of money, cost of capital and equity availability. But those products are still in demand. During my 35 years in this business, I've seen a few cycles. It will come back. BERTRAM: Two key growth sectors for Burns & McDonnell are data centers and electrical infrastructure, as the AI revolution is poised to reshape both the data and power industries for decades to come. The data center power demand shortfall is a complex challenge, especially when measured against the rapid timelines that hyperscalers require to bring new data center facilities online. This surge is driven by the accelerated adoption of AI, cloud computing and high-density infrastructure, which require not only more power but also faster, more reliable delivery. We support a diverse range of clients — from hyperscale operators to colocation providers and emerging developers — by sourcing, evaluating, designing and constructing sites tailored to their unique needs. On the power side, we support utilities, who are navigating a complex balancing act: They must plan for load growth, integrate distributed energy resources and manage aging infrastructure. The general electrification of our commercial and industrial world is also driving the need for power. Many systems that were once powered by fossil fuels or thermal/mechanical technologies have now been electrified, offering lower costs for our industrial and commercial customers. That general shift is really starting to drive more load on the grid and is exacerbated by the explosive growth of data centers and AI applications. There's also a significant component of the power delivery market that is still condition-based. The year-over-year capital spend efforts from utilities still exist. The data center industry has introduced additional considerations that build upon our existing infrastructure commitments, which were already providing substantial opportunities for growth before cloud computing became more prominent. BURKHART: Andy mentioned Kansas City's location. From a logistics standpoint, I can't think of a better place in the United States to manufacture than in the Midwest. For things that we're going to use and consume here in the United States, manufacturing in the center of the country makes sense. Our location is prime from a logistics standpoint with an interstate system in all four directions. We also have ample availability of land and water. If we can continue to strengthen and expand our electrical infrastructure as we've done over the years, there's a tremendous amount of opportunity in the Midwest and specifically here in Kansas City. This ties back to the earlier discussion about legacy companies here in Kansas City. These 100-year-old firms in architecture, engineering and construction in the middle of the country with ample resources present numerous opportunities that could benefit Kansas City. PROSSER: Lance, your organization represents many different people. Is Kansas City different from other places when it comes to collaboration? We think we're a collaborative city, but are we? CLAIBORNE: I was firmly in the camp that thought that it was just a buzzword. I heard it repeatedly during the search process while interviewing for my role with The Builders and while talking to members. I dismissed it as just something that this area says. But it is not just a buzzword. It is absolutely a key ingredient to our past success, ongoing success, the works. Kansas City has a culture of trust, and that trust is what breathes oxygen into big, bold ideas. You start to think about the kinds of projects that we're tackling. They're on a different scale altogether than projects in the past. We're having to reinvent the process as those projects are landing. The companies that are represented on this panel are major players in the region and nationally. But when you peel back the onion, they're just as engaged as anyone here locally. That's really where you get to that collaborative nature. It's not a facade. Our members trust us with their futures. In the network of AGC chapters, Kansas City has one of the largest what we call Construction Leadership Councils in the country. That council is composed of young professionals in the industry. Kansas City's collaborative nature is one of the reasons our council is among the largest. Young professionals need to know not only their fields, but also who's who and how things are done here. In that group, we're very intentional about the programming to build those relationships — GC and supplier, GC and subcontractor, and subcontractor and supplier. And as they're all growing and thriving in their careers, they're building relationships with people they're going to work with, rely on and call on. Building those relationships has become important because that, quite frankly, is how we get business done here in KC. It's a collaborative approach. PROSSER: For years, workforce shortage has consistently emerged as a key issue in these conversations. What are your organizations doing to attract, train and retain talent in Kansas City? BERTRAM: We partnered with The Builders to open the Career Development & Exploration Center (CDEC), an educational and training facility in North Kansas City dedicated to training the next generation of construction professionals and inspiring interest in careers in construction. The 3,300-square-foot CDEC features hands-on exhibits that help mimic real-life scenarios for a career in the construction trades. It also provides practical information about the types of careers available in the trades. In addition, the space includes an 8-foot-by-32-foot industrial training module. The module includes common structural, electrical, instrumentation, mechanical and process components and will be used to train early-career professionals on scenarios they would see on a typical jobsite. We are also deeply committed to helping the next generation thrive through programs like Accelerate, a dynamic mentor-protégé program held in partnership with Evergy. It provides mentorship and training to owners of small and diverse businesses. Since 2023, more than 110 businesses have gained valuable guidance through this initiative. Burns & McDonnell supports STEM education through a variety of initiatives. With the massive amounts of work and projects coming, we know we need to continue to grow and innovate how we build the talent pipeline. We see this as an investment to recruit and train talent. KC firms are continuously collaborating in unique ways to grow the talent pipeline for the region. Burns & McDonnell is a key player in KC Global Design and TeamKC, two Kansas City Area Development Council (KCADC) initiatives that focus on creating tools and connection opportunities to attract and retain talent for KC. MCDONELL: Getting people to want to come work here is the number one thing I do. Our philosophy is to start early. We have a very robust internship program and have had success with those programs in all of our offices across the country, which include Kansas City, Denver, St. Louis, Phoenix and Richmond, VA. We map out the 10- or 12-week internships. We do a lot of the fun stuff, like picnics and ballgames. But they're also going to be plugged in as project engineers. They're going to learn how to do submittals and checksets. They're going to sit in meetings and write meeting minutes. They are going to do the job of a project engineer. This philosophy has been super successful for us. Several people at senior levels started as interns, including the vice president of the Denver office and the vice president of our industrial business unit. The other part of the equation is telling a compelling story about what separates us from our competitors. Part of that great story is our ESOP. When our founder, Bob Brinkmann, sold the company to us, he sold 100% of it on day one and everybody who was eligible got into the program. That's a compelling story. Half of it didn't go to four people with the remainder trickling down to everyone over time. I've interviewed many people over the years, and the question about culture comes up again and again. I've heard many definitions of company culture, and the one that jumps to mind is your culture is what you do every day. It's what time you show up, what kind of meetings you attend, who you are talking to and whether you are collaborating and engaging with other people. You want to make the culture a pleasurable experience for those people. The third tranche is how you retain them. Once you have them on board, how do you show them the love? A lot of that is providing training opportunities and creating opportunities for them to grow — opportunities for them to be the next vice president or to run an office, department or project, and trust and have confidence in your people. BURKHART: About 10 years ago, we did an exercise to determine the greatest headwinds in our industry. The number one headwind was attracting and retaining talent. That challenge is still with us today. We have begun to realize that we need to shift the conversation from attracting, recruiting and retaining talent to developing the next workforce. Our colleges and trade schools do a great job, but we need to get more people involved in our industry at an earlier age. Construction offers people a pathway to a rewarding career, both professionally and financially. But they need to be made aware of these opportunities and given the skill sets to help them succeed. So we've started partnering with high schools. We host summer construction camps for high school students, including one designed specifically for young women. During these events, we take a straightforward approach: Here are the career paths you can take. Here's what this industry can provide for you. Here's a basic set of skills that you could carry forward if you pursue this path. We've opened the Build Lab at Garney, a training center geared towards providing hands-on training for our skilled crafts. But we've also made that available to the local community colleges and high schools and have had a number of events there for kids as young as seventh grade. The younger kids did a hands-on experiment of creating a water filter out of a two-liter pop bottle and a handful of household supplies. They were judged on who built the best water filter. This has given us an opportunity to introduce ourselves to a workforce that may be 10 years from even entering the industry. But that's the type of change we need to see and where we're putting our effort. Whether they join Garney is somewhat beside the point. The bigger issue is that our industry as a whole needs more people. We need more engineers, architects, builders and machine operators. AI can do a lot of things, but it's not advanced enough to replace those people in the field who build the work, and I don't see that changing any time soon. We need to continue to invest in our young people and developing the workforce that will carry this industry forward. CLAIBORNE: Workforce has been a challenge for us for a number of years, even generations. But it's also an opportunity. How we handle workforce development is going to define this market. Right now, there are more projects than I can list on the horizon. The corresponding talent has not been identified, plugged in and, as David said, prepared to tap into those opportunities. Builders are responding with an ecosystem approach. We have a 90,000-square-foot training center in North Kansas City that houses the Burns & McDonnell learning lab Jamey mentioned. That's an important investment for us. It's designed to align the workforce need with the existing talent pipelines. But this is not a one-company fix. This requires an industry-wide approach. Our region as a whole is already pivoting by introducing dual credit programs and real-world learning strategies and experiences in K through 12. We're also adopting pre-apprenticeship strategies to try to engage this next generation. We have some success stories. But the challenge comes with trying to scale successful programs. The entire industry can benefit from the initiatives several companies like Brinkmann and Burns & McDonnell are pursuing. We have to create an ecosystem where those things work in synergy. That's the challenge for us here. We aren't going to find a silver bullet. We have to bring this collaborative approach to bear on this challenge. BURKHART: I agree that it will require a collaborative approach. And I would add in one more layer: manufacturing. Statistics from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics show that as of May 2025, there were 245,000 open construction jobs and 414,000 in manufacturing. Combined, that's more than half a million workers short of what we need to build the projects that are out there today. So while it's important that we collaborate as a community and industry, there's a cross-functional industry relationship that one day needs to come together. It is going to be an all-of-the-above approach to work through this. PROSSER: Infrastructure is a hot topic right now, especially as it relates to how we're going to support new projects and events, such as data centers and the World Cup. David, how do you see the region's infrastructure needs evolving? BURKHART: Kansas City is experiencing significant growth, which is exciting. At the same time, our infrastructure is aging. Depending on where you are located in the city, you may see aging infrastructure being upgraded and repaired while new infrastructure is being built to prepare for the influx of people attending the World Cup. This global tournament will be an opportunity for Kansas City to introduce itself to the world and hopefully attract more business and growth here. Our only choice is to do that well and to get it right the first time. So continuing to invest in all types of infrastructure is important. BERTRAM: The World Cup absolutely serves as an accelerator, and we will see investment in venues moving from planning into design and construction. Of course, several of these projects have deadlines prior to June 2026. In addition, transportation infrastructure is key to our region. We have one of the highest highway miles per capita in the country. We experience minimal congestion but also expensive maintenance on the interstates and highways. Kansas City is one of the largest rail hubs in the United States, second only to Chicago. The region serves five Class I railroads to support our freight logistics, and all railroads are making infrastructure investments. PROSSER: What are some of the biggest challenges currently impacting project delivery in Kansas City? BURKHART: We touched on the workforce challenge earlier. What stands out in Kansas City is the strength of the labor pool and a deep-rooted work ethic that continues to show up across the region. That mindset is a real advantage as we navigate ongoing workforce challenges. By investing in training programs, internships and mentorships, we're building capacity from within while reinforcing the local talent foundation. BERTRAM: I agree that talent is another asset that sets Kansas City apart. Within Kansas City, we've established a national epicenter of construction talent, strongly positioned to support the continued growth of the economy. This includes universities focused on developing top-skilled construction and field management talent, as well as a solid concentration of union and nonunion training facilities. The talented union and nonunion craft often work side by side on projects, allowing staffing of projects while navigating an extreme demand for labor with megaprojects throughout the region and country. Our central location is beneficial for labor and material sourcing. BURKHART: We're also seeing other challenges that the rest of the country is experiencing, such as volatility in pricing. The uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic reshaped how contractors navigate things like tariffs, supply chain, pricing and cost escalation. That experience pushed the industry to be more proactive and resilient, but navigating those factors remains a challenge. PROSSER: Lance, what keeps your members up at night? CLAIBORNE: It's the uncertainty. Construction is literally a risk business. That's what our members and contractors are entrusted to do — mitigate risk and get things done according to schedules and timelines. So uncertainty is the last thing that they need. The prevalence of uncertainty right now is probably the biggest challenge. BURKHART: Two areas of uncertainty that impact us the most are on the regulatory front. In our business, it's water quality standards set by the EPA and funding. Funding for a lot of projects, particularly the municipal projects, runs through state and/or federal governments. Public utilities may not have the same access to funding that they did a few years ago and that creates challenges. The counterbalance to that is the large amount of private equity sitting on the sidelines ready to invest in something stable, such as hard assets like infrastructure. So while public utilities may be unsure about funding and loans from the government or the state, opportunities exist in various forms of public-private partnership or infrastructure funds or other avenues that can bring some of the private capital for the public's benefit. For example, Garney recently became a strategic investor in PERENfra's Perennial Infrastructure Fund I™, a private investment fund focused on core water infrastructure assets. It's one way we're helping unlock alternative financing to move critical water projects forward. BERTRAM: Power availability is now one of the primary drivers in site selection and design for data centers. Hyperscalers are increasingly planning infrastructure needs four to five years in advance. However, this horizon may even be too short, given the pace of demand and the significant time needed to permit and develop new generation assets — especially for green energy sources, which can take up to a decade or longer to develop. Utilities are also strategically steering data center projects to locations where there is existing capacity, but these opportunities are limited. Energy providers are expecting unprecedented growth in demand over the next decade, all while striving to provide affordable and reliable electricity during the broader transition to a clean energy economy. At Burns & McDonnell, we see firsthand the challenges of building infrastructure today. We still have a significant labor shortage in the power delivery and power generation markets. Some of this shortage is being masked by the supply chain disruptions that have doubled procurement timelines for essential equipment and materials. However, there is a significant labor shortage for both construction and technical professions. MCDONELL: On the private development side, the macroeconomic issues are challenging — the availability of capital and equity combined with high interest rates. It makes some of the deals a little less successful than they would have been a couple of years ago. Then you combine that with the other variable — construction costs. They're higher because of some of this uncertainty. This business is like an old algebra eight-variable equation. You can't solve for all eight variables at the same time, and when one goes down, two of them go up, and you're always trying to balance all of them. I always tell people that hope is not a plan, but sometimes you have to have hope. The need for the products is still there. And so the projects will happen. We just have to work out the numbers and the process. CLAIBORNE: The uncertainty is not in the demand for projects as Andy mentioned. In some rarefied areas, it doesn't matter what the capital markets are saying. My understanding is that we are dealing with some uncertainty around later phases of some of the data center projects. But anything that's tied up in the normal markets is going to be in that cycle to some extent, and some will get released and some won't. It's the uncertainty around predictability in rates and the financial markets that are holding some of the stuff on the sidelines. MCDONELL: To go back to earlier themes, collaboration within the industry with our trade partners and vendors is key. You need constant communication to build relationships. With people starting their careers, I emphasize the importance of picking up the phone and talking to your partners once a week. Some younger people aren't used to making calls. I remind them that if they dial the numbers, they can actually talk to somebody on the other line. They may have to do it several times to see the value of that. But staying in contact helps mitigate that risk. Currently, procuring electrical components is a big risk. It takes a long time to get them. Pricing volatility is kind of iffy. A few years ago, roofing material was hard to get. Something changes all of the time, but you have to stay in front of those variables. Open communication and collaboration among the whole team are essential, which ties back to the design-build or design-assist approach. Let's say your team is in place and a developer and owner have a project. If they're doing the traditional design-bid-build, they don't have the contractor sitting at the table yet. They have to go bid it and see what happens. Then it can be a big fight. That is probably the top selling point of that design-build collaboration — bringing a team on board early that can manage the entire chain of designing, bidding, contracting, procurement, delivery and start up. BURKHART: Communication is key, partnership is key, and I would absolutely double-down on collaborative delivery rather than pricing out an entire project. Projects can cost hundreds of millions, or even reach a billion dollars, depending on the scope. Rather than pricing everything out on a single day, within a very narrow window, as is typical with design-bid-build, collaborative delivery allows procurement of materials and equipment to be phased over longer periods of time. With strong partnerships and good communication with the client, you can better time those purchases and manage costs to stay within budget. Clearly, I am a huge proponent of collaborative delivery. It gives us the flexibility and transparency needed to navigate today's market challenges. PROSSER: Earlier, we talked about large-scale development projects happening right now. What can we do to help drive development after those megaprojects wrap up? How are we going to keep the people you recruited here? CLAIBORNE: Great question. The biggest part is not sitting back and waiting for the next megaproject. Steady, diversified development is important, and some good groundwork has been laid by some great organizations like the KDADC and the Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City. In addition, the various chambers of commerce and state and county governments are all working together consistently to put legislation in effect that incentivizes and allows us to compete in those markets. Those systems are constantly churning out projects of all sizes, including large-scale development. So to the extent that we land another one, great. They've also done a good job at looking at those mid-level acquisitions for companies competing in those spaces. The same thing is happening with creating incentives for companies based here to grow here. The work those groups are doing is important. It's important for folks to know that it's not an accident that we have all of these megaprojects landing here. A strategy has been in place for years. That strategy will continue to work because these organizations have done a good job at keeping Kansas City in the forefront. Along with that, it was good to see that both Kansas and Missouri have recognized the importance of keeping our sports teams here. They help attract economic development. They are huge civic pride staples and huge business and philanthropic anchors we need to keep here. The current collaborative environment has lent itself for our organization to do our part. We're helping to streamline permitting processes. We're helping to make sure that there are efficiencies on the approvals and land-use sides. Those processes impact project timelines and the schedules that AEC firms have to navigate to deliver projects on time and on budget. My main point is that we're not waiting for any single project or project type, but we are preparing to support the growth across the board. There are pieces already in play to ensure that we continue to grow and thrive as a region.
Tom's Guide
6 days ago
- Tom's Guide
Google's 'combining' Chrome OS and Android — and it's the smartest move it's made in years
Chrome OS is good and all, but it's always felt distant — on an island of its own away from the might of Android. Well, it turns out Google finally got the memo to send a rescue boat out to said island, as an executive has confirmed the company's plans to combine the two platforms. This comes in an interview with TechRadar, where Sameer Samat, president of Android ecosystem at Google, just dropped this nugget into a conversation about why the interviewer was using a suite of Apple devices. I asked because we're going to be combining Chrome OS and Android into a single platform, and I am very interested in how people are using their laptops these days and what they're getting done. Now, we have heard this before. Back in November, Android Authority reported that a source inside Google had said this was the mission. However, this is the first time Google has confirmed it on-the-record. And honestly? It may be a few years late in my eyes, but I'm glad it's finally happening. Let me explain. This comes off the back of Android bringing some new big screen features to the table, such as a proper desktop mode a la Samsung Dex, improved adaptability of apps, better external display support and windowing within the desktop. Basically, Android is now able to do pretty much everything that a Chromebook could, so why have the two running side by side in isolation of each other? I'll always appreciate what Chrome OS has brought to the table, though. I mean with the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14, Google was able to make low-key one of the best laptops for students, sharpen up the OS with quick shortcuts and add AI features that are logically added rather than clumsily overlaid (looking at you, Microsoft Copilot). But what was learnt in Chrome OS can also come over to Android too, and having it all in one place unlocks a special new perk on the computing skill tree. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. This is the moniker you hear around a lot of Apple devices. It's one of the reasons why I use them, why Lance who conducted this interview at TechRadar uses them, and hell, it's probably why a lot of you out there use them. The fact that everything just comes together through Continuity features and marries these devices together nicely is always one of Apple's superpowers that Google has been able to do somewhat, but just not to the level of smoothness you'd find in the Cupertino playground. To do it properly, you need real sync up in the operating systems, which for all the heavy lifting Google did with Chrome OS to try and make it talk to Android, it was just not feasible. But now a proper merger is on the cards, this is the answer to all of its problems. And stat-wise it makes sense too. According to most recent data, around 1.25% of the world's computer users are on Chrome OS — down from nearly 2% last year. With a downward trajectory, change needed to happen, and this might just be the smartest decision the company's made in a decade. As this was a quick quote from a Google exec, there are some questions I have that remain unanswered as of now: We don't have answers to any of these, and it'll be just a case of waiting and seeing what happens (my guess is by the time Android 17 rolls around). But as far as the initial news itself goes, this is an encouraging step in the right direction for Chromebooks.
NBC Sports
09-07-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Brock Purdy still wishes the best for Trey Lance
49ers quarterback Brock Purdy was an afterthought when he was drafted with the final pick in 2022. It took injuries to Trey Lance Jimmy Garoppolo before he saw the field, and after that, Lance and Garoppolo became expendable. Lance, the third overall pick in 2021, lasted through training camp in 2023 before the Cowboys unwisely sent a fourth-round pick to the 49ers for him. 'It's tough, because Trey and I are tight, dude,' Purdy said during a recent appearance on the Bussin' With The Boys podcast, via David Bonilla of 'Absolutely, we're boys, and we're bros.' Purdy is firmly entrenched as the 49ers' franchise quarterback, having signed a five-year, $265 million extension with the team. Lance already is on his third team, having left the Cowboys to sign a one-year, $2 million deal with the Chargers to back up Justin Herbert. Lance's career has not gone how anyone expected. 'I wanted nothing but the best for him, and I know he wanted that for me,' Purdy said. 'But that's just how this business goes and all that. When it did happen, we're about to play our preseason game against the Chargers, and right before the game, they announced [the trade of Lance to the Cowboys], and I didn't really know how to act or what to think. I was just like, 'Man, I hope he can go to Dallas and compete and have a great opportunity.'' Purdy said he and Lance have never discussed exactly how everything went down, but nothing has changed about Purdy's feelings about Lance. 'We've just texted each other, like, 'Hey, dude, hope you're doing good,' like, randomly throughout the season, offseason, or whatever. 'Hope you're doing good,' this and that. It's really just been that,' Purdy said. 'We haven't really gotten to the details of, 'Hey, how do you feel with this happening?' or whatever. We just stay away from that.'
Hamilton Spectator
02-07-2025
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
Browns quarterback Sanders on Toronto Argonauts 45-man negotiation list
TORONTO - He's currently vying for a roster spot with the Cleveland Browns, but if that doesn't pan out, then Canada could be an option for quarterback Shedeur Sanders. Sanders is one of 45 players on the Toronto Argonauts' negotiation list. On Wednesday, the CFL unveiled the full negotiation lists of its nine teams for the first time, which will be updated every 24 hours. Previously, teams would reveal 10 of their negotiation list players twice a year. Cleveland selected Sanders in the fifth round of the NFL draft in April. The former Colorado Buffalo — who had been rated as a first-round prospect — is part of a crowded Browns quarterback room that also includes veterans Deshaun Watson, Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett, along with rookie Dillon Gabriel, a 2025 third-round selection. CFL teams can have up to 45 players on their negotiation lists. Those players can also be playing in another pro league, still attending college or be current free agents. That gives the Canadian clubs exclusive negotiating rights to those players should they decide to play north of the border. Players can be added or removed at a team's discretion on a first-come, first-served basis. Clubs own exclusive rights to those players so long as they're on a negotiation list. Negotiation-list players are often a crapshoot, as most never set foot in Canada. But the lists can bear fruit as Hamilton rookie quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa — the younger brother of Miami Dolphins star quarterback Tua Tagovailoa — signed with the Tiger-Cats last year after being placed on their negotiation list but was released before the start of training camp in May. And in 2018, Hamilton signed Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel after placing him on its negotiation list. Also on Toronto's list is Sydney Brown, of London, Ont., a defensive back currently with the Super Bowl-champion Philadelphia Eagles. Brown is one of two Canadians on a CFL neg list, the other being receiver Chase Claypool, of Abbotsford, B.C., an NFL free agent currently on Saskatchewan's list. Quarterback Max Duggan, who led TCU to the U.S. college football championship game in 2023, is also on Toronto's list. Also on the Riders' negotiation list is quarterback Trey Lance, who signed a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Chargers in April. Lance was selected third overall in the 2021 NFL draft by the San Francisco 49ers, who dealt him to the Dallas Cowboys in August 2023. On May 1, 2024, Dallas declined the fifth-year option on Lance's contract, making him a free agent after the 2024 season. Ian Book, the winningest quarterback at Notre Dame, is on Winnipeg's negotiation list. Book was with Philadelphia last season. Also on the Bombers list is former Baylor receiver Denzel Mims, a 2020 second-round pick of the New York Jets. Edmonton's list features former Louisville quarterback Malik Cunningham (currently a receiver with the NFL's Baltimore Ravens) and Kansas receiver Luke Grimm (NFL's Los Angeles Chargers). Quarterback Tommy Mellott, of Montana State, is on Calgary's list. Mellott was a 2025 sixth-round pick of the Las Vegas Raiders and will attempt to make the NFL team's roster as a receiver. And receiver Efton Chism III, who broke Cooper Kupp's all-time receptions record at Eastern Washington, is on the B.C. Lions' list. Chism III signed with the New England Patriots after being bypassed in the NFL draft. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 2, 2025. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Winnipeg Free Press
02-07-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Browns quarterback Sanders on Toronto Argonauts 45-man negotiation list
TORONTO – He's currently vying for a roster spot with the Cleveland Browns, but if that doesn't pan out, then Canada could be an option for quarterback Shedeur Sanders. Sanders is one of 45 players on the Toronto Argonauts' negotiation list. On Wednesday, the CFL unveiled the full negotiation lists of its nine teams for the first time, which will be updated every 24 hours. Previously, teams would reveal 10 of their negotiation list players twice a year. Cleveland selected Sanders in the fifth round of the NFL draft in April. The former Colorado Buffalo — who had been rated as a first-round prospect — is part of a crowded Browns quarterback room that also includes veterans Deshaun Watson, Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett, along with rookie Dillon Gabriel, a 2025 third-round selection. CFL teams can have up to 45 players on their negotiation lists. Those players can also be playing in another pro league, still attending college or be current free agents. That gives the Canadian clubs exclusive negotiating rights to those players should they decide to play north of the border. Players can be added or removed at a team's discretion on a first-come, first-served basis. Clubs own exclusive rights to those players so long as they're on a negotiation list. Negotiation-list players are often a crapshoot, as most never set foot in Canada. But the lists can bear fruit as Hamilton rookie quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa — the younger brother of Miami Dolphins star quarterback Tua Tagovailoa — signed with the Tiger-Cats last year after being placed on their negotiation list but was released before the start of training camp in May. And in 2018, Hamilton signed Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel after placing him on its negotiation list. Also on Toronto's list is Sydney Brown, of London, Ont., a defensive back currently with the Super Bowl-champion Philadelphia Eagles. Brown is one of two Canadians on a CFL neg list, the other being receiver Chase Claypool, of Abbotsford, B.C., an NFL free agent currently on Saskatchewan's list. Quarterback Max Duggan, who led TCU to the U.S. college football championship game in 2023, is also on Toronto's list. Also on the Riders' negotiation list is quarterback Trey Lance, who signed a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Chargers in April. Lance was selected third overall in the 2021 NFL draft by the San Francisco 49ers, who dealt him to the Dallas Cowboys in August 2023. On May 1, 2024, Dallas declined the fifth-year option on Lance's contract, making him a free agent after the 2024 season. Ian Book, the winningest quarterback at Notre Dame, is on Winnipeg's negotiation list. Book was with Philadelphia last season. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Also on the Bombers list is former Baylor receiver Denzel Mims, a 2020 second-round pick of the New York Jets. Edmonton's list features former Louisville quarterback Malik Cunningham (currently a receiver with the NFL's Baltimore Ravens) and Kansas receiver Luke Grimm (NFL's Los Angeles Chargers). Quarterback Tommy Mellott, of Montana State, is on Calgary's list. Mellott was a 2025 sixth-round pick of the Las Vegas Raiders and will attempt to make the NFL team's roster as a receiver. And receiver Efton Chism III, who broke Cooper Kupp's all-time receptions record at Eastern Washington, is on the B.C. Lions' list. Chism III signed with the New England Patriots after being bypassed in the NFL draft. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 2, 2025.
