It's just the beginning

How far along the road to recovery are we?

Since we returned to work after Christmas I have sensed a notable change in atmosphere and confidence across the industry.

It seems like a number of organisations are making announcements to reduce their costs since they have returned after the break.

I suspect that during 2010 many companies were hanging on, waiting for the market to improve. Unfortunately that has not happened and is unlikely to happen in the near future. I would guess that when the Directors of these companies sat down and looked at cash in the bank and opportunities going forward, some fairly drastic measures had to be taken.

Consultancies would have looked at their costs and realised the only option is to cut resource to minimise outgoings. It is clear, from the fact that there are several small to medium sized construction businesses that have gone into administration since the New Year due to cash pressures and lack of future pipeline, that in some cases, this has not been enough.

I think this process will continue right through 2011 and beyond. I think the last two to three years and the forthcoming two to three years are likely to be the most significant in construction for at least a century. There are many theories of what the impact of this reduction in construction work will be, but I hope that something positive comes out of such a negative situation.

As an industry we can hopefully embrace this period and look to find more efficient ways of delivering buildings to the highest standard.

The Government is putting huge faith in the private sector to drive recovery and with construction being one of the most significant industries in the country, clearly we will all have our part to play in the economic recovery process.