Top Project Starts

Economic downturn fails to deter big jobs
South Central Construction is pleased to present its list of Top Project Starts, which ranks projects by contract cost that broke ground in 2008.

Concrete Construction

Downturn doesn’t affect South Central projects as much as other areas
“Concrete is not only durable and versatile, it is fun,” says Joe McGovern, senior project manager at Hoar Construction LLC in Birmingham, Ala.

A New World

Immigrants growing part of work force, but numbers are sketchy
It may seem as though the number of immigrants on the Gulf Coast has grown since Hurricane Katrina created a need for workers, but there is no hard evidence to determine the population of immigrants, documented or undocumented, says Temple Black, spokesman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

E-Verify

Mississippi requires controversial system for checking residency status
A controversial federal system for electronically verifying the residency status of workers has led to a collision between powerful interests in government and the construction industry.