In her State of the County speech, Onondaga County Executive Joanie Mahoney says construction is a symbol of progress, economic growth, and prosperity. Now we're checking with construction companies to see if their businesses are turning around.
"When people were given an opportunity to evaluate our progress as a community, they counted the cranes to do so," says Mahoney. "Today, the landscape in Onondaga County is dotted with cranes in the sky. Thank you to everyone who has helped make that possible."
We went to the Hard Hat Expo at the NYS Fairgrounds to find out if local construction companies are seeing business improve.
Organizers say the event has 180 vendors and has had record crowds so far this year.
Bret Smith from Spencer Paving says business is improving, so he's considering an investment of hundreds of thousands of dollars in a new paver.
"All the roads need to be built, bridges need to be redone, and there are always new buildings going up," says Smith. "There will always be work out there."
Donald Poe, from Rick Carbone Construction and Excavation, says he's also seeing signs of improvement.
"I'm seeing a trend from things that people really need and actually have to do like septic systems and things like that, to things that people want to do, like projects," says Poe.
The increase in business is having a trickle down effect to vendors like Liftech Equipment Companies. Rich Curtis says the company is seeing a 90% increase is its quote rate, compared to last year.
"Many customers whom we really haven't sold equipment to in the last couple of years are now asking for quotations, and that's welcomed by all of us," says Curtis.
Workers say these are all good signs, and they hope things continue to improve.
Have you seen an increase in construction around Central New York? Are there any current projects you're excited to see completed? Post your comments below.
