Publisher’s Note

Summit Coverage

PUBLISHER PUBLISHER’S PAGE by David Corson Moving forward with faith

We are almost halfway through 2020—a year that started off positive for all of us. The holidays were over. The stock market was steady. Unemployment was at an all-time low. People generally were in a good mood.

At the beginning of the year, we produced our 10th Anniversary Summit, published our January/February issue, held our CCRP in Miami, conducted hotel site visits for our fall Retreats, and walked a few shows and shook some hands. In my spare time, I finished my Old Guys Winter Lax Season without breaking any more bones and was thoroughly enjoying all of the sports on the tube (which drives my wife crazy on the weekends). With college and the NHL skating toward the playoffs along with college & pro lacrosse games streaming on my laptop into the early hours of the morning, can you blame me as the sports fanatic that I am?

There will be many more silver linings in this temporary shutdown. Maybe it will give some a chance to incorporate the practice into their daily work lives moving forward.

Then, we all were pummeled by the Coronavirus—which we could only compare to getting hit with a 2x4 full of rusty nails. The economy stopped dead and livelihoods changed in an instant. Our lives as we know them were placed in a holding pattern. Wash your hands. Wear a mask. Disinfect everything you touch. Protect your toilet paper (at all costs). Don’t forget to practice social distancing. Stay home. This is what our lives are right now in the land of the free & home of the brave. I work out of a home office, so I am use to hunkering down. But many are not and life has been a game-changing experience. Your office now includes your better half, your children, your pets. I have seen all of this on many Facebook posts. People are getting creative, but it does get old after a while. The wear and tear of being quarantined is beginning to take its toll. As a coach and athlete, I have treated this as a time out early in the 1st quarter of a rivalry game and being crushed by the other team with bagels on the score board. It is a time to gather composure and take stock of everything around you. There is still plenty of time left in the game to turn things around and get the win. Remember: never, never quit. We are all just adapting and changing our game plans. For example, we needed to get a little creative to keep our name out there, so we launched our CCR-e-Digest, which highlights the people, places and projects in our industry. We are also getting ready to launch our podcast. I get to be my own producer and learn new software, which means each episode will get better and better. Just like those construction projects. Also, I was able to use my carpentry skills, which had sat dormant for a while, to replace my deck planks and deck stairs. It now looks as good as new. You should have seen me with my table saw, T-square, deck screws, drill, crowbar and dumpster, priceless. The finished product is a great feeling of accomplishment. There will be many more silver linings in this temporary shutdown. People who have never worked from home will find that they could. Maybe it will give some a chance to incorporate the practice into their daily work lives moving forward. Here’s to both sides of the aisle finding the strength to work together to pull us out of this crisis. It is good to see patriotism alive and well in our country. When the darn bug is defeated, we are going to have a construction boom. All of the projects that have been on hold, will be up and running again. Like Winston Churchill said, “Fear is a reaction. Courage is a decision.” Keep that in mind as our fearless healthcare workers and first responders give everything they have for this battle. Stay positive. Stay healthy. Stay safe. We will get through this dilemma one way or another and will succeed. God Bless America and Keep the Faith. CCR

Commercial Construction & Renovation (ISSN 2329-7441) is published bi-monthly by F&J Publications, LLC. The opinions expressed by authors and contributors to Commercial Construction & Renovation are not necessarily those of the editors or publisher. Commercial Construction & Renovation is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or artwork. Unsolicited materials will only be returned if a self-addressed, postagepaid envelope is included. Articles appearing in Commercial Construction & Renovation cannot be reproduced in any way without the specific permission of the publisher or editor. Subscription: 1 year, $50 in U.S., Canada and Mexico; single copies, $10. 1 year, $190 International surface; $290 International air mail; International single copies $25. Printed in U.S.A. Known office of publication: 358 Aviemore Lane, Suwanee, GA. 30024. Periodicals postage paid at Suwanee, GA. 30024, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Commercial Construction & Renovation, P.O. Box 3908, Suwanee, GA 30024.