A
record number of companies entered the competition this year, generating nearly
$12,000 in entry fees, which will be donated to a charitable organization in
the Chicago
area (the location of the 2012 show.)
The
U.S. Senate Nov. 10 unanimously approved legislation to repeal a federal
mandate that government agencies withhold part of their payments to contractors and added
an amendment to provide tax credits to companies that hire veterans.
However, overall U.S. construction starts for next year will remain essentially flat, according to McGraw-Hill Construction’s 2012 Dodge Construction Outlook.