When you hear the words “construction materials,” it is only natural to think of the more common commodities, like lumber, steel, or glass. Someone in the industry might also include less popular materials like gypsum or copper. However, a material not often considered is one that directly affects the production of a number of vital materials: sand, which is in short supply globally.

The demand for industrial warehouse space remained surprisingly strong during the pandemic. Statistics showed that shopping habits changed dramatically, especially during the shutdown, and many people shifted toward e-commerce retail for almost all of their needs. In 2020, e-commerce sales rose by $244 billion since the previous year, which was a 43 percent increase. Because of this increase, brick-and-mortar retailers joined e-commerce companies by seeking out warehouse space to fulfill their online orders.

Earlier this month, LGE Design Build, alongside developer Echo Real Estate Capital, broke ground on Echo Park 303, a two-building, modern industrial facility in Glendale, Ariz. This project will mark the latest addition to the flourishing Loop 303 corridor, in the West Valley of Phoenix, which is becoming one of the premiere industrial submarkets in the nation.

The previous two years have been a wild ride when it comes to the prices of construction materials. While some materials have fluctuated drastically, many others have steadily risen. With bottlenecks in the supply chain and rising gas prices, along with other untimely factors, the cost of securing necessary construction materials placed an added burden on every firm across the nation. These costs had to be, unfortunately, passed on to the consumer.

Phoenix natives know that driving north on Interstate 17 means two things – traffic and scenery. But well before the terrain turns to majestic mountains, there is another changing landscape, just as you’re leaving Phoenix, that has also been turning some heads.

In late 2021 and into the early part of 2022, the supply chain outlook was dire. A combination of logistical bottlenecks, production setbacks, and labor shortages brought shipping to a near halt. The combination of volatile global politics and domestic instability further complicated the situation.

The growing industrial submarket in the Southeast Valley of Phoenix will be seeing a three-building complex added to it very soon. Midway Commerce Center, on which LGE Design Build recently broke ground, will add just over 300,000 square feet of best-in-class industrial product to Chandler, Ariz.

When it comes to employment in the construction sector, the numbers can be a little misleading if you are not exactly sure how to interpret them. There are so many different positions that need to be filled, across a number of skilled trades, so the overall figures may look positive when, in fact, there is still a long way to go. This is the case for the present situation in which the construction industry finds itself.

As part of an on-going effort to grow our operations in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, LGE Design Build recently took one more integral step toward our goal of setting the bar in this flourishing market. At the end of last month, we brought on Caleb Parsons to be our Director of Construction at LGE Dallas headquarters.

When looking at the sectors in which we build (industrial, mixed-use, office, retail/hospitality, medical, and tenant improvement), demand still remains across almost all of them. There is an expected 14.3 percent growth in nonresidential construction expected for this year, before slowing down going into 2023. 

The process of building a custom structure can be overwhelming on many levels, and some might even find it intimidating. If you have never been through the process before, it could elicit a little bit of fear and get you out of your comfort zone.

Most people have heard the term “minimalism” and are very familiar with at least a basic understanding of it. The term is very popular in the world of interior design where it refers to a prominent style for furnishing commercial spaces like hotels, restaurants, and offices.