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‘Fixer Upper’ leaves behind booming remodeling industry
Kate Hessong Interior Design, Furnishings & FixturesEven if you aren't an HGTV superfan, you've probably heard of the network's most famous couple, Chip and Joanna Gaines. For the past five years, they've taken over the remodeling world with their hit show "Fixer Upper," flipping houses around the greater Waco, Texas, area. Their remodeling business and stores are responsible for attracting 40,000 tourists per week to the town.
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Construction firm owners must drive collaboration
Sue Dyer Construction & Building MaterialsInhale deeply and hold it. Keep holding. Your lungs begin to hurt, carbon dioxide is building up. Now, exhale and hold it. Keep holding. You begin to crave oxygen and begin to feel dizzy.
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Thinking spatially: How GIS changes the way we plan cities
Lucy Wallwork Science & Technology"Data is the new oil." That goes for how our cities work as much as any other industry. GIS data adds a new spatial dimension to data sets, helping us understand the importance of location in the meaning of the data around us. And it is set to become a key source of data for city planners.
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What you can’t hear can hurt you
Michael J. Berens Construction & Building MaterialsNews last month that American diplomats working at the American Embassy in Havana, Cuba, were getting sick with headaches, dizziness and hearing loss made front-page headlines. Some individuals reportedly suffered even more severe symptoms, including a blood disorder and mild traumatic brain injury.
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Houston floods: Exclamation points in the debate over urban…
Lucy Wallwork Waste Management & EnvironmentalWhile climate change is a global topic, events like the catastrophic floods we have seen in Houston after Hurricane Harvey remind us that the consequences can be very local.
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The importance of narratives
Marc Cheves Science & TechnologyNo, not the kind that fill our news nowadays. The kind I believe surveyors should be preparing. Carl Clinton, a former county surveyor in Oregon, makes an eloquent case for why we should be leaving a written record of our surveys. Like Clinton, I have long felt that narratives should be a requirement of almost any survey.
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3 levels of successful cooperation
Sue Dyer Construction & Building MaterialsA growing trend in business is co-opetition. Co-opetition is a buzzword coined to describe cooperative competition (several people take credit for creating the word). Cartels and trade associations are well-known examples where companies work together despite the fact that they are fierce competitors.
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Constraints keep lid on housing industry
Michael J. Berens Construction & Building MaterialsMarket conditions continue to keep pressure on the housing industry. Tight inventories and rising prices put a crimp in housing starts and sales in July, eroding some of the gains made in June. Demand is high, as is consumers' confidence in the economy and their future prospects.
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Composites get cool and cooler for 2017
Brent Gwatney Construction & Building MaterialsWood-plastic composites are increasingly becoming a popular option for homeowners and builders who are looking for an alternative to traditional wood decking. This is largely due to manufacturing advances related to beauty and performance.
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Consumer confidence strong, but housing confidence weakens
Michael J. Berens Construction & Building MaterialsAlthough it has fluctuated somewhat in recent months, consumer confidence remains strong. Reports of continued economic and employment growth have helped sustain consumers' positive outlook about their current and near-term financial well-being.
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